Thumbplay wrangles $6M for mobile content distribution
Thumbplay, provider of ringtones, wallpapers, games and other content specifically tailored to mobile phones, announced that it brought in $6 million in a sixth round of funding to cushion its business against the downturn. Based in New York, the company says that with the funds, it should find itself poised to expand rapidly once the slump ends sometime next year.
Not that Thumplay isn’t already pretty well positioned to take advantage of the opportunities that do exist… Continue Reading
Is network management growing? SolarWinds picks up Kiwi Enterprises
SolarWinds, an Austin, Tex. network management company that claims to be rapidly growing at the expense of larger rivals, has picked up the assets of a smaller company in the same business, New Zealand-based Kiwi Enterprises, for an undisclosed sum.
Despite a ten-year history, SolarWinds, which makes software to help operate and maintain corporate networks, got its big start two years ago with an investment from Bain Capital and Insight Venture Partners, according to chief product… Continue Reading
Healthcare analytics company MedeFinance raises $50M
MedeFinance, a provider of analytics tools and services to hospitals and health plans, has raised $50 million in a third round of financing. The round was led by Bain Capital, and is a huge increase from the company’s previous two rounds, which included $3 million in all, according to VentureWire.
The Emeryville, Calif. startup says it has more than 700 customers in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Genstar Capital acquires TravelCLICK
TravelCLICK is an e-marketing firm that resells hotel rooms for chains like Accor Hospitality and La Quinta Inns. It was founded in 1999 and is based in Schamburg, Illinois.
The company was jointly held by its founders and investor Bain Capital Ventures. With the Genstar acquisition, Bain is re-investing in the firm, and will continue to hold a minority stake.
The acquisition by Genstar Capital, a San Francisco-based private equity firm, was for an undisclosed amount.
Roundup: Search Wikia to take on Google, Adready, Ideeli, EyeQ, more
Here’s the latest action:
1. Search Wikia could go live by Christmas, to take on Google
2. Nick Denton, the nemesis of Silicon Valley, makes himself editor of Gawker
3. DocStoc, fresh with cash, gives away $50 Amazon gift certificate daily to user uploading best quality docs
4. AdReady, the Seattle advertising startup offering online banner ads, raises $10M more
5. Why Google is going after Wikipedia
6. EyeQ, tracks contributions of developers to projects
7. Ideeli, a invite-only Web retailer for… Continue Reading
China roundup: Youku, Facebook and Qunar
Updated
While Silicon Valley takes a breather this Thanksgiving weekend from a hectic year of deal-making, the action continues over in China.
1) Well-connected China video site gets $25 million more
2) More rumors of Facebook purchases in China
3) Qunar, a Chinese travel search engine, raises $10 million
Well-connected China video site gets $25 million more – Youku.com is a thriving Chinese YouTube-style video sharing site, and has just raised another round of funding, according to Chinese news organization… Continue Reading
Life sciences briefing: Monday, Oct. 15, 2007
Featured companies: Biolipox, Cellpoint Diagnostics, Corum Medical, MediKeeper, Mendel Biotechnology, NanoMed, Orexo, Rules-Based Medicine, Tengion
UPDATED: Expanded the Tengion item, and that’s about it.
Tengion raises $33M for bladder regrowth — Tengion, a Norriton, Pa., biotech focused on regenerating diseased or damaged organs, raised $33 million in a third funding round. Investors included Deerfield Partners, Bain Capital, Johnson & Johnson Development, HealthCap, Quaker BioVentures, Oak Investment Partners, L Capital Partners, Horizon Technology Finance and Oxford Finance.
Tengion is working on… Continue Reading
Skyhook nabs $8.5 million for WiFi-GPS network
Skyhook Wireless, a Boston company seeking to become the first company to link GPS locations to Wifi hotspots nationwide to make it easier for advertisers to target mobile users, has gotten another $8.5 million in capital.
The four-year-old company has now raised $16.8 million. The financing, first reported by VentureWire (sub required), was led by RRE Ventures and included existing investors Bain Capital, Intel Capital and CommonAngels.
According to VentureWire:
Skyhook is creating a map to link GPS… Continue Reading
TheFind, the clean shopping search engine, raises $15M more
TheFind is a comparison shopping search engine that is unusually clean — it doesn’t ask merchants to pay for their products to show up in results. TheFind’s traffic is growing.
This purity is one reason it has just won $15 million in fresh backing from big-name investors Bain Capital, Redpoint Ventures and Lightspeed Venture Partners.
The investment, to be announced tomorrow (Thursday) makes TheFind one of the best-funded of the new shopping search engines. It wants to… Continue Reading
Accelecare: Outsourcing difficult wound treatments
Accelecare Wound Centers (no link), a Seattle provider of specialized medical care for difficult-to-treat wounds such as diabetic ulcers, raised $10 million of an anticipated $35 million first funding round, VentureWire reports (subscription required). SV Life Sciences and Bain Capital each contributed $5 million, and have together committed another $25 million to the company.
Accelecare is a sort of specialty medical-services company that provides particular forms of treatment to hospitals under contract. According to VentureWire, the… Continue Reading
Jott raises $5.4M for voice-to-text
Jott, the convenient voice-to-text service we reviewed favorably in March, has raised $5.4 million in its latest round of financing.
Jott, of Seattle, allows you to call a number, record a message, and then have that message translated into text and e-mailed to you or one of your contacts.
Bain Capital of Boston led the round with money from its new early-stage fund. The round included previous investors Draper Richards, Ackerley Partners and Atomico.
Founder and chief executive… Continue Reading
Nomis raises $8M for loan pricing software
Nomis Solutions, a San Bruno, Calif. company that provides software banks to guide them on how to charge customers for loans, has raised $8 million in a third round of financing.
The company’s software analyzes customer data, and helps banks maximize profits.
The round was led by existing investor Bain Capital Ventures, and previous investors August Capital and Red Rock Ventures also participated. The funding was reported today by VentureWire (sub required). SVB Capital was… Continue Reading