Astoria Software raises funds to produce technical and product documentation
Astoria Software, maker of applications used to produce technical and product documentation for the technology, lifescience and manufacturing sectors, announced that it raised an undisclosed amount of financing from Goldman Sachs, BluePrint Ventures, Prism VentureWorks and Ticonderoga Capital, according to VentureWire.
Based in San Francisco, Astoria says it has between 35 and 40 customers, each with contracts amounting to $500,000 and more. It says it will use its new money to beef up its sales and… Continue Reading
Akimbo, online video delivery company, throws in towel for good
updated
We’re hearing that Akimbo, the San Mateo, Calif. video set-top box company that raised millions of dollars in fresh funding less than three months ago to make a fresh start in a new direction, has just thrown in the towel anyway.
In February, Akimbo brought in a new management team, $8 million in fresh funding [Update: Apparently, the company only raised $4M; the original announcement of $8 million had been a targeted amount, but it only… Continue Reading
Akimbo, failed video distribution company, tries again, raises $8M
Akimbo, the San Mateo, Calif. company that tried to offer video over a set-top box, but gave up in May last year because no one was buying the box, has launched again with a different management team, $8 million in fresh funding and a different strategy.
The company said it realized it still had valuable technology, and so has refashioned it to market it to video publishes who want to deliver their own video online. The… Continue Reading
Microsoft sides with PSI, goes after IBM’s mainframe market
Platform Solutions Inc., a Sunnyvale, Calif. maker of mainframe computers that is going after IBM’s near monopoly in the sector, has raised filled its war-chest with more than $37 million in fresh capital from a group of investors including Microsoft.
PSI, as the company is known, has also signed joint sales agreement with Microsoft, giving it some good access to the large data centers of companies Microsoft already serves. It is going after the lower end… Continue Reading
SpectraSensors raises $14M for natural gas analysis
SpectraSensors, a Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. company that makes sensors to optically analyze natural gas, has raised $14 million in a third round of funding.
The technology is used to test energy levels and other factors that affect the gas’ usage in refineries, for example.
The round was led by by Nomura’s New Energy & Clean Technology Ventures. Chevron’s CTTV Investments also participated, as did existing backers American River Ventures, Blueprint Ventures and Nth Power.
An announcement is here.
The… Continue Reading
AirTight Networks, wireless intrusion prevention co., raises $14.5M
AirTight Networks, a Mountain View, Ca provider of wireless intrusion prevention technology, has raised $14.5 million in a third round funding.
A total of $36.75 million has been invested in the company since 2002.
The round was led by CMEA Ventures, and existing investors Blueprint Ventures, Granite Ventures, Siemens Venture Capital, Trident Capital and Walden International participated.
See the statement here.
Visto, Silicon Valley’s most controversial company
The mobile email company, Visto, has become one of the most controversial companies in Silicon Valley.
The Redwood City company has reportedly raised another $35 million in venture backing led by new investor Altitude Capital Partners, adding to the whopping $350 million the company has already raised. It is in the red, after ten years, and hasn’t announced a major customer in several months. Its penchant to file lawsuits is also worrying, and we’ve said before… Continue Reading
Kiptronic raises $4M for podcast ad-insertion, a better Podbridge?
Kiptronic, a San Francisco company that lets publishers insert ads into audio and video files before they are downloaded for listening on a device, has raised $4 million in a first round of funding.
The investment was led by Blueprint Ventures and Prism VentureWorks.
Kiptronic’s technology works on files that are downloaded onto mobile phones, iPods and PCs for listening to later off-line. This is referred to as “podcasting,” and differs from video “streaming” process, whereby… Continue Reading
Blueprint Ventures and its porn problem
Apologies for those who couldn’t get to VentureBeat’s website yesterday. Traffic was robust, and our servers aren’t as capable as we thought.
At least we haven’t been taken over by Russian hackers. That’s what happened with Blueprint Ventures’ website. Worse, it’s been turned into a pornography link page (for squeamish, not worth going there).
“It’s a pain in the ass,” Blueprint’s Bart Schachter told PE Week. “It’s in Russia, so there’s no legislative or regulatory things… Continue Reading