Verizon Investment Join $8M Round for Skyfire Labs

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Posted January 26, 2012
Skyfire Labs, a leader in mobile video optimization and cloud solutions for mobility, today announced it has raised $8 million in its Series C financing. Verizon Investments LLC, a subsidiary of Verizon Communications Inc. participated in the round, alongside current investors Matrix Partners, Trinity Ventures, and Lightspeed Venture Partners. Verizon’s investment was arranged by Verizon Ventures, which seeks promising entrepreneurial companies that complement Verizon networks and service platforms. Skyfire will use the funds to meet the demands of its growing list of wireless operator customers through increased engineering, sales and support resources, and also to expand into European and Asian markets.
“Wireless operators around the world are facing an explosion in mobile data on their networks, driven largely by mobile video,” said Andrew Verhalen, general partner at Matrix Partners. “Skyfire is well positioned with solutions for operators that can expand network capacity by over 25 percent, as well as generate incremental revenue.”
“Skyfire is poised to expand globally in 2012 after winning deployments with two tier-one operators in North America, and adding world-class international executive talent,” added Larry Orr, general partner at Trinity Ventures.
Concurrent with this latest financing, Skyfire has announced a new European footprint. John Rintoul has been named vice president of sales for Skyfire’s newly-opened EMEA office, based in London. Rintoul previously led sales with the Vodafone account for Cisco’s Mobile Internet Technology Group, and prior to that, was a sales executive at Starent Networks, Juniper Networks, and Kagoor Networks. Skyfire also announces Scott Boehmer has been named vice president of sales for Americas. Boehmer previously was vice president of sales for SEVEN networks, and a product executive at Sprint. Both regional leads will now report to Skyfire’s SVP Global Sales, Jason Guesman.
“Skyfire’s Rocket Optimizer product is delivering an average of 60 percent savings for operators on video bandwidth,” said Jeff Glueck, CEO of Skyfire. “We welcome the participation of Verizon, which is renowned for its network planning sophistication.”
Rocket Optimizer 2.0, the latest iteration of Skyfire’s powerful carrier-grade network video and data optimization platform, was launched in October 2011. With mobile video demand expected to rise steeply over the next three years, Rocket 2.0 aims to help carriers solve capacity issues linked to the rapid rise of mobile video streaming. The solution offers real-time optimization of mobile video to enable smoother streaming, and can be applied to specific cell towers or backhaul regions as soon as congestion is detected. Rocket Optimizer 2.0 also offers the broadest support for video formats, including the world’s first instant MP4 optimization (which comprises more than 50 percent of today’s mobile video, including most HTML5 and iOS video). By leveraging cloud computing power, Skyfire’s solution is highly cost effective to scale on both 3G and 4G LTE networks.
Full details about the Rocket 2.0 platform can be found here: http://www.skyfire.com/en/for-operators.
Skyfire also offers the Rocket Toolbar product line, a fully customizable web-based operator portal embedded in the default browser of new smartphones. The Rocket Toolbar adds value for users on every page of the Internet by making browsing more social, facilitating app discovery, m-commerce, and quick access to news updates. The Rocket Toolbar has been selected by a tier one North American carrier for upcoming deployment, and is in numerous trials across the U.S. and Europe.
Full details about the Rocket Toolbar platform can be found here:
http://www.skyfire.com/en/for-operators/rocke….
Skyfire will continue to maintain its consumer app business as a showcase and laboratory for its technology. Skyfire apps across Apple iOS® and Google Android® devices have been downloaded by over 12 million users.
To learn more about Skyfire, visit: http://www.skyfire.com.
About Lightspeed Venture Partners
Lightspeed Venture Partners is a leading global venture capital firm with over $2 billion of committed capital under management. Lightspeed’s investment professionals and advisors are located in Silicon Valley, China, India and Israel. Over the past two decades, the Lightspeed team has backed more than 150 companies, many of which have become leaders in their respective markets, including Blue Nile, Brocade, Calista, Ciena, DoubleClick, eHealth, Galileo Technology, Growth Networks, Informatica, Kiva Software, LightLogic, Maker Communications, Metasolv, Openwave, Quantum Effect Devices, Riverbed, Sirocco, Virsa Systems and Waveset.
About Matrix Partners
Matrix Partners is a premier venture capital firm that has generated outstanding returns for more than three decades. By focusing on early-stage investments and emphasizing long-term relationships with entrepreneurs, the firm has delivered several of the industry’s top performing funds of all time. Matrix Partners has offices in Cambridge and Waltham, MA; New York, NY; Palo Alto, CA; Mumbai, India; and Beijing and Shanghai, China. Matrix Partners has invested in several game-changing, industry-leading businesses such as Apple Computer, Gilt Groupe, JBoss, Netezza, Phone.com, Polyvore, Starent Networks, Sycamore Networks, Veritas, Zendesk, and Zong.
About Trinity Ventures
Founded in 1986, Trinity Ventures is an early stage venture capital firm dedicated to partnering with passionate entrepreneurs to transform revolutionary ideas into reality. With over $1 billion under management, Trinity Ventures believes in personal engagement, mutual respect and goal alignment with the entrepreneurs. Trinity focuses on early stage and seed technology investments with particular emphasis on social shopping and entertainment, cloud computing, mobility, and internet infrastructure areas.
Trinity Ventures has invested in such leading companies as Aruba Networks, 21Vianet, Blue Nile, LoopNet, Photobucket, SciQuest, Starbucks, BeachMint, Infoblox, Trion Worlds and Zulily.
About Verizon Ventures
Verizon Ventures arranges investments in promising entrepreneurial companies to drive innovation in Verizon Communications Inc. The portfolio arranged by Verizon Ventures focuses on new products, technologies, applications and services that complement Verizon networks, service platforms and distribution channels. Deal size ranges from seed capital to $5 million depending on the needs and opportunities. Verizon Ventures often arranges investments with other venture firms and strategic partners.
About Skyfire:
Skyfire is dedicated to leveraging the power of cloud computing to improve radically the mobile Internet experience for both Operators and Consumers. Skyfire’s solutions provide game-changing cost savings, better end-user experiences, and compelling incremental revenue opportunities. Skyfire was recently recognized as no. 4 on Light Reading’s 2011 Startups to Watch list; and by OnMobile as a Top 100 Private Company. As both a laboratory and showcase for new capabilities, Skyfire has honed its technology through a variety of consumer apps, which have more than 12 million downloads to date.
Skyfire is based in Mountain View, Calif., in the heart of Silicon Valley.

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EntreMed Secures $10 Million Financing

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Posted January 23, 2012
ROCKVILLE, Md. — EntreMed, Inc. (Nasdaq: ENMD), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing therapeutics for the treatment of cancer, announced today that it has secured $10 million in financing with strategic accredited investors, including IDG-Accel China Growth Fund II L.P., Emerging Technology Partners, LLC, and Dr. Tak W. Mak, Director of The Campbell Family Institute for Cancer Research.
The Company entered into purchase agreements with the investors, pursuant to which the Company has agreed to issue and sell to the investors convertible notes in the aggregate principal amount of $10 million. The investors also will be issued warrants covering a number of shares of common stock equal to 20% of the principal amount of the notes, divided by $1.15. The warrants are exercisable at $1.40 per share. The closing of the transaction is anticipated to occur on or about January 27, 2012 upon the satisfaction of certain conditions.
At the closing, IDG and ETP have the right to designate in the aggregate two members of the Company’s Board of Directors. In addition, it is expected that the Company will select an interim Chief Executive Officer.
Subject to the approval of the Company’s stockholders at the 2012 stockholder meeting, the notes will automatically and immediately convert into shares of common stock and the warrants will become exercisable. The notes have a maturity date of August 31, 2012, bear an interest rate of 6% and will convert at a conversion price of $1.15 per share. The conversion price reflects the 10-day average closing sale price ending on January 20, 2012. The notes are not convertible, and the warrants are not exercisable, prior to receiving stockholder approval. If stockholder approval is not obtained, the Company will be required to pay liquidated damages to the note purchasers equal to an aggregate of $1.2 million.
“We are very pleased to have the support from a group of knowledgeable investors and the validation of the potential of ENMD-2076. The proceeds from the notes will allow the Company to accelerate and expand its research and development activities, fund additional trials, initiatives and long term strategic plans,” said Michael M. Tarnow, the Company’s Executive Chairman.
After deducting transaction fees and expenses, the net proceeds to the Company will be approximately$9.3 million. The convertible notes, the warrants and the common stock into which the notes and warrants are convertible have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”) and applicable state securities laws, but have been offered and sold in the United States pursuant to applicable exemptions from registration requirements under the Act and applicable state securities laws. This press release does not and shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities, nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any state.
About ENMD-2076
ENMD-2076 is an orally-active, Aurora A/angiogenic kinase inhibitor with a unique kinase selectivity profile and multiple mechanisms of action. ENMD-2076 has been shown to inhibit a distinct profile of angiogenic tyrosine kinase targets in addition to the Aurora A kinase. Aurora kinases are key regulators of mitosis (cell division), and are often over-expressed in human cancers. ENMD-2076 also targets the VEGFR, Flt-3 and FGFR3 kinases which have been shown to play important roles in the pathology of several cancers. ENMD-2076 has shown promising activity in Phase 1 clinical trials in solid tumor cancers, leukemia, and multiple myeloma. ENMD-2076 is currently in a Phase 2 trial for ovarian cancer, and preclinical and clinical activities are ongoing in assessing the compound’s applicability for other forms of cancer.
About EntreMed
EntreMed, Inc. is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company committed to developing ENMD-2076, a selective angiogenic kinase inhibitor, for the treatment of cancer. ENMD-2076 is currently in a multi-center Phase 2 study in ovarian cancer and in several Phase 1 studies in solid tumors, multiple myeloma, and leukemia. Additional information about EntreMed is available on the Company’s web site at www.entremed.com and in various filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC).
About IDG-Accel Fund
IDG-Accel Fund is a private equity investment fund focused on investment in various sectors and is managed by IDG Capital Partners, a leading investment management team in China with over 18-years of investment experience and industry knowledge.

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Dan Lee Joins Comvest Capital as a Managing Director

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Posted December 13, 2011

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Mr. Lee has extensive experience financing companies throughout the capital structure and at every stage of the cycle, from earlier stage venture-backed enterprises to deeply distressed situations. Prior to joining Comvest, Mr. Lee was a founding member of Dymas Capital, a middle market lending platform backed by Cerberus Capital. He served on the Investment Committee, headed the New York office, and was instrumental in Dymas’ success during his 7 year tenure. Mr. Lee went on to become a co-founder of Square 1 Bank’s Late Stage lending group, where he built a franchise financing high growth companies in the lower middle market. His lending career started at Heller Financial, underwriting and syndicating senior debt facilities associated with buyouts and recapitalizations. Mr. Lee also served as a Managing Director with Kugman Partners, a leading middle market Turnaround firm, and as an Investment Banker at Salomon Smith Barney in the Energy sector. He began his career at Arthur Andersen. Mr. Lee graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a BBA in Accounting, and earned an MBA with Distinction in Finance from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business.
Comvest Capital Partner, Robert O’Sullivan, said “We are delighted to have Dan join our lending team. He comes to us with a strong and unique background, and a wide range of experience which will benefit the group. Having worked closely with one of our Managing Directors, Greg Reynolds, in building Dymas Capital Management as well as at Heller Financial, Dan makes a very complementary addition to the team. This addition further demonstrates our commitment to growing our lower middle market lending platform at Comvest, providing capital to this underserved market place for growth companies.”
The Comvest Group is a leading private investment firm focused on providing debt and equity capital to lower middle-market companies. Our firm includes seasoned, senior level operating executives at all levels who partner with managers and owners of companies to grow businesses and create long-term value. Since 2000, Comvest has invested more than $1.3 billion of capital in over 100 public and private companies. Please visit www.comvest.com.

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