VentureWire, Friday, September 15, 2000 ,
 ======================================================
        VENTUREWIRE --- Friday, September 15, 2000
======================================================
           Private Company Business News
------ Published Daily by Technologic Partners -------
           http://technologicpartners.com
======================================================

Top Stories:

o Baltimore Acquires Content Technologies For $992 Million
o Pseudo Programs in Search of Funding or a Buyer
o Birchmere Closes $75 Million IT Fund with $50 Million
o eStyle Bucks Anti E-tailer Trend with $25 Million Financing
o Convergent Investors Closes $64 Million High-Tech Fund
o Former 49er Footballer Jones Joins ASP WebAgencies' Board

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Also in This Issue:

     New Money:
o Launch, $3 Million Seed Funding for Semiconductor Firm Quake
o Mobile Device Software Firm Mobli Has $2 Million First Round
o Online Bond Marketplace eBond Raises $1 Million Seed Round
o SIP Software Firm Indigo Software Gets $4 Million Round One
o Software Developer For Internet Protocol Raises $1.5 Million
o Swedish Arm of eWork Exchange Gets First Round Funding
o Waveguide Developer Teem Photonics Gets $31 Million
o Cogency Semiconductor Takes $20 Million in Round Two
o Content Site InvestorForce.com Raises $52 Million Series D
o Strategic Management Group Raises $50 Million Second Round
o $9.6 Million Round Two for Disk Storage Firm NanoMagnetics
o Cube8.com To Invest Up To $7 Million in Telecom Firm Corex
o IT Training Firm IQdestination Raises $7 Million Series B
o Net Forms Developer Cardiff Raises $10 Million
o Nutripeak.com Gets $5 Million Series B, Acquires eNutrition
o Orsus Solutions Raises $20 Million in Strategic Third Round
o Partner Manager Allegis Gets $26 Million in Mezzanine Funds
o TelePacific Communications Adds $19 Million To Third Round
o Web Enabler ChinaCast Technology Gains $28.6 Million
o E-Business Resource India.com Raises $11 Million Round
o Security Provider Amsec Raises $3 Million in Series C
o Wireless Entertainment Firm Digital Bridges Gets $14 Million
o Education E-Transaction Firm KawamaCommerce Gets Funds
o VentureWorx Takes 3% Stake in Management Firm Vertical Think

     New Products:
o Digital Delivery Provider Etems Networks Launches
o ASP Provider OnShare Launches File Sharing Service
o Direct Marketing Management Firm Screen4me Announces Launch
o Steel Industry Trading Platform FerrousExchange Launches

     M&A:
o SOC Producer Cygnal Acquires IP Core Provider SiLogiX
o Chinese Internet Portal Sohu.com to Acquire ChinaRen.com
o Elderly Care Manager CareGuide Buys Senior Care Review

     New Directors:
o Redback Vice Chairman Named Chairman of Telenisus
o Education Service Provider LearnSomething Adds Two to Board
o Two Board Members Join Directory Assistance Firm, infoUSA
o Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror Fan Site Fandom Elects Board Member

     New People:
o Wireless Multimedia Firm ShareWave Names CEO and President
o E-Commerce Company MarketMile Hires New President and CEO
o Former CFO of Buystream Joins Linux IT Firm Nitrosoft as CEO

     VC Fund News:
o Consultant Summa Technologies Forms Summa VentureWorks
o Lattitude Partners Closes $60 Million Technology Fund

     VC Personnel:
o Former Lucent Optical Group Head Joins Clarity Partners

     VW Corrections:
o Daedalus Venture Group
o MinorityInterest Network

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======= Top Stories =======

o Baltimore Acquires Content Technologies For $992 Million

LONDON -- Baltimore Technologies, a publicly traded
online security company, said it acquired Content
Technologies Holdings, developer of MIMEsweeper
network security products. Baltimore is offering
91 million of its shares in the all-stock transaction.
The acquisition is valued at $992 million. Content
Technologies products enable organizations to implement
policies protecting them against confidentiality
breaches, exposure to e-mail legal liability, junk
e-mail, e-mail borne viruses, and misuse of e-mail.
Profitable since its inception, Content Technologies
raised a single $13 million round of funding from
private investors for expanded sales and marketing.
Investors in the round included Chase H&Q, Goldman
Sachs, a New York Teacher's Fund, PSINet, Advent
Venture Partners, and Rana.
http://www.baltimore.com/
http://www.contenttechnologies.com/
_____________________________________________

o Pseudo Programs in Search of Funding or a Buyer

NEW YORK -- Struggling Internet television network
Pseudo Programs is in need of cash and has been
seeking a buyer. David Bohrman, who joined the company
as chief executive officer early this year, said
Pseudo has spent the last month and a half trying
to raise funding and has been exploring the possibility
of being acquired. In June, Pseudo eliminated 16%
of its workforce, about 58 jobs, and reassigned
30 others to new production positions in a bid to
create a continuous live broadcast network. In May,
the company raised a $14 million round of funding
led by Defosses International, a media unit backed
by LVMH Luis Vuitton Moet Hennesy. Intel Capital
participated along with FD5 S.A., Prospect Street
Ventures, and Tribune Ventures. Pseudo has received
additional backing from investors including Sycamore
Ventures, Big Wave Ventures, and Winfield Capital.
http://www.pseudo.com/
_____________________________________________

o Birchmere Closes $75 Million IT Fund with $50 Million

PITTSBURGH -- Birchmere Ventures II, a venture capital
fund focused on companies based in western Pennsylvania
and the rest of the Mid-Atlantic region, said it
closed on $50 million to complete its $75 million
fundraising. The fund will be used for investment
in seed and early-stage information technology companies.
Birchmere Ventures II has invested in Internet business
software infrastructure firm Cerelbellum Software;
Lightningcast, a streaming media market firm; and
ServiceWare Technologies, a provider of an Internet-based
service platform that went public in August. The
fund is managed by Sean D.S. Sebastian, Gary G.
Glausser, and Ned Renzi.
http://www.birchmerevc.com/
_____________________________________________

o eStyle Bucks Anti E-tailer Trend with $25 Million Financing

LOS ANGELES -- eStyle, an online retailer of maternity
clothing, nursery furnishings, baby gear, and other
gifts and products related to maternity and childraising,
said it raised $25 million in fourth-round funding.
The funding comes at a time when many private equity
investors have shied away from online retail businesses
because of questions concerning their business models.
The round was led by Primedia, with participation
from eStyles prior investors, which include Zone
Ventures, Oak Investment Partners, Vulcan Ventures,
and Goldman Sachs. The company has raised approximately
$85 million to date and may raise additional funds
from a yet-to-be-named strategic partner in the
months ahead.
http://www.estyle.com/
_____________________________________________

o Convergent Investors Closes $64 Million High-Tech Fund

AUSTIN, Texas -- Convergent Investors, a Texas-based
venture capital investment group, said it has closed
a $64 million fund, Convergent Investors VI. The
company said it will invest in early stage high-tech,
telecommunications, e-commerce, and transaction
oriented businesses. Typical investment size will
be between $1 million and $5 million. The managing
partners are: Jimmy Mansour, Brian Smith, Willard
Hanzlik, John Chaney, Robert Gauntt, Steve Shaper
and Henry James. Convergent participated in Isochron
Data's $12 million first round in August.
http://www.convergentinvestors.com/
_____________________________________________

o Former 49er Footballer Jones Joins ASP WebAgencies' Board

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- WebAgencies.com, an application
service provider serving the insurance agent community,
said Brent Jones, a former member of the San Francisco
49ers football team, has joined its board of directors.
Mr. Jones is an investor in the company. Since retiring
from professional sports, Mr. Jones has founded
University Technology Ventures, a venture capital
firm that works with venture capital firms and universities.
WebAgencies is backed by individual investors.
http://www.webagencies.com/

======= New Money =======

o Launch, $3 Million Seed Funding for Semiconductor Firm Quake

OTTAWA, Canada -- Quake Technologies, a semiconductor
start-up, said it launched with $3 million in seed
round funding from Brian Protiva, chief executive
officer of ADVA Optical, JDS Uniphase and other
undisclosed individual investors. The company said
it will use the funds to expand its engineering
team and for overall expansion.
http://www.quaketech.com/
_____________________________________________

o Mobile Device Software Firm Mobli Has $2 Million First Round

COPENHAGEN -- Mobli, a Los Angeles-based publisher
of software for mobile devices, said it raised approximately
$2 million in its first round of funding. BHS Holding
and the Kampsax group of companies funded the round
along with individual investors including Heather
Hazard, a business professor at the Copenhagen School
of Management; Hiroshi Mikitani, founder and CEO
of Rakuten; and Oliwer Samwer, co-founder of of
Alando. The company plans to expand its operations
into Germany and Japan.
http://www.mobli.com/
_____________________________________________

o Online Bond Marketplace eBond Raises $1 Million Seed Round

NEW YORK -- eBond Securities, which provides individual
and small institutional investors with proprietary
methods to trade fixed income securities online,
said it has secured $1 million in funding from individual
investors. The company said proceeds of the round
will be used for the launch of additional products.
http://www.ebond.com/
_____________________________________________

o SIP Software Firm Indigo Software Gets $4 Million Round One

ATLANTA -- Indigo Software, which develops software
based on session initiation protocol (SIP), said
it raised $4 million in its first round of funding.
The round was led by Sofinnova Ventures and included
an investment from Belgian investor GIMV. The company
intends the resulting alliance to reinforce its
position on both sides of the Atlantic. The company
said the funding will be used for continued product
development. Sofinnova said the funding is its first
investment in a company focused on session initiation
protocols.
http://www.indigosw.com/
http://www.sofinnova.com/
http://www.gimv.com/
_____________________________________________

o Software Developer For Internet Protocol Raises $1.5 Million

COIMBATORE, India -- Amoeba Telecom, a telecommunications
software company developing management solutions
for data, voice, and video protocols, said it raised
$1.5 million in its first round of funding. Investors
in the round included GE Equity and Intel Capital.
The company said it will use the funding for product
development, global marketing, and office expansion.
As a result of the investment, Punit Bhatia, head
of GE Capital India, will take a seat on the board
of directors for Amoeba Capital.
http://www.amoebatel.com/
_____________________________________________

o Swedish Arm of eWork Exchange Gets First Round Funding

SAN FRANCISCO -- eWork Exchange said its Swedish
operation, also called eWork Exchange, received
an undisclosed amount of funding from new investor
Telia Business Innovation, a venture capital firm
in the Swedish telecommunications group Telia. Telia
Business Innovation now holds a 20% stake in the
company, which operates an online service that pairs
companies and high-level project workers. The U.S.-based
eWork Exchange is backed by eCompanies Venture Group,
ETF Group, Storie Partners, and funds associated
with DeutscheBanc Alex. Brown. In November, the
company plans to open a U.K. branch.
http://www.ework.se/
_____________________________________________

o Waveguide Developer Teem Photonics Gets $31 Million

GRENOBLE, France -- Teem Photonics, a developer
and manufacturer of active and passive optical waveguide
components, said it received $31 million in funding
from Baker Capital and Weiss, Peck & Greer Venture
Partners. The company plans to use the funds for
product development and to open a U.S. subsidiary
by the end of the year. Previous investors are Banexi,
Innovacom, Sudinnova, Schneider Electric, Radiall,
and National Polytechnic Institute of Grenoble.
http://www.teemphotonics.com/
_____________________________________________

o Cogency Semiconductor Takes $20 Million in Round Two

OTTAWA -- Cogency Semiconductor, a provider of semiconductors
for the home networking market, said it raised $20
million in its second round of funding. Celtic House
International, VenGrowth, and Working Ventures Canadian
Fund invested in the round. The company will use
the funding for research and development, recruiting
additional staff, and for sales and marketing. Cogency's
products enable high-speed digital data transmission.
http://www.cogency.com/
_____________________________________________

o Content Site InvestorForce.com Raises $52 Million Series D

WAYNE, Pa. -- InvestorForce.com, which provides
content to the institutional investment industry,
said it secured $52 million in a Series D funding
co-led by new investors California Public Employees'
Retirement System (CalPERS) and Thomas Weisel Capital
Partners. Previous investors Internet Capital Group,
Mellon Ventures, and Merrill Lynch also contributed
to the round. Derek Lemke, a partner at Thomas Weisel
Capital Partners, was added to the company's board
of directors, which now stands at 15. The funds
will be used for product development.
http://www.investorforce.com/
_____________________________________________

o Strategic Management Group Raises $50 Million Second Round

PHILADELPHIA -- Strategic Management Group (SMG)
and its online division, SMGnet,  a provider of
consulting, instructional design, business simulations,
and content services for technology-based companies,
said it raised $50 million in its second round of
funding from previous investor Behrman Capital.
SMG was founded in 1981. The company said the funds
will be used for product development and for expanding
its sales force.
http://www.smginc.com/
_____________________________________________

o $9.6 Million Round Two for Disk Storage Firm NanoMagnetics

BATH, England -- NanoMagnetics, which develops storage
capacity technologies for disks using protein coating
for magnetic nanoparticles, said it raised GBP 6.7
million ($9.6 million) in its second round of funding.
The round was co-led by new investors UBS Capital,
Formula Ventures, and BankAtlantic Financial Ventures.
Interregnum, another new investor, joined previous
investors Prelude Trust, Amadeus Capital, and Cambridge
Research and Innovation in completing the funding.
The company said it will use the funding for the
development of a new research and development facility
and to bring the company's technology to market.
Greg Lockwood of UBS Capital, and John Abob of BankAtlantic
Financial Ventures will take seats on the NanoMagnetics
board of directors.
http://www.nanomagnetics.com/
_____________________________________________

o Cube8.com To Invest Up To $7 Million in Telecom Firm Corex

LONDON -- Cube8.com, a technology, media, and telecommunications
incubator, said it will invest up to GBP 4.9 million
($7 million) in Corex Networks, a provider of Internet
protocol technology aimed at reducing cost and enhancing
functionality for call centers. The company is currently
negotiating an agreement with British Telecom. Cube8.com
will make an initial investment of $700,000 for
a 14% equity stake in the company. Cube8.com has
the option to increase its holdings to 20% over
a two year period with a mixture of cash and stock.
The company said it will use the funding to develop
the product for a commercial launch. John Winfield,
finance director of Cube8, will take a seat on the
Corex Networks board of directors as a result of
the investment.
http://www.corexnetworks.com/
http://www.cube8.com/
_____________________________________________

o IT Training Firm IQdestination Raises $7 Million Series B

DENVER -- IQdestination.com, which offers both online
and classroom-based information technology training,
said it closed a $7 million Series B round of funding.
The round was led by Access Partners and included
additional investments from meVC Draper Fisher Advisors,
Quest Capital Partnership, SV Equity Growth Fund,
and Raeder Venture Fund. The company said it will
use the funding to increase its sales force, continue
to develop its product, and to expand the company's
technology infrastructure. Frank Mendicino of Access
Partners, and David Link of Quest Capital Partnership,
will both take seats on the IQdestination.com board
of directors.
http://www.iqdestination.com/
_____________________________________________

o Net Forms Developer Cardiff Raises $10 Million

SAN DIEGO -- Cardiff Software, a creator of online
electronic forms and personalized interaction products,
said it has raised $10 million in an investment
round led by Dicom Group, a supplier of software
and consulting services. Joining Dicom were Adobe
Ventures and HarbourVest Partners, a private investment
organization that has previously invested in Cardiff.
The company said it would use the funds for late
stage development and to grow sales of its new online
products.
http://www.cardiff.com/
_____________________________________________

o Nutripeak.com Gets $5 Million Series B, Acquires eNutrition

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Nutripeak.com, a storefront
and Internet retailer of branded nutritional supplement
products based in Culver City, Calif., said it raised
$5 million in its Series B round of financing. Lead
investors in the financing include Brentwood Associates
IX LP, idealab! Capital Partners II-B and Entertainment
Media Ventures, LLC. The company said the funds
will be used to accelerate the roll-out of additional
retail stores. Along with the funding announcement,
Nutripeak.com said it has acquired Woodland Hills,
Calif.-based eNutrition, an online retailer of nutritional
supplements, vitamins, minerals, herbs, sports nutrients,
and a variety of natural body care products, in
a stock-for-stock transaction. Financial terms of
the agreement were not disclosed. As a result of
the acquisition, Barry D. Blake, chairman and CEO
of Nutripeak, will be chairman and CEO of the combined
company, Nutripeak. Alex Lasbroas, president of
Nutripeak, will be president of the combined company.
Three eNutrition directors - Brian Atwood of Brentwood
Associates; Randolph Gale, former chairman and CEO
of eNutrition; and Eric Weider, president of Weider
Health and Fitness - will join Nutripeak's seven-member
board of directors.
http://www.nutripeak.com/
_____________________________________________

o Orsus Solutions Raises $20 Million in Strategic Third Round

SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- Orsus Solutions, which develops
and markets integration software and services for
electronic and mobile business, said it raised $20
million in a third round of strategic funding. The
round came from corporate investors including SingTel,
which provided $3 million for the round. The company
said it will use the funding for increased marketing
and the development of new products through expanded
research and development. Its first $8 million round
of investment was completed in 1999, followed by
a $40 million private placement in April 2000. The
company is based in Sunnyvale, Ca. with a research
and development center in Israel and an office in
London. Previous investors in the company include
Mogdal Technologies, Cedar Fund, Clal Industries,
and Koor Industries, along with individual investors
and other corporate entities.
http://www.orsus.com/
_____________________________________________

o Partner Manager Allegis Gets $26 Million in Mezzanine Funds

SAN FRANCISCO -- Allegis, a partner relationship
management company that enables firms to integrate
indirect sales and distribution channels, said it
raised $26 million in its mezzanine round of funding.
New investor J & W Seligman led the round, which
included new investor Amerindo Investment Advisors
and previous investors Benchmark Capital, Brinson
Partners, Charter Growth Capital, Chase Capital,
Credit Suisse First Boston, Integral Capital, Intel
64 Fund, and Pivotal Asset Management. The company
will use the funding to further develop its services.
Allegis also has backing from Chase Hambrecht &
Quist, Deutsche Banc Alex Brown, MSD Capital, Plantir
Capital, and Staenberg Ventures.
http://www.allegis.com/
_____________________________________________

o TelePacific Communications Adds $19 Million To Third Round

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- TelePacific Communications,
a broadband telecommunications provider, said it
has raised an additional $19 million in its third
round, bringing total funding for the round to $144
million. The earlier portion of the round was raised
in April, with Investcorp as the sole investor.
New investors Hillman Co., which provided $10 million,
and Arena Capital Partners, which contributed $4
million, provided add-on funds, as did previous
investor GE Capital, which contributed $5 million
to this round. GE Capital had provided TelePacific
with a $50 million credit facility and a $10 million
equity investment in September of last year. To
date, TelePacific has raised more than $225 million.
The new investment will support expansion of the
company's network infrastructure and service areas
to several additional major U.S. metropolitan markets
through 2001. The investment will also fund expansion
of TelePacific's customer-support organization,
development and implementation of back-office systems,
and product development. The company also received
a $15 million investment in April of 1999 from Rader
Reinfrank & Co.
http://www.telepacific.com/
_____________________________________________

o Web Enabler ChinaCast Technology Gains $28.6 Million

HONG KONG -- ChinaCast Technology, an Internet infrastructure
enabler, said it raised $28.6 million from investors
Hughes Network Systems, Intel Capital and SUNeVision.
The company said it will use the funds to develop
and deploy its services. SUNeVision partner Daniel
Tseung has been appointed to the board of directors.
http://www.chinacast.com.hk/
_____________________________________________

o E-Business Resource India.com Raises $11 Million Round

NEW YORK -- India.com, which supplies Internet and
business-to-business information and services for
Indians in India and abroad, completed an $11 million
round of funding. Sycamore Ventures' AsiaStar IT
Fund led the round, along with the Kaufmann Fund
and funds affiliated with Primus Venture Partners.
The company said the financing will be used for
growth in its marketing and sales initiatives. India.com
is a subsidiary of World.com, an incubator that
is itself a wholly owned subsidiary of publicly
traded messaging provider Mail.com.
http://www.mail.com/
_____________________________________________

o Security Provider Amsec Raises $3 Million in Series C

MCLEAN, Va. -- Winston Partners, a private investment
firm, announced that Amsec International, which
provides security services to Fortune 1000 companies,
has closed a $3 million Series C funding round.
Winston said it joined with Arthur J. Gallagher,
an insurance brokerage firm, to lead the round of
funding as Amsec's primary institutional equity
investors. Amsec will use the proceeds to purchase
Validata, a pre-employment screening services firm,
and for working capital. Stephen Frey, a principal
at Winston, will join Scott Andrews, Winston's managing
director, on Amsec's board of directors.
http://www.amsecsolutions.com/
_____________________________________________

o Wireless Entertainment Firm Digital Bridges Gets $14 Million

FIFE, Scotland -- Digital Bridges, which develops
multimedia entertainment for wireless devices, said
it raised GBP 10 million ($14 million) in its most
recent round of funding. Apax Partners Funds and
Argo Global Capital financed the round. The company
said it will use the funds for its planned global
expansion. Digital Bridges has existing partnerships
with One2One and Vodafone in the U.K., France Telecom
Mobile, Omnitel in Italy, Telfort in the Netherlands,
Orange Switzerland, and others. As a result of the
investment, Stephen Grabiner of Apax Partners, and
Alan MacIntosh of Argo Capital have joined the company's
board of directors.
http://www.digitalbridges.com/
_____________________________________________

o Education E-Transaction Firm KawamaCommerce Gets Funds

SANTA ANA, Calif. -- KawamaCommerce, which provides
online business transaction services for school
districts, service agencies, and purchasing cooperatives,
said it has secured an undisclosed amount of funding
from Sylvan Ventures. The Sylvan investment follows
the company's $6 million Series A round of funding.
The company said it will use the funds for working
capital and growth. KawamaCorporation is also backed
by Ridgewood Capital and Ebyz.
http://www.kawamacommerce.com/
_____________________________________________

o VentureWorx Takes 3% Stake in Management Firm Vertical Think

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- VentureWorx, an incubator company,
said it acquired a 3% equity stake in Vertical Think,
a consultation firm that helps businesses design
and launch Web sites, through the purchase of 25
million shares of common stock for an undisclosed
amount. VentureWorx said it will assist the company
with expansion, recruiting advisory and management
personnel, and marketing.
http://www.verticalthink.com/
http://www.ventureworx.com/

======= New Products =======

o Digital Delivery Provider Etems Networks Launches

BOSTON -- Etems Networks, a global networking infrastructure
provider, said it has launched. The firm will provide
a service in which content can be delivered universally
in electronic/digital form, with instant digital
delivery, installation, storage, and retrieval.
The firm is currently seeking a $70 million dollar
round of funding. The company is backed by individual
investors.
http://www.etems.com/
_____________________________________________

o ASP Provider OnShare Launches File Sharing Service

ITHACA, N.Y. -- OnShare, an application services
and technology provider of business-to-business
file sharing services, said its OnShare File Management
service application has launched. Onshare has developed
a technology that enables users to share files on
their hard drives with other users whom they specify
in an organized and secure way. OnShare said it
modeled the technology after file swapping applications
such as Napster. OnShare is backed by individual
investors and is currently raising its first round
of funding.
http://www.onsharenetworks.com/
_____________________________________________

o Direct Marketing Management Firm Screen4me Announces Launch

ATLANTA -- Screen4me, the creator of permission
marketing and privacy tools that aim to help consumers
control the direct marketing they receive, said
it launched. The company said its first product
guards users from unsolicited telemarketing, direct
mail, and spam e-mail. The company also announced
its board, which consists of Jim Hansberger, Sr.,
the founder of Hansberger Group; Eric Hartz, president
of ZapMedia; J. Walker Smith, president of Yankelovich
Partners; and Peter Trost, the CEO and president
of Holland & Knight. Screen4me is backed by Robinson-Humphrey
Co., and Intelligent Systems, as well as individual
investors from Bran RMG, Yankelovich Partners, Siebel
Systems, Boston Consulting Group, and Holland &
Knight. The company said it is raising its first
round of funding.
http://www.screen4me.com/
_____________________________________________

o Steel Industry Trading Platform FerrousExchange Launches

NEW YORK -- FerrousExchange, an online trading platform
for the steel industry, announced its launch. The
exchange allows buyers and sellers to make real-time
bids for products and offers auctions and request
for quotation platforms for steel products outside
of the commercial grades offered on the exchange.
FerrousExchange's investors include Ispat and Gilbraltar.
http://www.ferrousexchange.com/

======= M&A =======

o SOC Producer Cygnal Acquires IP Core Provider SiLogiX

AUSTIN, Texas -- Cygnal Integrated Products, which
designs, manufactures, and markets field-programmable
mixed signal system-on-chip (SOC) products, said
it acquired SiLogiX, a developer of silicon intellectual
property (IP) cores for the semiconductor and electronics
markets, for an undisclosed amount. Cygnal is backed
with over $15 million from Austin Ventures, JatoTech
Ventures, Cirrus Logic, Sanyo Semiconductor, and
several individual investors.
http://www.silogix.com/
http://www.cygnal.com/
_____________________________________________

o Chinese Internet Portal Sohu.com to Acquire ChinaRen.com

BEIJING -- SOHU.com, a Chinese Internet portal providing
e-mail, home pages, chat rooms, messaging, news,
search, browsing, and shopping services, said it
signed a definitive agreement to acquire ChinaRen.com,
a Chinese community Web site, for an undisclosed
amount. The companies said they expected to close
the deal in the fourth quarter. SOHU.com said the
deal will extend its reach as a pure Internet brand
aimed exclusively at the Chinese market. The three
founders of ChinaRen.com will join SOHU.com's management
team, while the workforce of the two companies will
be combined. Goldman Sachs is the lead institutional
investor in ChinaRen.com. Other backers include
KKR and Joho Capital.
http://www.chinaren.com/
http://www.sohu.com/
_____________________________________________

o Elderly Care Manager CareGuide Buys Senior Care Review

SAN FRANCISCO -- CareGuide, a provider of elderly
care management services through an integrated Internet,
telephony, and wireless communications platform,
said it has acquired Senior Care Review, another
care management company which provides assessments
and quality monitoring of facilities that care for
the elderly, for an undisclosed amount. The combined
company will deliver services to assist family members
in planing, evaluating, and selecting home care
or a care facility. CareGuide recently secured $10.6
million in its third round of funding led by Pequot
Capital Management and Nob Hill Capital Management.
CareGuide has raised $15 million to date.
http://www.careguide.com/

======= New Directors =======

o Redback Vice Chairman Named Chairman of Telenisus

CHICAGO -- Telenisus, which provides businesses
with managed Internet Infrastructure services such
as security, virtual private networks, and Web hosting,
said it has appointed Dennis Barsema as chairman
of its board of directors. Mr. Barsema was chief
executive officer of Redback Networks and is presently
the vice-chairman of Redback. Before joining Redback,
Mr. Barsema was vice senior vice president and general
manager of Centigram, a telecommunications company.
Telenisus is backed by Alta Communications, Bay
Partners, ABN AMRO Private Equity, BancBoston Ventures,
Metropolis Venture Partners, and Maroon Bells Capital
Partners.
http://www.telenisus.com/
_____________________________________________

o Education Service Provider LearnSomething Adds Two to Board

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- LearnSomething.com, an online
educational services provider, said Paul D. Eurek,
former founder and CEO/President of Compris Technologies,
and Anne-Lee Verville, author of "What Business
Wants from Higher Education" and former general
manager of IBM's Global Education Industry, have
joined its board. This brings the total number of
directors to eight. Investors in LearnSomething.com
include individual investors and Noro-Moseley Partners
of Atlanta.
http://www.learnsomething.com/
_____________________________________________

o Two Board Members Join Directory Assistance Firm, infoUSA

FOSTER CITY, Calif. -- infoUSA.com, online provider
of white and yellow page directory assistance services,
said it named Robert J. Korzeniewski, chief financial
officer of Network Solutions, and Larry Kramer,
founder, chairman and CEO of MarketWatch.com, to
its board of directors. infoUSA.com is majority
owned by publicly traded  infoUSA and has received
backing from meVC Draper Fisher Jurvetson Fund I,
GM Capital Investment Management, Trident Capital,
and Yahoo.
http://www.infousa.com/
_____________________________________________

o Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror Fan Site Fandom Elects Board Member

SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- Fandom, an online site providing
science fiction, fantasy, and horror entertainment
content, said that Sam Fernandez, the senior vice
president and general counsel for the Los Angeles
Dodgers, has joined its board of directors. Mr.
Fernandez also has been on the board of directors
of Major League Baseball properties and Major League
Baseball Enterprises. Mr. Fernandez joins current
Fandom board members Jeff Sagansky of PAX TV, Brad
Jones of Redpoint Ventures, James D. Robinson IV
of RRE Ventures, Gary Adelson of East/West Ventures,
and Fandom CEO Mark Young.
http://www.fandom.com/

======= New People =======

o Wireless Multimedia Firm ShareWave Names CEO and President

EL DORADO, Calif. -- ShareWave, which provides technology
for wireless multimedia home networking, said it
has appointed E. Jock Ochiltree as its president
and CEO. ShareWave's acting president and CEO, Bob
Bennet, a co-founder of the company, will now serve
as vice president of corporate marketing and business
development. Before joining ShareWave Mr. Ochiltree
was president and COO of Information Storage Devices
(ISD), a global supplier of integrated circuits
for communications and consumer applications. ShareWave
is privately-held and backed by a number of investors
including APV Technology Partners, Cisco Systems,
Draper Richards, Intel Corporation, Kyushu Matsushita
Electric, Microsoft, Philips Electronics, SBC Communications,
Softbank Technology Ventures, Vulcan Ventures, and
individual investors.
http://www.sharewave.com/
_____________________________________________

o E-Commerce Company MarketMile Hires New President and CEO

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- MarketMile, a business-to-business
e-commerce company, said it has appointed Gayle
Sheppard as president and CEO. Ms. Sheppard spent
the past nine years at J.D. Edwards & Company, a
supplier of business software services and products,
at a number of positions. Before her tenure with
J.D. Edwards, Ms. Sheppard served in sales and consulting
management roles in the technology industry. MarketMile
is backed by American Express and Ventro Corporation.
http://www.marketmile.com/
_____________________________________________

o Former CFO of Buystream Joins Linux IT Firm Nitrosoft as CEO

OTTAWA -- Nitrosoft Linux, an IT Infrastructure
management company, said it has appointed Mark Scott,
as its chief executive officer. He will replace
Larry Poirier, who has been promoted to chairman
of the board. Mr. Scott was CFO and COO of Buystream
and a founding partner of Non-Linear Ventures.
Individual investors back Nitrosoft Linux, which
raised $1 million in its first round of funding.
The company said it is currently seeking institutional
investments.
http://www.nitrosoft.com/

======= VC Fund News =======

o Consultant Summa Technologies Forms Summa VentureWorks

PITTSBURGH -- Summa Technologies, which provides
technology consulting services for companies building
large-scale Internet and intranet-based applications,
announced the formation of Summa VentureWorks, its
venture capital investment arm. The company said
it plans to invest in high-tech startups and people
or companies that have an idea for a technology
or product but may unsure of how to apply it. Summa
said it will provide its portfolio companies with
consulting services as well. Summa also announced
it made its first investment for an undisclosed
amount in Laminar Software, a developer of e-commerce
performance monitoring tools.
http://www.summa.com/
_____________________________________________

o Lattitude Partners Closes $60 Million Technology Fund

TORONTO -- Latitude Partners, a financial firm focused
on the technology, Internet and communications sectors,
said it has closed its $60 million Longitude Fund
Limited Partnership, a merchant-banking fund dedicated
to the technology, Internet, and communications
sectors. OMERS, the Canadian Medical Protective
Association, Celtic House, and several large institutions
and individuals provided funding. The fund will
undertake proactive, merchant-banking style investments
such as refinancings, buyouts, spinouts, privatizations,
acquisition financings, and strategic investments
in both private and public technology firms in Canada
and the U.S. The fund will invest anywhere from
$5 million to $10 million in these companies.
http://www.latitudepartners.com/

======= VC Personnel =======

o Former Lucent Optical Group Head Joins Clarity Partners

LOS ANGELES -- Clarity Partners, a private equity
firm, said it has named Harry Bosco as partner.
Mr. Bosco was most recently the president of Lucent
Technologies' optical networking group. Prior to
Lucent's spinoff from AT&T, Mr. Bosco occupied a
number of executive positions at Bell Labs and AT&T
Networking Systems. Clarity Partners invests in
communications, emerging media, and related technologies.
 http://www.claritypartners.net/

======= VW Corrections =======

o Daedalus Venture Group

NEW YORK -- A story in yesterday's VentureWire on
the Daedalus Venture Group  incorrectly listed the
firm's URL. The correct URL is http://www.daedalusventuregroup.com.

_____________________________________________

o MinorityInterest Network

NEW YORK -- Due to incorrect information provided
by the company, an item in the September 12 edition
of VentureWire regarding the launch of MinorityInterest
Network incorrectly cited CEA Latin America as an
investor in the company. An individual from CEA
Latin America, not the firm itself, made an investment
in MinorityInterest Network.

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