PLEASANTON, CA–(Marketwire -02/24/12)- Milyoni, the leader in social entertainment, today announced that it has secured $11 million in Series B financing led by Oak Investment Partners. Previous investors ATA Ventures and Thomvest Ventures also participated in the round. Milyoni will use the funding to further extend its product portfolio in bringing social entertainment experiences to fans on Facebook. The company will also expand its U.S. presence, with offices opening in Los Angeles and New York City.
“With more than 800 million users and growing, Facebook has established itself as a go-to platform for the discovery and consumption of content today,” said John Corpus, founder and CEO. “In 2012, we anticipate an even greater shift in behavior, with more entertainment companies putting the marketing muscle behind their Facebook presence to further expand their selections of movies, music and other content on the platform. The way we see it, we’re only in the first of a nine inning game.”
Milyoni provides a new way for entertainment companies to take their Facebook presence to the next level by providing a fun, unique, shared and social experience to users. Using Social Cinema and Social Live, fans can easily view, like and comment during particular points within a movie, TV show, sporting event or concert and chat with friends while watching. Over the last year, Milyoni has powered some of the biggest social entertainment campaigns on Facebook and has stamped a number of innovative firsts, including the first PPV movie on Facebook, the first live PPV concert on Facebook, the first socially interactive movie and the first day-and-date movie release on Facebook.
“Oak Investment Partners is excited to join the Milyoni team to further extend their stronghold in the social entertainment arena,” said Fred Harman, Managing Partner at Oak Investment Partners. “The company has shown tremendous traction and growth over the last year, hosting more than 100 titles on Facebook today. The audience for Milyoni’s technology continues to expand along with Facebook’s growth. We’re confident that the Milyoni team has both the passion and experience to propel the company forward.”
“We’ve believed in Milyoni from the beginning and have seen the company’s growth mirror that of the entertainment industry’s needs,” said Hatch Graham, Managing Director, ATA Ventures. “Milyoni’s technology has evolved into the powerhouse social entertainment platform it is today, and the company is poised to continue its leadership in the space. ATA Ventures is thrilled to be a supporting partner.”
Milyoni is primed for an impressive 2012 with 15 current studio partnerships and dozens more in the pipeline. The company has more than 3,000 Social Cinema titles and over 50 Social Live events slated by year’s end. Milyoni will continue to enrich studio interaction, administration and analytics functionality bringing unprecedented insight and engagement to the entertainment experience.
For more information, visit http://www.milyoni.com.
About MilyoniBased in the San Francisco Bay Area, Milyoni, Inc. is the leader in social entertainment. The company’s technology provides entertainment companies with a way to connect and engage with Facebook fans, and turn them into customers. Whether it’s watching a live concert, movie or sporting event or shopping your favorite brands, Milyoni enables companies to monetize fans pages through a unique level of engagement and a shared, social experience. Milyoni’s services reach over 150 million fans from industry leading customers, including Universal Pictures, Lionsgate, Paramount Studios, Big Air Studios, Austin City Limits Live, Turner Broadcasting, University of Oklahoma and The NBA to bring a variety of digital content and physical goods to fans on Facebook. For more information, visit www.milyoni.com.
About Oak Investment PartnersOak Investment Partners is a multistage venture capital firm and a lead investor in the next generation of enduring growth companies. Since 1978 the firm has invested $9 billion in nearly 500 companies around the world, earning the trust of entrepreneurs with a senior team that delivers steady guidance, deep domain expertise and a consistent investment philosophy. Its current portfolio includes Bleacher Report, Demand Media, Federated Media, Good Technology, KAYAK Software, MobiTV, Rearden Commerce, and Wonga. Oak Investment Partners is also known for its historical investments in aQuantive, Allyes, AthenaHealth, Gmarket, HuffingtonPost, Inktomi, Netspend, Polycom, Seagate, and TeleAtlas.
About ATA VenturesATA Ventures is a venture capital firm focused on seeking out early stage private companies that appear to offer above average prospects for capital growth. With over $450 Million of capital under management, ATA Ventures focuses on Information Technology (IT) and provides seed capital and early stages of financing to these companies. For more information, visit http://ataventures.com.
About Thomvest VenturesThomvest Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm committed to the success of our entrepreneur partners. We primarily focus on investments in areas where we have deep expertise and experience, including software, technology-enabled services, and hardware businesses. The capital we invest is our own, enabling us to be more creative, flexible and patient than many venture investors. More than two-thirds of the companies we have funded in the last decade have either gone public, been acquired, or continue to grow as independent businesses. For more information, visit www.thomvest.com.
Facebook® is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc.
http://tourism9.com/ http://vkins.com/
2012年2月24日星期五
Social Entertainment Leader Milyoni Secures $11 Million in Funding
PLEASANTON, CA–(Marketwire -02/24/12)- Milyoni, the leader in social entertainment, today announced that it has secured $11 million in Series B financing led by Oak Investment Partners. Previous investors ATA Ventures and Thomvest Ventures also participated in the round. Milyoni will use the funding to further extend its product portfolio in bringing social entertainment experiences to fans on Facebook. The company will also expand its U.S. presence, with offices opening in Los Angeles and New York City.
“With more than 800 million users and growing, Facebook has established itself as a go-to platform for the discovery and consumption of content today,” said John Corpus, founder and CEO. “In 2012, we anticipate an even greater shift in behavior, with more entertainment companies putting the marketing muscle behind their Facebook presence to further expand their selections of movies, music and other content on the platform. The way we see it, we’re only in the first of a nine inning game.”
Milyoni provides a new way for entertainment companies to take their Facebook presence to the next level by providing a fun, unique, shared and social experience to users. Using Social Cinema and Social Live, fans can easily view, like and comment during particular points within a movie, TV show, sporting event or concert and chat with friends while watching. Over the last year, Milyoni has powered some of the biggest social entertainment campaigns on Facebook and has stamped a number of innovative firsts, including the first PPV movie on Facebook, the first live PPV concert on Facebook, the first socially interactive movie and the first day-and-date movie release on Facebook.
“Oak Investment Partners is excited to join the Milyoni team to further extend their stronghold in the social entertainment arena,” said Fred Harman, Managing Partner at Oak Investment Partners. “The company has shown tremendous traction and growth over the last year, hosting more than 100 titles on Facebook today. The audience for Milyoni’s technology continues to expand along with Facebook’s growth. We’re confident that the Milyoni team has both the passion and experience to propel the company forward.”
“We’ve believed in Milyoni from the beginning and have seen the company’s growth mirror that of the entertainment industry’s needs,” said Hatch Graham, Managing Director, ATA Ventures. “Milyoni’s technology has evolved into the powerhouse social entertainment platform it is today, and the company is poised to continue its leadership in the space. ATA Ventures is thrilled to be a supporting partner.”
Milyoni is primed for an impressive 2012 with 15 current studio partnerships and dozens more in the pipeline. The company has more than 3,000 Social Cinema titles and over 50 Social Live events slated by year’s end. Milyoni will continue to enrich studio interaction, administration and analytics functionality bringing unprecedented insight and engagement to the entertainment experience.
For more information, visit http://www.milyoni.com.
About MilyoniBased in the San Francisco Bay Area, Milyoni, Inc. is the leader in social entertainment. The company’s technology provides entertainment companies with a way to connect and engage with Facebook fans, and turn them into customers. Whether it’s watching a live concert, movie or sporting event or shopping your favorite brands, Milyoni enables companies to monetize fans pages through a unique level of engagement and a shared, social experience. Milyoni’s services reach over 150 million fans from industry leading customers, including Universal Pictures, Lionsgate, Paramount Studios, Big Air Studios, Austin City Limits Live, Turner Broadcasting, University of Oklahoma and The NBA to bring a variety of digital content and physical goods to fans on Facebook. For more information, visit www.milyoni.com.
About Oak Investment PartnersOak Investment Partners is a multistage venture capital firm and a lead investor in the next generation of enduring growth companies. Since 1978 the firm has invested $9 billion in nearly 500 companies around the world, earning the trust of entrepreneurs with a senior team that delivers steady guidance, deep domain expertise and a consistent investment philosophy. Its current portfolio includes Bleacher Report, Demand Media, Federated Media, Good Technology, KAYAK Software, MobiTV, Rearden Commerce, and Wonga. Oak Investment Partners is also known for its historical investments in aQuantive, Allyes, AthenaHealth, Gmarket, HuffingtonPost, Inktomi, Netspend, Polycom, Seagate, and TeleAtlas.
About ATA VenturesATA Ventures is a venture capital firm focused on seeking out early stage private companies that appear to offer above average prospects for capital growth. With over $450 Million of capital under management, ATA Ventures focuses on Information Technology (IT) and provides seed capital and early stages of financing to these companies. For more information, visit http://ataventures.com.
About Thomvest VenturesThomvest Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm committed to the success of our entrepreneur partners. We primarily focus on investments in areas where we have deep expertise and experience, including software, technology-enabled services, and hardware businesses. The capital we invest is our own, enabling us to be more creative, flexible and patient than many venture investors. More than two-thirds of the companies we have funded in the last decade have either gone public, been acquired, or continue to grow as independent businesses. For more information, visit www.thomvest.com.
Facebook® is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc.
http://tourism9.com/ http://vkins.com/
“With more than 800 million users and growing, Facebook has established itself as a go-to platform for the discovery and consumption of content today,” said John Corpus, founder and CEO. “In 2012, we anticipate an even greater shift in behavior, with more entertainment companies putting the marketing muscle behind their Facebook presence to further expand their selections of movies, music and other content on the platform. The way we see it, we’re only in the first of a nine inning game.”
Milyoni provides a new way for entertainment companies to take their Facebook presence to the next level by providing a fun, unique, shared and social experience to users. Using Social Cinema and Social Live, fans can easily view, like and comment during particular points within a movie, TV show, sporting event or concert and chat with friends while watching. Over the last year, Milyoni has powered some of the biggest social entertainment campaigns on Facebook and has stamped a number of innovative firsts, including the first PPV movie on Facebook, the first live PPV concert on Facebook, the first socially interactive movie and the first day-and-date movie release on Facebook.
“Oak Investment Partners is excited to join the Milyoni team to further extend their stronghold in the social entertainment arena,” said Fred Harman, Managing Partner at Oak Investment Partners. “The company has shown tremendous traction and growth over the last year, hosting more than 100 titles on Facebook today. The audience for Milyoni’s technology continues to expand along with Facebook’s growth. We’re confident that the Milyoni team has both the passion and experience to propel the company forward.”
“We’ve believed in Milyoni from the beginning and have seen the company’s growth mirror that of the entertainment industry’s needs,” said Hatch Graham, Managing Director, ATA Ventures. “Milyoni’s technology has evolved into the powerhouse social entertainment platform it is today, and the company is poised to continue its leadership in the space. ATA Ventures is thrilled to be a supporting partner.”
Milyoni is primed for an impressive 2012 with 15 current studio partnerships and dozens more in the pipeline. The company has more than 3,000 Social Cinema titles and over 50 Social Live events slated by year’s end. Milyoni will continue to enrich studio interaction, administration and analytics functionality bringing unprecedented insight and engagement to the entertainment experience.
For more information, visit http://www.milyoni.com.
About MilyoniBased in the San Francisco Bay Area, Milyoni, Inc. is the leader in social entertainment. The company’s technology provides entertainment companies with a way to connect and engage with Facebook fans, and turn them into customers. Whether it’s watching a live concert, movie or sporting event or shopping your favorite brands, Milyoni enables companies to monetize fans pages through a unique level of engagement and a shared, social experience. Milyoni’s services reach over 150 million fans from industry leading customers, including Universal Pictures, Lionsgate, Paramount Studios, Big Air Studios, Austin City Limits Live, Turner Broadcasting, University of Oklahoma and The NBA to bring a variety of digital content and physical goods to fans on Facebook. For more information, visit www.milyoni.com.
About Oak Investment PartnersOak Investment Partners is a multistage venture capital firm and a lead investor in the next generation of enduring growth companies. Since 1978 the firm has invested $9 billion in nearly 500 companies around the world, earning the trust of entrepreneurs with a senior team that delivers steady guidance, deep domain expertise and a consistent investment philosophy. Its current portfolio includes Bleacher Report, Demand Media, Federated Media, Good Technology, KAYAK Software, MobiTV, Rearden Commerce, and Wonga. Oak Investment Partners is also known for its historical investments in aQuantive, Allyes, AthenaHealth, Gmarket, HuffingtonPost, Inktomi, Netspend, Polycom, Seagate, and TeleAtlas.
About ATA VenturesATA Ventures is a venture capital firm focused on seeking out early stage private companies that appear to offer above average prospects for capital growth. With over $450 Million of capital under management, ATA Ventures focuses on Information Technology (IT) and provides seed capital and early stages of financing to these companies. For more information, visit http://ataventures.com.
About Thomvest VenturesThomvest Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm committed to the success of our entrepreneur partners. We primarily focus on investments in areas where we have deep expertise and experience, including software, technology-enabled services, and hardware businesses. The capital we invest is our own, enabling us to be more creative, flexible and patient than many venture investors. More than two-thirds of the companies we have funded in the last decade have either gone public, been acquired, or continue to grow as independent businesses. For more information, visit www.thomvest.com.
Facebook® is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc.
http://tourism9.com/ http://vkins.com/
2012年2月22日星期三
nScaled Announces Series A Investment by Almaz Capital and Doughty Hanson Technology Ventures
SAN FRANCISCO, CA–(Marketwire -02/22/12)- nScaled, a pioneering provider of cloud-based Recovery-as-a-Service (RaaS) solutions, today announced that it has completed a Series A round of financing, securing $7 million in investments from Almaz Capital and Doughty Hanson Technology Ventures, as well as leading Silicon Valley angel investors. The investment will be used to fund nScaled’s growth, including expansion of its global network of data centers and new software development, as well as sales and marketing efforts.
Peter Loukianoff, co-founder and managing partner of Almaz Capital, said, “In nScaled, we found a company that is in prime position to command a dominant role in the emerging market of cloud-based disaster recovery. nScaled’s technology platform will enable the company to broaden its service offerings in the future and allow customers to take full advantage of the cloud and its enormous economic and operational benefits. Cloud-computing is forcing dramatic structural changes in the way software applications are consumed by companies of all sizes and nScaled is well-positioned to capitalize on this tectonic market shift.”
“We invested in nScaled because we believe there is a gap in the market for technology that simplifies and reduces the cost of providing disaster recovery,” added George Powlick, managing director at Doughty Hanson Technology Ventures. “nScaled’s early success and the market’s acceptance of Cloud-based recovery services make us confident that nScaled will become a leader in the market.”
“2011 was a stellar year for nScaled. We tripled the size of our business by virtually all measures and we have similarly aggressive growth plans for 2012,” said Mark Hadfield, CEO of nScaled. “This funding will help us achieve that growth and position us as one of the dominant players in Recovery-as-a-Service.”
As part of its growth strategy, nScaled recently announced the availability of free accounts designed to provide prospective customers with a fast and easy way to discover Cloud-based disaster recovery, backup and archiving capabilities for their VMware data centers.
About Almaz CapitalAlmaz Capital is one of the leading venture capital firms serving entrepreneurs and companies with ties to Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Investors and strategic partners of the firm include industry leaders, such as Cisco, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the “EBRD”), and UFG Asset Management. Almaz Capital primarily targets early and expansion stage investments in high growth sectors, including Technology, Digital Media, and Communications. In addition to extensive experience in Russia and the CIS, the firm’s network in Silicon Valley offers portfolio companies an effective local investment partner with global reach. For more information please go to http://www.almazcapital.com/
About Doughty Hanson Technology VenturesDoughty Hanson Technology Ventures invests in exceptional entrepreneurs and management teams that have the passion, commitment and vision to conceive great ideas and build global businesses. Their investment strategy targets companies that develop sophisticated and proprietary technologies and focuses on three industry sectors: internet software, mobile communications and clean energy technology. For more information please go to http://www.doughtyhanson.com/
About nScaled Inc.nScaled provides Recovery-as-a-Service (RaaS) to mid-size companies worldwide. They provide an all-in-one solution for disaster recovery, business continuity, backup and archiving to customers with zero tolerance for data loss or downtime. nScaled’s customers are banks, law firms, hospitals, manufacturers, retailers, universities — any organization that needs to be ready for the inevitable problems that lead to data or server loss. All services are based on a global network of remote cloud data centers plus on-premises local cloud appliance, all managed as one secure, seamless infrastructure. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices in London. For more information, please visit http://www.nscaled.com or write to info@nscaled.com.
http://tourism9.com http://vkins.com
Peter Loukianoff, co-founder and managing partner of Almaz Capital, said, “In nScaled, we found a company that is in prime position to command a dominant role in the emerging market of cloud-based disaster recovery. nScaled’s technology platform will enable the company to broaden its service offerings in the future and allow customers to take full advantage of the cloud and its enormous economic and operational benefits. Cloud-computing is forcing dramatic structural changes in the way software applications are consumed by companies of all sizes and nScaled is well-positioned to capitalize on this tectonic market shift.”
“We invested in nScaled because we believe there is a gap in the market for technology that simplifies and reduces the cost of providing disaster recovery,” added George Powlick, managing director at Doughty Hanson Technology Ventures. “nScaled’s early success and the market’s acceptance of Cloud-based recovery services make us confident that nScaled will become a leader in the market.”
“2011 was a stellar year for nScaled. We tripled the size of our business by virtually all measures and we have similarly aggressive growth plans for 2012,” said Mark Hadfield, CEO of nScaled. “This funding will help us achieve that growth and position us as one of the dominant players in Recovery-as-a-Service.”
As part of its growth strategy, nScaled recently announced the availability of free accounts designed to provide prospective customers with a fast and easy way to discover Cloud-based disaster recovery, backup and archiving capabilities for their VMware data centers.
About Almaz CapitalAlmaz Capital is one of the leading venture capital firms serving entrepreneurs and companies with ties to Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Investors and strategic partners of the firm include industry leaders, such as Cisco, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the “EBRD”), and UFG Asset Management. Almaz Capital primarily targets early and expansion stage investments in high growth sectors, including Technology, Digital Media, and Communications. In addition to extensive experience in Russia and the CIS, the firm’s network in Silicon Valley offers portfolio companies an effective local investment partner with global reach. For more information please go to http://www.almazcapital.com/
About Doughty Hanson Technology VenturesDoughty Hanson Technology Ventures invests in exceptional entrepreneurs and management teams that have the passion, commitment and vision to conceive great ideas and build global businesses. Their investment strategy targets companies that develop sophisticated and proprietary technologies and focuses on three industry sectors: internet software, mobile communications and clean energy technology. For more information please go to http://www.doughtyhanson.com/
About nScaled Inc.nScaled provides Recovery-as-a-Service (RaaS) to mid-size companies worldwide. They provide an all-in-one solution for disaster recovery, business continuity, backup and archiving to customers with zero tolerance for data loss or downtime. nScaled’s customers are banks, law firms, hospitals, manufacturers, retailers, universities — any organization that needs to be ready for the inevitable problems that lead to data or server loss. All services are based on a global network of remote cloud data centers plus on-premises local cloud appliance, all managed as one secure, seamless infrastructure. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices in London. For more information, please visit http://www.nscaled.com or write to info@nscaled.com.
http://tourism9.com http://vkins.com
2012年2月21日星期二
Ceptaris Secures $15M in Venture Debt Financing
MALVERN, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Ceptaris Therapeutics, Inc., a privately held specialty pharmaceutical company, today secured $15 million in venture debt financing from Silicon Valley Bank and Oxford Finance.
The New Drug Application (NDA) for Ceptaris’ drug candidate, mechlorethamine gel, is currently undergoing review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of early stage (stages I-IIA) mycosis fungoides, a type of Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma (CTCL).
Ceptaris received $7.5 million at closing and has access to the remaining $7.5 million if the NDA is approved by the FDA. The funding will be used for ongoing operational expenses and preparation for commercialization of its investigational drug, mechlorethamine gel. Ceptaris’ primary venture capital investors include Vivo Ventures, Palo Alto Investors, Burrill & Company, Osage Ventures, Aperture Venture Partners, and BioAdvance.
“We are very pleased with our venture debt relationships with both SVB and Oxford and the additional capital it provides Ceptaris for pre- and post-launch activities,” said Stephen Tullman, President and CEO at Ceptaris. “Management has worked with both lending institutions in prior companies, including Ception Therapeutics and Vicept Therapeutics, and we look forward to continuing these relationships.”
About Ceptaris Therapeutics
Ceptaris Therapeutics, Inc. is a privately held, specialty pharmaceutical company that is developing a proprietary gel formulation of mechlorethamine hydrochloride for the treatment of early stage (stages I-IIA) mycosis fungoides, a type of Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma (CTCL). If approved, Ceptaris’ investigational drug would be the first topical mechlorethamine product available to treat the signs and symptoms of this rare cancer. Please visit www.ceptaris.com for more information.
About Silicon Valley Bank
Silicon Valley Bank is the premier commercial bank for companies in the technology, life science, cleantech, venture capital, private equity and premium wine industries. SVB provides a comprehensive suite of financing solutions, treasury management, corporate investment and international banking services to its clients worldwide. Through its focus on specialized markets and extensive knowledge of the people and business issues driving them, Silicon Valley Bank provides a level of service and partnership that measurably impacts its clients’ success. Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., the company serves clients around the world through 26 U.S. offices and international operations in China, India, Israel and the United Kingdom. Silicon Valley Bank is a member of global financial services firm SVB Financial Group (Nasdaq: SIVB – News), with SVB Analytics, SVB Capital and SVB Private Bank. More information on the company can be found at www.svb.com.
About Oxford Finance
Oxford Finance is a specialty finance firm providing senior secured loans to public and private life sciences and healthcare services companies worldwide. For over 20 years, Oxford has delivered flexible financing solutions to its clients, enabling these companies to maximize their equity by leveraging their assets. In recent years, Oxford has originated over $1.5 billion in loans, with lines of credit ranging from $500 thousand to $50 million. Oxford is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, with additional offices in California, Illinois, Massachusetts and North Carolina. For more information visit http://www.oxfordfinance.com/.
http://tourism9.cm/ http://vkins.com/
Ceptaris Therapeutics, Inc., a privately held specialty pharmaceutical company, today secured $15 million in venture debt financing from Silicon Valley Bank and Oxford Finance.
The New Drug Application (NDA) for Ceptaris’ drug candidate, mechlorethamine gel, is currently undergoing review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of early stage (stages I-IIA) mycosis fungoides, a type of Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma (CTCL).
Ceptaris received $7.5 million at closing and has access to the remaining $7.5 million if the NDA is approved by the FDA. The funding will be used for ongoing operational expenses and preparation for commercialization of its investigational drug, mechlorethamine gel. Ceptaris’ primary venture capital investors include Vivo Ventures, Palo Alto Investors, Burrill & Company, Osage Ventures, Aperture Venture Partners, and BioAdvance.
“We are very pleased with our venture debt relationships with both SVB and Oxford and the additional capital it provides Ceptaris for pre- and post-launch activities,” said Stephen Tullman, President and CEO at Ceptaris. “Management has worked with both lending institutions in prior companies, including Ception Therapeutics and Vicept Therapeutics, and we look forward to continuing these relationships.”
About Ceptaris Therapeutics
Ceptaris Therapeutics, Inc. is a privately held, specialty pharmaceutical company that is developing a proprietary gel formulation of mechlorethamine hydrochloride for the treatment of early stage (stages I-IIA) mycosis fungoides, a type of Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma (CTCL). If approved, Ceptaris’ investigational drug would be the first topical mechlorethamine product available to treat the signs and symptoms of this rare cancer. Please visit www.ceptaris.com for more information.
About Silicon Valley Bank
Silicon Valley Bank is the premier commercial bank for companies in the technology, life science, cleantech, venture capital, private equity and premium wine industries. SVB provides a comprehensive suite of financing solutions, treasury management, corporate investment and international banking services to its clients worldwide. Through its focus on specialized markets and extensive knowledge of the people and business issues driving them, Silicon Valley Bank provides a level of service and partnership that measurably impacts its clients’ success. Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., the company serves clients around the world through 26 U.S. offices and international operations in China, India, Israel and the United Kingdom. Silicon Valley Bank is a member of global financial services firm SVB Financial Group (Nasdaq: SIVB – News), with SVB Analytics, SVB Capital and SVB Private Bank. More information on the company can be found at www.svb.com.
About Oxford Finance
Oxford Finance is a specialty finance firm providing senior secured loans to public and private life sciences and healthcare services companies worldwide. For over 20 years, Oxford has delivered flexible financing solutions to its clients, enabling these companies to maximize their equity by leveraging their assets. In recent years, Oxford has originated over $1.5 billion in loans, with lines of credit ranging from $500 thousand to $50 million. Oxford is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, with additional offices in California, Illinois, Massachusetts and North Carolina. For more information visit http://www.oxfordfinance.com/.
http://tourism9.cm/ http://vkins.com/
2012年2月20日星期一
Saxo Bank Executes World's First Base Jumping FX Trade
HELLERUP, Denmark, February 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ –
Saxo Bank, the online trading and investment specialist, has successfully executed, what is believed to be the first FX trade ever during a base jump at terminal velocity.
The spectacular trade was placed and confirmed during a free fall using the new SaxoTrader for iPhone® & Android app.
Swedish wing suit jumper and stuntman Martin Rosén used the app whilst performing the jump in Hutchinson Peak in the Hottentot Hollands Mountain Range outside of Cape Town, South Africa. The stunt base jumper bought 1,000,000 EURUSD Spot at a price of 1.26969 and the trade was confirmed when he was still in mid-air.
Footage from the jump has formed a high-energy television advertisement for Saxo Bank’s platform and trading applications. The campaign will be launched on 20 February and aired on Bloomberg, CNBC and other networks.
A 10 minute behind-the-scenes film will be available shortly. However, the crew also filmed a four minute documentary of the event available here: http://www.saxobank.com/mobile/saxotrader-anytime-anywhere
Torben Rene Larsen, Head of Commercial Marketing, Saxo Bank, commented: “We like breaking new ground and to set new industry standards but we also think there is a strong similarity between the mentality of base jumpers and traders. Both need to be in complete control, and both share the absolute confidence in their ability and demand the same from their equipment. The base jump trade has proved that our applications allow the user to trade in virtually all situations, anytime and anywhere, and provide the technology required to execute a trade in full confidence.”
“Much of Saxo Bank’s development has been driven by the need to differentiate ourselves as a bank specialising in trading and investments with a clear customer focus. The fact that Saxo Bank cornered the online market early on was a big advantage and helped spur the Bank’s growth. We still like to differentiate ourselves from our competitors, and this first FX trade at terminal velocity proves that we are still breaking new ground.”
About Saxo Bank
Saxo Bank is a leading online trading and investment specialist. A fully licensed and regulated European bank, Saxo Bank enables private investors and institutional clients to trade FX, CFDs, ETFs, Stocks, Futures, Options and other derivatives via three specialised and fully integrated trading platforms; the browser-based SaxoWebTrader, the downloadable SaxoTrader and the SaxoMobileTrader application available in over 20 languages. Saxo Bank also offers professional portfolio and fund management through Saxo Asset Management who accommodates high-net worth private clients and institutional investors and provides banking services and advice to retail clients through Saxo Privatbank. The Saxo Bank Group is headquartered in Copenhagen with offices throughout Europe, Asia, Middle East, Latin America and Australia.http://tourism9.com/ http://vkins.com/
Saxo Bank, the online trading and investment specialist, has successfully executed, what is believed to be the first FX trade ever during a base jump at terminal velocity.
The spectacular trade was placed and confirmed during a free fall using the new SaxoTrader for iPhone® & Android app.
Swedish wing suit jumper and stuntman Martin Rosén used the app whilst performing the jump in Hutchinson Peak in the Hottentot Hollands Mountain Range outside of Cape Town, South Africa. The stunt base jumper bought 1,000,000 EURUSD Spot at a price of 1.26969 and the trade was confirmed when he was still in mid-air.
Footage from the jump has formed a high-energy television advertisement for Saxo Bank’s platform and trading applications. The campaign will be launched on 20 February and aired on Bloomberg, CNBC and other networks.
A 10 minute behind-the-scenes film will be available shortly. However, the crew also filmed a four minute documentary of the event available here: http://www.saxobank.com/mobile/saxotrader-anytime-anywhere
Torben Rene Larsen, Head of Commercial Marketing, Saxo Bank, commented: “We like breaking new ground and to set new industry standards but we also think there is a strong similarity between the mentality of base jumpers and traders. Both need to be in complete control, and both share the absolute confidence in their ability and demand the same from their equipment. The base jump trade has proved that our applications allow the user to trade in virtually all situations, anytime and anywhere, and provide the technology required to execute a trade in full confidence.”
“Much of Saxo Bank’s development has been driven by the need to differentiate ourselves as a bank specialising in trading and investments with a clear customer focus. The fact that Saxo Bank cornered the online market early on was a big advantage and helped spur the Bank’s growth. We still like to differentiate ourselves from our competitors, and this first FX trade at terminal velocity proves that we are still breaking new ground.”
About Saxo Bank
Saxo Bank is a leading online trading and investment specialist. A fully licensed and regulated European bank, Saxo Bank enables private investors and institutional clients to trade FX, CFDs, ETFs, Stocks, Futures, Options and other derivatives via three specialised and fully integrated trading platforms; the browser-based SaxoWebTrader, the downloadable SaxoTrader and the SaxoMobileTrader application available in over 20 languages. Saxo Bank also offers professional portfolio and fund management through Saxo Asset Management who accommodates high-net worth private clients and institutional investors and provides banking services and advice to retail clients through Saxo Privatbank. The Saxo Bank Group is headquartered in Copenhagen with offices throughout Europe, Asia, Middle East, Latin America and Australia.http://tourism9.com/ http://vkins.com/
2012年2月1日星期三
Federal plan to extend deferred fees to TAFE
Thousands of Canberra students wanting to study a vocational course may be thrown a financial lifeline as the Federal Government plans extending HECS-style loans to TAFE fees.
The Canberra Institute of Technology cautiously welcomed the announcement by Prime Minister Julia Gillard yesterday that the Commonwealth would negotiate a plan with the states and territories to end up-front fees for students enrolling in VET diplomas or advanced diplomas.
The reforms, however, will not be in place for students enrolling in TAFE this year.
CIT currently has one of the highest intakes of students at diploma and associate degree level across Australia’s 56 public TAFEs – with more than 6000 enrolments last year.
Ms Gillard announced negotiations would begin on allowing students VET students to waive upfront fees and instead defer repayments until they were earning a wage – in the same way HECS works for university students.
Current fee levels at the CIT range between $1020 for international business and $3130 for hospitality and are regulated by the ACT Government.
The Federal Government would also guarantee foundation and entry-level courses for technical and service sector careers in areas such as health, business, hospitality, communications, construction, transport and other areas through a government-subsidised training place worth up to $7800.
CIT director Adrian Marron said the announcements were positive but ”the devil will be in the detail”.
While Victoria has been trialling income contingent loans to VET students, Mr Marron said ”there are lessons to be learned from the Victorian experience in relation to the mechanics of implementing the system”.
The CIT was aware that fees acted as a financial barrier to education and training for many students and already offered concessions such as 50 per cent off fees for students with a Centrelink card.
Mr Marron said the wide variety of courses, course lengths, fee structures and existing concessions would all need to be taken into account when constructing and negotiating the new HECS-style loans.
The Canberra Institute of Technology cautiously welcomed the announcement by Prime Minister Julia Gillard yesterday that the Commonwealth would negotiate a plan with the states and territories to end up-front fees for students enrolling in VET diplomas or advanced diplomas.
The reforms, however, will not be in place for students enrolling in TAFE this year.
CIT currently has one of the highest intakes of students at diploma and associate degree level across Australia’s 56 public TAFEs – with more than 6000 enrolments last year.
Ms Gillard announced negotiations would begin on allowing students VET students to waive upfront fees and instead defer repayments until they were earning a wage – in the same way HECS works for university students.
Current fee levels at the CIT range between $1020 for international business and $3130 for hospitality and are regulated by the ACT Government.
The Federal Government would also guarantee foundation and entry-level courses for technical and service sector careers in areas such as health, business, hospitality, communications, construction, transport and other areas through a government-subsidised training place worth up to $7800.
CIT director Adrian Marron said the announcements were positive but ”the devil will be in the detail”.
While Victoria has been trialling income contingent loans to VET students, Mr Marron said ”there are lessons to be learned from the Victorian experience in relation to the mechanics of implementing the system”.
The CIT was aware that fees acted as a financial barrier to education and training for many students and already offered concessions such as 50 per cent off fees for students with a Centrelink card.
Mr Marron said the wide variety of courses, course lengths, fee structures and existing concessions would all need to be taken into account when constructing and negotiating the new HECS-style loans.
ACT Education Minister Chris Bourke said he was happy to negotiate with the Commonwealth if the new measures went to improve local workforce productivity and participation.
”It is also worth noting that having federally funded HECS places aligns well with the University of Canberra-Institute of Technology joint venture,” he said, referring to the new institution to be set up by the UC and CIT to operate solely at diploma and associate degree level from 2013.
Mr Bourke said he looked forward to receiving more detail from the Commonwealth on how the scheme might work.
Ms Gillard said the reforms were aimed at tackling Australia’s skills shortage, recognised the increasing importance of higher level skills in Australian vocational education and take pressure off families struggling to make ends meet.
”By removing this cost barrier, students would have more choice about what and where they study, and would be free from the added burden of having to pay their training fees upfront,” she said.
She noted the Victorian trial had been popular, with 22,000 students opting to take up an income-contingent loan since 2009.
Ms Gillard said the package would not only open up a significant number of training opportunities for more Australians, but also improve job security and lift national productivity.
http://tourism9.com/ http://vkins.com/
”It is also worth noting that having federally funded HECS places aligns well with the University of Canberra-Institute of Technology joint venture,” he said, referring to the new institution to be set up by the UC and CIT to operate solely at diploma and associate degree level from 2013.
Mr Bourke said he looked forward to receiving more detail from the Commonwealth on how the scheme might work.
Ms Gillard said the reforms were aimed at tackling Australia’s skills shortage, recognised the increasing importance of higher level skills in Australian vocational education and take pressure off families struggling to make ends meet.
”By removing this cost barrier, students would have more choice about what and where they study, and would be free from the added burden of having to pay their training fees upfront,” she said.
She noted the Victorian trial had been popular, with 22,000 students opting to take up an income-contingent loan since 2009.
Ms Gillard said the package would not only open up a significant number of training opportunities for more Australians, but also improve job security and lift national productivity.
http://tourism9.com/ http://vkins.com/
2012年1月27日星期五
Israeli start ups raised $2.14b in 2011
Israeli start ups raised $2.14 billion in 2011, an 11-year high, and 70% more than the $1.26 billion raised in 2010, and 91% more than the $1.12 billion raised in 2009, according to the IVC Research Center and KPMG Somekh Chaikin Quarterly Survey. 546 start ups raised capital in 2011, up from 391 companies that raised capital in 2010.
The average financing round rose to $3.92 million in 2011 from $3.23 million in 2010 and $2.51 million in 2009.
Despite the good year, IVC is pessimistic about the future, “As predicted, 2011 numbers were impressive, but our forecast for 2012 is not as optimistic,” said IVC CEO Koby Simana. “As local venture capital funds have found it increasingly difficult to raise new capital and maintain a satisfactory level of first investments in early stage companies, foreign investors have been upping their investments, which more than doubled in the past year.
“However, with Israeli VCs continuing to downsize their investments and with the world economy still very much unsettled, foreign investors can no longer be counted on to fill in the gap. We believe annual investment can fall to as low as $1.5 billion if there is no dramatic recovery in the next few months.”
124 start-ups raised $569 million from Israeli and foreign venture capital funds in the fourth quarter of 2011, 9% more than the $522 million raised by 137 start-ups in the third quarter, and 65% more than $344 million raised by 100 start-ups in the corresponding quarter of 2010.
77 start-ups raised more than $1 million each during the fourth quarter, including five start-ups that each raised more than $20 million, and thirteen start-ups that raised $10-20 million each.
Israeli venture capital funds invested $525 million in Israeli companies in 2011, 42% more than the amount invested in 2010 and 28% more than in 2009. However, Israeli venture capital funds accounted for just 25% of total investment in 2011 – the lowest level in the past decade, in which the average proportion was 40%. First investments accounted for 31% of total investment by Israeli venture capital funds in 2011, up from 29% in 2010 and 2009, and the average first investment was $2.21 million, and the average follow-on investment was $1.06 million.
In 2011, the internet sector attracted the largest share of investments for the first time in the last decade, with 115 internet start-ups raising $482 million, 23% of total investment, more than double the $222 million, 18% of total investment, raised in 2010, and $147 million, 13% of total investment, raised in 2009.
The communications sector was in 2nd place, with 88 start-ups raising $432 million, 20% of total investment in 2011, 82% more than in 2010. The software sector was in third place, with start ups raising $415 million, 19% of total investment, in 2011, nearly triple the amount raised in 2010.
Mid-stage start ups raised the most capital in 2011, raising $903 million, 42% of total investment. Early stage start-ups accounted for 26% of total investment, and seed-stage start-ups raised 5% of total capital. Mid and late-stage companies raised $1.48 billion altogether – 90% more than the $781 million raised in 2010.
KPMG Somekh Chaikin partner Technology Group, Ofer Sela said, “Mobile solutions and applications are the primary factor behind the significant increase in communication company investments in the past two years. Israeli companies have traditionally excelled in the communications sector, and the high quality of such companies is expected to attract foreign investors in the future.”
He added, “The substantial increase in late stage investments indicates the strength of Israel’s technology industry, as well as its attractiveness to foreign investors. An impressive number of mature Israeli companies have reached substantial sales. A decade ago, such companies would most likely have gone the IPO route, raising funds publicly. Today, due to changed conditions in IPO markets, these companies are relying principally on both existing and late-stage investors. As a result, we expect a large portion of these companies to be sold over the coming 24-month period.”
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news – www.globes-online.com – on January 24, 2012
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2012
http://tourism9.com/ http://vkins.com/
The average financing round rose to $3.92 million in 2011 from $3.23 million in 2010 and $2.51 million in 2009.
Despite the good year, IVC is pessimistic about the future, “As predicted, 2011 numbers were impressive, but our forecast for 2012 is not as optimistic,” said IVC CEO Koby Simana. “As local venture capital funds have found it increasingly difficult to raise new capital and maintain a satisfactory level of first investments in early stage companies, foreign investors have been upping their investments, which more than doubled in the past year.
“However, with Israeli VCs continuing to downsize their investments and with the world economy still very much unsettled, foreign investors can no longer be counted on to fill in the gap. We believe annual investment can fall to as low as $1.5 billion if there is no dramatic recovery in the next few months.”
124 start-ups raised $569 million from Israeli and foreign venture capital funds in the fourth quarter of 2011, 9% more than the $522 million raised by 137 start-ups in the third quarter, and 65% more than $344 million raised by 100 start-ups in the corresponding quarter of 2010.
77 start-ups raised more than $1 million each during the fourth quarter, including five start-ups that each raised more than $20 million, and thirteen start-ups that raised $10-20 million each.
Israeli venture capital funds invested $525 million in Israeli companies in 2011, 42% more than the amount invested in 2010 and 28% more than in 2009. However, Israeli venture capital funds accounted for just 25% of total investment in 2011 – the lowest level in the past decade, in which the average proportion was 40%. First investments accounted for 31% of total investment by Israeli venture capital funds in 2011, up from 29% in 2010 and 2009, and the average first investment was $2.21 million, and the average follow-on investment was $1.06 million.
In 2011, the internet sector attracted the largest share of investments for the first time in the last decade, with 115 internet start-ups raising $482 million, 23% of total investment, more than double the $222 million, 18% of total investment, raised in 2010, and $147 million, 13% of total investment, raised in 2009.
The communications sector was in 2nd place, with 88 start-ups raising $432 million, 20% of total investment in 2011, 82% more than in 2010. The software sector was in third place, with start ups raising $415 million, 19% of total investment, in 2011, nearly triple the amount raised in 2010.
Mid-stage start ups raised the most capital in 2011, raising $903 million, 42% of total investment. Early stage start-ups accounted for 26% of total investment, and seed-stage start-ups raised 5% of total capital. Mid and late-stage companies raised $1.48 billion altogether – 90% more than the $781 million raised in 2010.
KPMG Somekh Chaikin partner Technology Group, Ofer Sela said, “Mobile solutions and applications are the primary factor behind the significant increase in communication company investments in the past two years. Israeli companies have traditionally excelled in the communications sector, and the high quality of such companies is expected to attract foreign investors in the future.”
He added, “The substantial increase in late stage investments indicates the strength of Israel’s technology industry, as well as its attractiveness to foreign investors. An impressive number of mature Israeli companies have reached substantial sales. A decade ago, such companies would most likely have gone the IPO route, raising funds publicly. Today, due to changed conditions in IPO markets, these companies are relying principally on both existing and late-stage investors. As a result, we expect a large portion of these companies to be sold over the coming 24-month period.”
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news – www.globes-online.com – on January 24, 2012
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2012
http://tourism9.com/ http://vkins.com/
2012年1月15日星期日
’11 investments up 4%: DTI
The regional office of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) reported a four percent increase on new fresh investments last year compared with 2010 which attributed to its investment promotion and financing facilitation activities.
Marizon Loreto, regional director of DTI-XI, said on Friday during the Kapehan sa PIA that new investments last year hit P10.998 billion while the record showed investments in 2010 were worth P9.950 billion.
“Several projects were approved and in place as results of DTI-XI’s initiatives,” Loreto said, pointing out that among the initiatives were the investment facilitation, investment matching and financing facilitation.
The agency’s field office in Davao Oriental, for instance, conducted the annual business name registration caravan in key municipalities and institutionalized the Local Economic and Investment Promotion Officers Network.
The Mati City government also revised its investment incentive code.
The DTI office in the province report about P593.356 million of total investments was generated the previous year, mostly from the industries involved on mining and coconut.
Last year, one of the top investments was the P25 billion coal-fired power project in between Davao City and Davao del Sur of Therma South Inc., a subsidiary of Aboitiz Power Corp., that could generate 300 megawatts of energy.
The tile firm-Nakayama Technology Corp. in Digos City, Davao del Sur has poured in an additional of P80 million worth of investments to venture into the production of modular kitchen facilities and accessories as its new product line.
Some projects are also expected to be on the ground this year from the investment leads in 2011 that amount to P4.982 billion. Those are the projects involved on coconut products, housing, palm oil, convention center, agriculture, Hijo resources and energy.
Edwin Banquerigo, provincial director of DTI-Davao del Sur, said two different companies already showed an intention to establish solar projects. The Phil-New Energy, for instance, has eyed to invest around P7 billion for the establishment of a 35-megawatt solar power plant.
“It would be the biggest solar project in the country once the firm would finally pursue its plan,” he said. The proposed plant is a joint project of Ayala Corp. and Mitsubishi Corp. that would be established in Darong, Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur.
The other proposed project is the solar power plant of Inifinity, a Chinese corporation that will be using a Belgian technology. The firm plans to set up a solar power plant in Hagonoy, Davao del Sur that could generate around 20 megawatts with an investment of P3 billion.
Marizon Loreto, regional director of DTI-XI, said on Friday during the Kapehan sa PIA that new investments last year hit P10.998 billion while the record showed investments in 2010 were worth P9.950 billion.
“Several projects were approved and in place as results of DTI-XI’s initiatives,” Loreto said, pointing out that among the initiatives were the investment facilitation, investment matching and financing facilitation.
The agency’s field office in Davao Oriental, for instance, conducted the annual business name registration caravan in key municipalities and institutionalized the Local Economic and Investment Promotion Officers Network.
The Mati City government also revised its investment incentive code.
The DTI office in the province report about P593.356 million of total investments was generated the previous year, mostly from the industries involved on mining and coconut.
Last year, one of the top investments was the P25 billion coal-fired power project in between Davao City and Davao del Sur of Therma South Inc., a subsidiary of Aboitiz Power Corp., that could generate 300 megawatts of energy.
The tile firm-Nakayama Technology Corp. in Digos City, Davao del Sur has poured in an additional of P80 million worth of investments to venture into the production of modular kitchen facilities and accessories as its new product line.
Some projects are also expected to be on the ground this year from the investment leads in 2011 that amount to P4.982 billion. Those are the projects involved on coconut products, housing, palm oil, convention center, agriculture, Hijo resources and energy.
Edwin Banquerigo, provincial director of DTI-Davao del Sur, said two different companies already showed an intention to establish solar projects. The Phil-New Energy, for instance, has eyed to invest around P7 billion for the establishment of a 35-megawatt solar power plant.
“It would be the biggest solar project in the country once the firm would finally pursue its plan,” he said. The proposed plant is a joint project of Ayala Corp. and Mitsubishi Corp. that would be established in Darong, Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur.
The other proposed project is the solar power plant of Inifinity, a Chinese corporation that will be using a Belgian technology. The firm plans to set up a solar power plant in Hagonoy, Davao del Sur that could generate around 20 megawatts with an investment of P3 billion.
2012年1月12日星期四
NI Technology Updates Outlooks on Lightwave Logic, Infinera, Nvidia, Broadcom and MIPS Technology
PRINCETON, N.J. , Jan. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – Next Inning Technology Research (http://www.nextinning.com), an online investment newsletter focused on semiconductor and technology stocks, has published updated outlooks for Lightwave Logic (OTC: LWLG.OB – News), Infinera (Nasdaq: INFN – News), Nvidia (Nasdaq: NVDA – News), Broadcom (Nasdaq: BRCM – News), and MIPS Technology (Nasdaq: MIPS – News).
Next Inning readers leverage the insight you can only get from an industry insider. Next Inning editor Paul McWilliams was a tech industry executive for more than two decades. Not only does he know how things work from the inside and how to spot a winning business model, he also has a long and successful record of picking winning stocks.
Next Inning has begun publishing its quarterly State of Tech reports with data collected from more than 60 leading technology companies as well as inputs from a worldwide network of field contacts. Each of the nine reports focuses on a specific tech sector and includes McWilliams’ in depth analysis, price objectives and company-specific outlooks for 2012 and beyond. Next Inning has already published its State of Tech Reports on broadband and smartphone semiconductor companies and on electronic manufacturing services (EMS) companies. The latter report is 21 pages and contains 22 tables that offer a look at the sector unmatched by other analysts.
Next Inning trial subscribers now have a rare opportunity to gain access to these valuable reports filled with actionable ideas on over five dozen stocks, via a free, no-strings-attached, trial subscription.
To take advantage of this offer and receive these reports for free, please visit the following link: https://www.nextinning.com/subscribe/index.php?refer=prn1341
Trial subscribers will also receive McWilliams’ regular commentary and real-time trade alerts.
McWilliams covers these topics and more in his recent reports:
About Next Inning:
Next Inning is a subscription-based investment newsletter that provides regular coverage on more than 150 technology and semiconductor stocks. Subscribers receive intra-day analysis, commentary and recommendations, as well as access to monthly semiconductor sales analysis, regular Special Reports, and the Next Inning model portfolio. Editor Paul McWilliams is a 30+ year semiconductor industry veteran.
NOTE: This release was published by Indie Research Advisors, LLC, a registered investment advisor with CRD #131926. Interested parties may visit adviserinfo.sec.gov for additional information. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investors should always research companies and securities before making any investments. Nothing herein should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security.
CONTACT: Marcia Martin , Next Inning Technology Research, +1-888-278-5515
http://tourism9.com/
Next Inning readers leverage the insight you can only get from an industry insider. Next Inning editor Paul McWilliams was a tech industry executive for more than two decades. Not only does he know how things work from the inside and how to spot a winning business model, he also has a long and successful record of picking winning stocks.
Next Inning has begun publishing its quarterly State of Tech reports with data collected from more than 60 leading technology companies as well as inputs from a worldwide network of field contacts. Each of the nine reports focuses on a specific tech sector and includes McWilliams’ in depth analysis, price objectives and company-specific outlooks for 2012 and beyond. Next Inning has already published its State of Tech Reports on broadband and smartphone semiconductor companies and on electronic manufacturing services (EMS) companies. The latter report is 21 pages and contains 22 tables that offer a look at the sector unmatched by other analysts.
Next Inning trial subscribers now have a rare opportunity to gain access to these valuable reports filled with actionable ideas on over five dozen stocks, via a free, no-strings-attached, trial subscription.
To take advantage of this offer and receive these reports for free, please visit the following link: https://www.nextinning.com/subscribe/index.php?refer=prn1341
Trial subscribers will also receive McWilliams’ regular commentary and real-time trade alerts.
McWilliams covers these topics and more in his recent reports:
- Why might Lightwave Logic be an under-the-radar stock that investors should pay attention to? Is the company’s recent hiring of a former JDS-Uniphase executive notable? What is the one thing about Lightwave that McWilliams finds most interesting and at the foundation of his optimistic view of the company’s future? Why is the electro-optical technology that Lightwave is exploring considered the “Holy Grail” in the world of fiber optics? Is Infinera also involved in exploring electro-optical technology? What tech giant also has exposure to the electro-optical story?
- Might Nvidia be an attractive merger partner for Broadcom? In what ways would these two firms complement each other? How likely is such a merger? What weaknesses do Broadcom and Nvidia have when competing against companies like Qualcomm and Marvell in the smartphone market?
- Does Broadcom’s statement that it will introduce new “multi-core, multi-thread” applications processors suggest that Broadcom will be looking to MIPS for these new products in a shift away from using ARM Holdings processor cores in its mobile products? What two points need to be considered when investigating this possibility?
About Next Inning:
Next Inning is a subscription-based investment newsletter that provides regular coverage on more than 150 technology and semiconductor stocks. Subscribers receive intra-day analysis, commentary and recommendations, as well as access to monthly semiconductor sales analysis, regular Special Reports, and the Next Inning model portfolio. Editor Paul McWilliams is a 30+ year semiconductor industry veteran.
NOTE: This release was published by Indie Research Advisors, LLC, a registered investment advisor with CRD #131926. Interested parties may visit adviserinfo.sec.gov for additional information. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investors should always research companies and securities before making any investments. Nothing herein should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security.
CONTACT: Marcia Martin , Next Inning Technology Research, +1-888-278-5515
http://tourism9.com/
Bay Area biomedical firms seek financing options
Finding venture capital increasingly difficult to obtain, biomedical companies in the Bay Area and elsewhere in California are seeking financing through licensing deals, corporate investment funds and patient advocacy groups, according to a survey released Tuesday.
“We’re concerned that capital is harder to get,” said Gail Maderis, CEO of BayBio, a South San Francisco biomedical industry organization that did the survey with PricewaterhouseCoopers and another industry group, the California Healthcare Institute. But based on the survey, she added, “What is interesting to me is how resourceful our companies are in adapting to the changing environment.”
California boasts 2,244 biotechnology, medical device, diagnostic and other biomedical companies, which employ more than 260,000 people, according to a separate report by the three organizations last year. Their latest survey was conducted in November with CEOs at about 100 biomedical companies in the state — many of which were based in the Bay Area. Among the findings:
“We’re concerned that capital is harder to get,” said Gail Maderis, CEO of BayBio, a South San Francisco biomedical industry organization that did the survey with PricewaterhouseCoopers and another industry group, the California Healthcare Institute. But based on the survey, she added, “What is interesting to me is how resourceful our companies are in adapting to the changing environment.”
California boasts 2,244 biotechnology, medical device, diagnostic and other biomedical companies, which employ more than 260,000 people, according to a separate report by the three organizations last year. Their latest survey was conducted in November with CEOs at about 100 biomedical companies in the state — many of which were based in the Bay Area. Among the findings:
- Forty-four percent said they intend to seek licensing agreements for their technology and corporate partnerships as a source of financing over the next 12 months, double the number who said they would consider that in a similar survey a year ago.
- Thirty percent said they plan to seek corporate venture financing, where individual businesses — typically large, well-established firms – invest in activities that are often unrelated to their main commercial focus. By contrast, only 10 percent of the CEOs surveyed a year ago said they would tap corporate venture funds.
- Eleven percent said they are considering obtaining financing from foundations and other nongovernmental entities that advocate for patients suffering from various health problems. In last year’s survey, just 4 percent of the CEOs said they intended to seek money from such sources. Even though many early-stage biomedical companies are finding alternatives to venture capital, “the next couple of years could be a very tough time for some of these young companies,” Tracy Lefteroff, a life-sciences partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, said during a Tuesday meeting in San Francisco where the survey data was released.
The lack of financing is prompting some biomedical CEOs to consider moving overseas. That includes Stephen Cary, chief executive and co-founder of San Francisco-based Omniox, which among other things is developing a compound to make radiation therapy more effective against cancer.
He noted at the meeting that a foreign investor recently offered to finance his company’s shift to Asia. But when he has talked to U.S.-based venture capitalists, “they are laughing before you finish your sentence,” because they consider it too risky to finance the years of research it takes to get a biotech product approved for sale.
Maderis said it is difficult to assess whether biomedical companies overall are better or worse off since last year’s survey. But they seem to be having more problems in at least one area: Seventy-five percent of the CEOs said they have experienced a delay in their research or development projects in the past 12 months. That compares with 69 percent in last year’s survey.
Of those recently reporting an R&D slowdown, 39 percent blamed the problem on lack of financing. In addition, 80 percent of all the CEOs queried said their growth had been slowed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
One of the biggest problems is that the federal agency has been demanding more data and longer clinical studies from biomedical companies with drugs under development, Maderis said, adding, “that is slowing the time it takes to get to the point where you can put the product in front of the FDA for approval.”
Contact Steve Johnson at 408-920-5043.
Pursuing financing options
Some findings from a survey of biomedical CEOs, which was released Tuesday by BayBio, PricewaterhouseCoopers and the California Healthcare Institute.
44 percent:
CEOs who said they intend to seek financing through licensing agreements and corporate partnerships in the next 12 months, up from 22 percent who said that in a survey a year ago.
30 percent:
Those who plan to seek corporate venture financing, compared with 10 percent from a year ago.
11 percent:
CEOs who are considering financing from patient-oriented foundations and other nongovernmental entities. Just 4 percent considered that option a year ago.
2012年1月9日星期一
SEP and SSE Join Forces to Establish New £95 Million Green Energy Fund
LONDON and GLASGOW , January 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ –
- New secondaries fund acquires cleantech portfolio from SSE plc
Scottish Equity Partners (SEP) has raised a new £95 million fund to invest in innovative green energy businesses in a deal involving the acquisition of a portfolio of clean energy assets from SSE Ventures, the investment arm of FTSE 100 utilities company SSE plc.
SEP raised the new secondaries fund from four institutional investors, headed by Lexington Partners, the world’s largest independent manager of secondary private equity and co-investment funds with $20 billion under management. The syndicate also comprises UK based investors, Hermes GPE and F&C Private Equity, as well as Swiss-based Partners Group.
The new Environmental Energies Fund (EEF) has acquired nine companies from the SSE Ventures portfolio and will operate as a partnership between SSE and the financial institutions, with SSE maintaining a significant interest in the portfolio through becoming an investor alongside the financial institutions. SEP has formed a separate team to manage the fund headed by SEP partner Gary Le Sueur .
The fund’s portfolio companies are market leaders from across the European clean energy spectrum, including solar energy, ground source heat pumps, energy efficiency services, electricity grid management solutions, domestic water recycling and heat recovery, wave energy, small scale hydro-electric projects and low-carbon based community heating systems (see Notes to Editor for full details of the nine companies).
EEF will have substantial fresh capital available for investment in the portfolio and also has agreement to add up to a further five SSE investments to the portfolio in future.
This marks the first move into the secondary fund market for SEP, the UK’s leading growth equity and venture capital firm. It is SEP’s second significant recent fundraising, following the successful close of its new £200m SEP IV fund announced last week, bringing the total raised in recent months to £300 million.
SEP Managing Partner, Calum Paterson said: “We are excited by the opportunity that this partnership with SSE brings and pleased to have secured such blue chip investor backing for the fund. Energy-related technology investments have always been an area of strong interest for us and there will be synergies between our involvement with the new secondary fund and SEP’s standalone primary investment activity.”
SSE’s Finance Director, Gregor Alexander , said: “SEP has a strong track record in helping innovative companies grow and mature. By moving our cleantech investments into the Environmental Energies Fund we can ensure the companies are able to benefit from the track record and expertise of SEP, draw upon the financial resources of the new partners and ultimately deliver a better return on our initial investment”.
“We continue to believe that cleantech companies have an important role to play in developing new technologies and that is why we continue to be involved as a major partner in the EEF.”
Marshall Parke , Managing Partner in Lexington Partners’ London office, said: “The clean energy sector is relatively new to the secondary market, and we expect to see more secondary activity in this space in the future.” Pål Ristvedt, Partner, added: ”Selecting the right partners is absolutely critical to the success of these deals. We believe the three way partnership between a major strategic player like SSE, the substantial energy and general investment expertise of SEP plus the secondary experience of Lexington Partners creates a very strong platform for managing these assets.”
Notes to Editors
About the Environmental Energies Fund:
The Environmental Energies Fund is a £95 million secondaries fund formed by SEP to acquire and invest in a portfolio of innovative UK based green energy businesses originally backed by SSE plc. The fund is managed by leading UK growth equity and venture capital firm SEP and will operate as a partnership between FTSE-100 listed SSE plc, one of the UK’s largest energy companies, and the fund’s blue-chip financial backers Lexington Partners, Hermes GPE, F&C Private Equity and Partners Group.
The fund’s portfolio of assets was acquired from SSE Ventures, the investment arm of SSE plc and comprise the following nine companies:
Anesco: http://anesco.co.uk
(Energy efficiency services and solutions)
Aquamarine Power: http://www.aquamarinepower.com
(Marine renewable power technology)
Cyberhawk Innovations: http://www.cyberhawkinnovations.co.uk
(Unmanned aerial inspection of energy installations)
Geothermal International: http://www.geothermalint.co.uk
(Turnkey services in ground and air source heat pumps)
Green Highland Renewables: http://www.greenhighland.co.uk
(Small and medium scale hydro-power schemes)
Smarter Grid Solutions: http://www.smartergridsolutions.com
(Electricity grid management technologies)
SolarCentury: http://www.solarcentury.co.uk
(Solar power design and installation)
Vital Energi: http://www.vitalenergi.co.uk
(Energy centre installation and services)
Waterevolution: http://www.waterevolution.co.uk
(Water recycling and heat recovery)
About Scottish Equity Partners
Scottish Equity Partners (SEP) is a leading independent, owner-managed growth equity and venture capital firm with a 20 year track record of successful investing. Operating from offices in Glasgow and London , it invests in innovative, high growth potential companies in the IT, healthcare and energy sectors. With significant funds available and an integrated investment team, SEP has the resource and experience to add value from investment through to exit and has been selected as the partner of choice by many of the UK’s leading technology companies.
Recent portfolio exits include the sale of web traffic management company Zeus Technology to Riverbed Technology Inc (NASDAQ: RVBD – News) for a total price of up to $140m , recently named Best Venture Investment of the Year. SEP also sold multimedia home networking company Gigle Networks to Broadcom Corp (NASDAQ: BRCM – News). SEP also exited from cancer therapy company BioVex which was acquired by Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN, SEHK: 4332) in a deal worth $1bn which earned SEP won the Venture Deal of the Year award in the Unquote British Private Equity Awards 2011.
SEP’s current portfolio comprises award-winning high growth companies including oil technology business Deep Casing Tools (http://www.deepcasingtools.com); energy-related technology specialist ARKeX (http://www.arkex.com); Media Ingenuity (http://www.mediaingenuity.com) a specialist in online marketing services and technology for the financial services sector; managed IT services provider Control Circle (http://www.controlcircle.com); flight search engine Skyscanner (http://www.skyscanner.net); wireless communications leader ipaccess (http://www.ipaccess.com); IT analytics company Sumerian (http://www.sumerian.com/); Cmed (http://www.cmedgroup.com) which combines full clinical research services with advanced clinical data capture and management technology; and healthcare informatics company Aridhia (http://www.aridhia.com).
For more information visit http://www.sep.co.uk/
http://tourism9.com/
- New secondaries fund acquires cleantech portfolio from SSE plc
Scottish Equity Partners (SEP) has raised a new £95 million fund to invest in innovative green energy businesses in a deal involving the acquisition of a portfolio of clean energy assets from SSE Ventures, the investment arm of FTSE 100 utilities company SSE plc.
SEP raised the new secondaries fund from four institutional investors, headed by Lexington Partners, the world’s largest independent manager of secondary private equity and co-investment funds with $20 billion under management. The syndicate also comprises UK based investors, Hermes GPE and F&C Private Equity, as well as Swiss-based Partners Group.
The new Environmental Energies Fund (EEF) has acquired nine companies from the SSE Ventures portfolio and will operate as a partnership between SSE and the financial institutions, with SSE maintaining a significant interest in the portfolio through becoming an investor alongside the financial institutions. SEP has formed a separate team to manage the fund headed by SEP partner Gary Le Sueur .
The fund’s portfolio companies are market leaders from across the European clean energy spectrum, including solar energy, ground source heat pumps, energy efficiency services, electricity grid management solutions, domestic water recycling and heat recovery, wave energy, small scale hydro-electric projects and low-carbon based community heating systems (see Notes to Editor for full details of the nine companies).
EEF will have substantial fresh capital available for investment in the portfolio and also has agreement to add up to a further five SSE investments to the portfolio in future.
This marks the first move into the secondary fund market for SEP, the UK’s leading growth equity and venture capital firm. It is SEP’s second significant recent fundraising, following the successful close of its new £200m SEP IV fund announced last week, bringing the total raised in recent months to £300 million.
SEP Managing Partner, Calum Paterson said: “We are excited by the opportunity that this partnership with SSE brings and pleased to have secured such blue chip investor backing for the fund. Energy-related technology investments have always been an area of strong interest for us and there will be synergies between our involvement with the new secondary fund and SEP’s standalone primary investment activity.”
SSE’s Finance Director, Gregor Alexander , said: “SEP has a strong track record in helping innovative companies grow and mature. By moving our cleantech investments into the Environmental Energies Fund we can ensure the companies are able to benefit from the track record and expertise of SEP, draw upon the financial resources of the new partners and ultimately deliver a better return on our initial investment”.
“We continue to believe that cleantech companies have an important role to play in developing new technologies and that is why we continue to be involved as a major partner in the EEF.”
Marshall Parke , Managing Partner in Lexington Partners’ London office, said: “The clean energy sector is relatively new to the secondary market, and we expect to see more secondary activity in this space in the future.” Pål Ristvedt, Partner, added: ”Selecting the right partners is absolutely critical to the success of these deals. We believe the three way partnership between a major strategic player like SSE, the substantial energy and general investment expertise of SEP plus the secondary experience of Lexington Partners creates a very strong platform for managing these assets.”
Notes to Editors
About the Environmental Energies Fund:
The Environmental Energies Fund is a £95 million secondaries fund formed by SEP to acquire and invest in a portfolio of innovative UK based green energy businesses originally backed by SSE plc. The fund is managed by leading UK growth equity and venture capital firm SEP and will operate as a partnership between FTSE-100 listed SSE plc, one of the UK’s largest energy companies, and the fund’s blue-chip financial backers Lexington Partners, Hermes GPE, F&C Private Equity and Partners Group.
The fund’s portfolio of assets was acquired from SSE Ventures, the investment arm of SSE plc and comprise the following nine companies:
Anesco: http://anesco.co.uk
(Energy efficiency services and solutions)
Aquamarine Power: http://www.aquamarinepower.com
(Marine renewable power technology)
Cyberhawk Innovations: http://www.cyberhawkinnovations.co.uk
(Unmanned aerial inspection of energy installations)
Geothermal International: http://www.geothermalint.co.uk
(Turnkey services in ground and air source heat pumps)
Green Highland Renewables: http://www.greenhighland.co.uk
(Small and medium scale hydro-power schemes)
Smarter Grid Solutions: http://www.smartergridsolutions.com
(Electricity grid management technologies)
SolarCentury: http://www.solarcentury.co.uk
(Solar power design and installation)
Vital Energi: http://www.vitalenergi.co.uk
(Energy centre installation and services)
Waterevolution: http://www.waterevolution.co.uk
(Water recycling and heat recovery)
About Scottish Equity Partners
Scottish Equity Partners (SEP) is a leading independent, owner-managed growth equity and venture capital firm with a 20 year track record of successful investing. Operating from offices in Glasgow and London , it invests in innovative, high growth potential companies in the IT, healthcare and energy sectors. With significant funds available and an integrated investment team, SEP has the resource and experience to add value from investment through to exit and has been selected as the partner of choice by many of the UK’s leading technology companies.
Recent portfolio exits include the sale of web traffic management company Zeus Technology to Riverbed Technology Inc (NASDAQ: RVBD – News) for a total price of up to $140m , recently named Best Venture Investment of the Year. SEP also sold multimedia home networking company Gigle Networks to Broadcom Corp (NASDAQ: BRCM – News). SEP also exited from cancer therapy company BioVex which was acquired by Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN, SEHK: 4332) in a deal worth $1bn which earned SEP won the Venture Deal of the Year award in the Unquote British Private Equity Awards 2011.
SEP’s current portfolio comprises award-winning high growth companies including oil technology business Deep Casing Tools (http://www.deepcasingtools.com); energy-related technology specialist ARKeX (http://www.arkex.com); Media Ingenuity (http://www.mediaingenuity.com) a specialist in online marketing services and technology for the financial services sector; managed IT services provider Control Circle (http://www.controlcircle.com); flight search engine Skyscanner (http://www.skyscanner.net); wireless communications leader ipaccess (http://www.ipaccess.com); IT analytics company Sumerian (http://www.sumerian.com/); Cmed (http://www.cmedgroup.com) which combines full clinical research services with advanced clinical data capture and management technology; and healthcare informatics company Aridhia (http://www.aridhia.com).
For more information visit http://www.sep.co.uk/
http://tourism9.com/
2012年1月4日星期三
New Release of Quest Site Administrator for SharePoint Delivers Central Reporting for Microsoft SharePoint Online in …
ALISO VIEJO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Tweet this: New release of @QuestSharePoint tool, Site Administrator, extends centralized reporting to #SharePoint Online in #O365 http://bit.ly/rDHvPY
News Facts:
Technorati Tags:
Supporting Quotes:
Supporting Resources:
About Quest Software, Inc.
Quest Software (Nasdaq: QSFT – News) simplifies and reduces the cost of managing IT for more than 100,000 customers worldwide. Our innovative solutions make solving the toughest IT management problems easier, enabling customers to save time and money across physical, virtual and cloud environments. For more information about Quest solutions for administration and automation, data protection, development and optimization, identity and access management, migration and consolidation, and performance monitoring, go to www.quest.com.
Quest, Quest Software and the Quest logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Quest Software in the United States and certain other countries. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.
http://tourism9.com/
News Facts:
- Quest Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: QSFT – News) today announced a new release of Quest® Site Administrator for SharePoint, a Microsoft SharePoint management solution, to include central reporting capabilities for SharePoint Online in Microsoft Office 365. The product helps users understand, manage and secure multiple SharePoint installations from a single product whether on-premises, in the cloud, or a hybrid of both.
- Site Administrator for SharePoint gives users an overview of their existing environment by providing metrics, trends and other insights into Office 365 usage, data growth, and storage distribution, which enables organizations to efficiently manage their SharePoint Online licenses.
- As organizations adopt this technology, one key area of focus will be maximizing efficiencies. Quest’s Site Administrator empowers SharePoint administrators to understand if that investment is being used, or needs to be expanded, by aggregating license and storage information from across all site collections and displaying it through centralized charts and reports.
- As more organizations consider moving to SharePoint Online, many will deploy proof-of-concept and pilot projects that result in hybrid environments, spanning both on-premise and cloud deployments. Site Administrator makes it easy for businesses to centrally monitor and manage their environments regardless of whether SharePoint is based on-premises, online, or both.
Technorati Tags:
Supporting Quotes:
- Bill Evans, vice president and general manager, SharePoint business unit, Quest Software
- Kristina Kerr, group product manager for SharePoint, Microsoft Corp.
Supporting Resources:
About Quest Software, Inc.
Quest Software (Nasdaq: QSFT – News) simplifies and reduces the cost of managing IT for more than 100,000 customers worldwide. Our innovative solutions make solving the toughest IT management problems easier, enabling customers to save time and money across physical, virtual and cloud environments. For more information about Quest solutions for administration and automation, data protection, development and optimization, identity and access management, migration and consolidation, and performance monitoring, go to www.quest.com.
Quest, Quest Software and the Quest logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Quest Software in the United States and certain other countries. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.
http://tourism9.com/
2012年1月2日星期一
Digital Classrooms: Is The Investment Paying Off?
Guest post written by Chuck Dietrich
Chuck Dietrich is CEO of SlideRocket.
Chuck Dietrich: Learning 2.0.There is a raging debate about the effectiveness of the ‘digital classroom’ – with arguments solely focused on the $31.2 billion education technology market and whether the investment is delivering a return to cash-strapped school districts.
In the heated discussion over education technology, we are missing out on a crucial component of education – the ethos of how to work together. Collaborative technology is a valuable aid in teaching students to engage in meaningful discussion, take responsibility for their own learning and become critical thinkers in a rapidly-shifting world – skills necessary for success in the 21st century workforce.
The collaboration revolution has entered the workplace in full force, ushering in ‘a new way to work’ – and now it needs to head to the classroom. Studies have shown that students learn best when they’re actively involved in the process and engaged in interactive group work. Today’s student is gathering information from a variety of sources and their access to each other and to their instructors extends way beyond the classroom. The development of tomorrow’s successful leaders requires cultivating skills that master how to work with people in a dynamic and effective fashion.
The national organization, The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21) understands that it is time for “a new way to educate.” The organization advocates new ways of thinking in order to prepare students to compete in a global economy. The institution provides tools and resources to help the U.S. education system keep up with global competitors by combing the traditional 3Rs with the 4Cs (Critical thinking and problem solving, Communication, Collaboration, and Creativity and innovation). P21 views all components as interconnected in the process of 21st century teaching and learning.
The 4Cs emphasized by P21 are the framework of the modern, global workplace. An educational system that emphasizes this framework prepares students for the world beyond the classroom while embracing an educational method that taps into a more natural method of learning.
The 4Cs are a cornerstone of the modern workforce revolutionized by cloud based technology. Cloud-based technology has facilitated dynamic interactive collaboration between location- dispersed teams. Ideas are created, shared and revised, emulating the collective learning common for the classroom. The standard model of education is a passive one, where success is measured by memorizing rote facts, and figures. Leveraging 21st century workplace skills cultivates a new way of educational thinking that makes learning both active and interactive, essential for life outside of the classroom.
In this new model of educational thinking, educators and students tap into the cloud to build, collaborate, share and manage media rich lessons and curriculum. In some classrooms this revolution is already underway. The Open High School of Utah (OHSU) is a fully online charter school that has traded chalk and blackboards for digital tools that foster collaboration and interactive education. The school has fully integrated Google Docs and uses open course management system Moodle. Students create more than 150 presentations per year using SlideRocket; often collaborating remotely in teams to share and organize data.
The OHSU model is an example of how to employ real world technologies which focus on collaboration. The return on investment is not a result of the technology, but how that technology is effectively implemented in education.
The real value of education is not really what we learn; it’s how we learn – which involves the effort and process that goes into the act of learning itself. No matter how many new digital tools come out, the common denominator is still people. And it will always be people. The new collaboration revolution in education technology places people squarely at the center of the equation, making it easier to connect and produce solid results.
http://tourism9.com/
Chuck Dietrich is CEO of SlideRocket.
Chuck Dietrich: Learning 2.0.In the heated discussion over education technology, we are missing out on a crucial component of education – the ethos of how to work together. Collaborative technology is a valuable aid in teaching students to engage in meaningful discussion, take responsibility for their own learning and become critical thinkers in a rapidly-shifting world – skills necessary for success in the 21st century workforce.
The collaboration revolution has entered the workplace in full force, ushering in ‘a new way to work’ – and now it needs to head to the classroom. Studies have shown that students learn best when they’re actively involved in the process and engaged in interactive group work. Today’s student is gathering information from a variety of sources and their access to each other and to their instructors extends way beyond the classroom. The development of tomorrow’s successful leaders requires cultivating skills that master how to work with people in a dynamic and effective fashion.
The national organization, The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21) understands that it is time for “a new way to educate.” The organization advocates new ways of thinking in order to prepare students to compete in a global economy. The institution provides tools and resources to help the U.S. education system keep up with global competitors by combing the traditional 3Rs with the 4Cs (Critical thinking and problem solving, Communication, Collaboration, and Creativity and innovation). P21 views all components as interconnected in the process of 21st century teaching and learning.
The 4Cs emphasized by P21 are the framework of the modern, global workplace. An educational system that emphasizes this framework prepares students for the world beyond the classroom while embracing an educational method that taps into a more natural method of learning.
The 4Cs are a cornerstone of the modern workforce revolutionized by cloud based technology. Cloud-based technology has facilitated dynamic interactive collaboration between location- dispersed teams. Ideas are created, shared and revised, emulating the collective learning common for the classroom. The standard model of education is a passive one, where success is measured by memorizing rote facts, and figures. Leveraging 21st century workplace skills cultivates a new way of educational thinking that makes learning both active and interactive, essential for life outside of the classroom.
In this new model of educational thinking, educators and students tap into the cloud to build, collaborate, share and manage media rich lessons and curriculum. In some classrooms this revolution is already underway. The Open High School of Utah (OHSU) is a fully online charter school that has traded chalk and blackboards for digital tools that foster collaboration and interactive education. The school has fully integrated Google Docs and uses open course management system Moodle. Students create more than 150 presentations per year using SlideRocket; often collaborating remotely in teams to share and organize data.
The OHSU model is an example of how to employ real world technologies which focus on collaboration. The return on investment is not a result of the technology, but how that technology is effectively implemented in education.
The real value of education is not really what we learn; it’s how we learn – which involves the effort and process that goes into the act of learning itself. No matter how many new digital tools come out, the common denominator is still people. And it will always be people. The new collaboration revolution in education technology places people squarely at the center of the equation, making it easier to connect and produce solid results.
http://tourism9.com/
BMR Updates Outlooks on Recent IPOs: Zynga, Tangoe, Michael Kors, Jive, & Others
PRINCETON, N.J. , Dec. 29, 2011 /PRNewswire/ – BullMarket.com (http://www.bullmarket.com) (“BMR”), an online investment newsletter focused on long-term growth and income-generating stocks, has provided subscribers with coverage of several recent IPOs, including Zynga (Nasdaq: ZNGA – News), Tangoe (Nasdaq: TNGO – News), Michael Kors (NYSE: KORS – News), Jive Software (Nasdaq: JIVE – News) and Inergy Midstream (NYSE: NRGM – News), among others.
As a subscriber, you’ll also gain access to our Recommended List of stocks, which was up over 20% in 2010, up 40% in 2009, and outperformed the S&P by 15% in 2008. The Recommended List is also outperforming the S&P this year as well.
All trial subscribers will also receive BMR’s weekly earnings previews during earnings season (26+ in total), annual High Yield Special Report, and annual MLP Special Report.
Start your 14-day free trial today:
https://www.bullmarket.com/subscribe/pr/?refer=BMR2254
BMR looked at the following topics, among others:
– Are the worries over Zynga’s growth peaking justified?
– Does Tangoe’s niche business model look attractive?
– Will Jive’s social networking tools for enterprises continue to catch on among businesses? What are the company’s strengths and weaknesses?
– Does Michael Kors have a strong position in the “affordable” luxury goods segment? What growth levers can it pull and what potential headwinds does it face?
– Does Inergy Midstream look like the better MLP to own than its parent Inergy LP?
About BullMarket.com:
Launched in 1997, BullMarket.com has a strong track record of creating wealth for its subscribers by providing sound, long-term investing advice. The BullMarket.com Recommended List includes about 50 companies across all major industries, including Financials, Healthcare, Energy, Technology, and Retail, among others. BullMarket.com is one of the oldest continuously published investment newsletters online, and its Recommended List has consistently outperformed the major market indices.
NOTE: This release was published by Indie Research Advisors, LLC (CRD #131926), a registered investment advisor with the NASD and State of NJ . Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investors should always research companies and securities before making any investments. Nothing herein should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security.
Contact:
Indie Research Advisors, LLC
Marcie Martin , +1-888-278-5515
http://tourism9.com/
As a subscriber, you’ll also gain access to our Recommended List of stocks, which was up over 20% in 2010, up 40% in 2009, and outperformed the S&P by 15% in 2008. The Recommended List is also outperforming the S&P this year as well.
All trial subscribers will also receive BMR’s weekly earnings previews during earnings season (26+ in total), annual High Yield Special Report, and annual MLP Special Report.
Start your 14-day free trial today:
https://www.bullmarket.com/subscribe/pr/?refer=BMR2254
BMR looked at the following topics, among others:
– Are the worries over Zynga’s growth peaking justified?
– Does Tangoe’s niche business model look attractive?
– Will Jive’s social networking tools for enterprises continue to catch on among businesses? What are the company’s strengths and weaknesses?
– Does Michael Kors have a strong position in the “affordable” luxury goods segment? What growth levers can it pull and what potential headwinds does it face?
– Does Inergy Midstream look like the better MLP to own than its parent Inergy LP?
About BullMarket.com:
Launched in 1997, BullMarket.com has a strong track record of creating wealth for its subscribers by providing sound, long-term investing advice. The BullMarket.com Recommended List includes about 50 companies across all major industries, including Financials, Healthcare, Energy, Technology, and Retail, among others. BullMarket.com is one of the oldest continuously published investment newsletters online, and its Recommended List has consistently outperformed the major market indices.
NOTE: This release was published by Indie Research Advisors, LLC (CRD #131926), a registered investment advisor with the NASD and State of NJ . Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investors should always research companies and securities before making any investments. Nothing herein should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security.
Contact:
Indie Research Advisors, LLC
Marcie Martin , +1-888-278-5515
http://tourism9.com/
SwiftKey Attracts $2.4 Million in Series A Financing to Accelerate Consumer and OEM Adoption
LONDON and SAN FRANCISCO, CA–(Marketwire -12/07/11)- TouchType Ltd., the London-based company behind SwiftKey™ (http://www.swiftkey.net), one of the world’s most popular Android™ applications, announces today that it has secured $2.4 million (£1.5m) Series A investment from an internal round of major financing led by Octopus Investments.
This latest funding will be used to build on the worldwide success of SwiftKey, an Android keyboard application that uses the company’s patented natural language Fluency™ engine technology to learn a user’s writing style, correcting and predicting their text input with unrivaled accuracy. SwiftKey reduces keystrokes, and speeds up text entry on smartphones, tablets, and other devices. It has been adopted by a number of Android mobile phone and tablet manufacturers, and has attracted more than 3.5 million downloads.
“The success of SwiftKey and quality of the team building our natural language processing technology has led to several strategic and financial investment approaches,” said Mark Paterson, Chairman, TouchType. “Following considerable internal demand, the management team decided that a Series A funding round led by Octopus would form the most appropriate investment. This will enable TouchType to accelerate consumer and corporate adoption of SwiftKey as well as developing the underlying Fluency Engine.”
Jo Oliver, Investment Director at Octopus, said: “Octopus is delighted to have led TouchType’s Series A. Since our first meeting with the team, we have been impressed by their vision and innovation, and we are now even more pleased with their execution. The potential of the Fluency Engine is enormous and is just starting to be realized — we are looking forward to an exciting future together.”
TouchType plans to strengthen its executive, commercial and technical teams with the new investment, increasing its worldwide presence, particularly in the US and Asia. The company also plans to improve the capabilities and features of its SwiftKey products and Fluency platform, while continuing to innovate in the fields of natural language processing, artificial intelligence and machine learning.
“We’ve seen tremendous consumer adoption of our SwiftKey keyboards on Android, and have secured significant OEM deals to pre-install our technology,” said Jon Reynolds, CEO, TouchType. “While SwiftKey has already received widespread praise, we’re always striving to improve our products in response to our customers’ needs. We’re also planning to enter new vertical markets in the New Year, where faster and more accurate text entry can drive significant benefits.”
The financing round, led by Octopus Investments, was supported by several of Europe’s leading angel investors and VCs including Cambridge Capital Group; Jon Craton, Cramer Systems founder; Nick Hynes and Carl Uminski, CEO and COO founders of Somo; Richard Brennan, former CMO of Orange Group; and Andrew Thornton, barrister with Erskine Chambers.
To date, SwiftKey has saved its users more than 20 billion keystrokes, equivalent to over 250 years spent typing. The recent v2.2 release of SwiftKey X and SwiftKey Tablet X, which added significant international language variants as well as improved speed and user experience, saw the application rise to become the most popular Android paid app in the US and UK. You can download the apps from http://www.swiftkey.net/download.
Editor’s NotesPress ready images can be downloaded from https://www.dropbox.com/gallery/21479396/1/SwiftKey?h=bac6be
About SwiftKey (www.swiftkey.net)SwiftKey makes typing much easier on Android smartphones, replacing the touchscreen keyboard with one powered by smarter natural language technology. The app, which launched in beta in July 2010, understands how words work together to give much more accurate corrections and predictions than other keyboards. It also powerfully learns over time to make typing easier and even more accurate, and users can personalize it using Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, SMS or their blog posts.
To date SwiftKey has received more than 3.5 million downloads, saving users more than 20 billion keystrokes: equivalent to over 250 years spent typing.
TouchType Ltd, the company behind SwiftKey, was founded in August 2008 by Jon Reynolds, CEO and Dr Ben Medlock, CTO, both Cambridge University graduates. The company currently has over 30 staff, with its headquarters in Southwark, London, UK.
About Octopus Investments (www.octopusinvestments.com)Octopus Investments, founded in 2000, is a leading investment specialist. We offer innovative core and satellite investment solutions to UK investors, and a wide range of funding options for exceptional companies.
Our core investments include a discretionary management service, multi-manager multi-asset OEICs, and single manager OEICs. These are complemented by our range of satellite solutions, including venture capital trusts, enterprise investment schemes and inheritance tax products. Each product has been designed to solve specific problems faced by financial advisers and their clients.
Our funding solutions cover the entire capital structure, from equity through mezzanine to senior debt, and we seek out outstanding management teams in unlisted companies with whom we can partner.
Octopus has built its business around three core pillars: customer led innovation, excellence in customer service and the quality of our people. We employ more than 200 people and currently have more than £2.3 billion in assets under management.
Octopus has won a number of awards for its products and customer service. We have twice been voted one of the best 100 SMEs to work for by the Sunday Times, and we are one of only two fund management companies to be AAA rated by financial advisers for customer service.
http://tourism9.com/
This latest funding will be used to build on the worldwide success of SwiftKey, an Android keyboard application that uses the company’s patented natural language Fluency™ engine technology to learn a user’s writing style, correcting and predicting their text input with unrivaled accuracy. SwiftKey reduces keystrokes, and speeds up text entry on smartphones, tablets, and other devices. It has been adopted by a number of Android mobile phone and tablet manufacturers, and has attracted more than 3.5 million downloads.
“The success of SwiftKey and quality of the team building our natural language processing technology has led to several strategic and financial investment approaches,” said Mark Paterson, Chairman, TouchType. “Following considerable internal demand, the management team decided that a Series A funding round led by Octopus would form the most appropriate investment. This will enable TouchType to accelerate consumer and corporate adoption of SwiftKey as well as developing the underlying Fluency Engine.”
Jo Oliver, Investment Director at Octopus, said: “Octopus is delighted to have led TouchType’s Series A. Since our first meeting with the team, we have been impressed by their vision and innovation, and we are now even more pleased with their execution. The potential of the Fluency Engine is enormous and is just starting to be realized — we are looking forward to an exciting future together.”
TouchType plans to strengthen its executive, commercial and technical teams with the new investment, increasing its worldwide presence, particularly in the US and Asia. The company also plans to improve the capabilities and features of its SwiftKey products and Fluency platform, while continuing to innovate in the fields of natural language processing, artificial intelligence and machine learning.
“We’ve seen tremendous consumer adoption of our SwiftKey keyboards on Android, and have secured significant OEM deals to pre-install our technology,” said Jon Reynolds, CEO, TouchType. “While SwiftKey has already received widespread praise, we’re always striving to improve our products in response to our customers’ needs. We’re also planning to enter new vertical markets in the New Year, where faster and more accurate text entry can drive significant benefits.”
The financing round, led by Octopus Investments, was supported by several of Europe’s leading angel investors and VCs including Cambridge Capital Group; Jon Craton, Cramer Systems founder; Nick Hynes and Carl Uminski, CEO and COO founders of Somo; Richard Brennan, former CMO of Orange Group; and Andrew Thornton, barrister with Erskine Chambers.
To date, SwiftKey has saved its users more than 20 billion keystrokes, equivalent to over 250 years spent typing. The recent v2.2 release of SwiftKey X and SwiftKey Tablet X, which added significant international language variants as well as improved speed and user experience, saw the application rise to become the most popular Android paid app in the US and UK. You can download the apps from http://www.swiftkey.net/download.
Editor’s NotesPress ready images can be downloaded from https://www.dropbox.com/gallery/21479396/1/SwiftKey?h=bac6be
About SwiftKey (www.swiftkey.net)SwiftKey makes typing much easier on Android smartphones, replacing the touchscreen keyboard with one powered by smarter natural language technology. The app, which launched in beta in July 2010, understands how words work together to give much more accurate corrections and predictions than other keyboards. It also powerfully learns over time to make typing easier and even more accurate, and users can personalize it using Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, SMS or their blog posts.
To date SwiftKey has received more than 3.5 million downloads, saving users more than 20 billion keystrokes: equivalent to over 250 years spent typing.
TouchType Ltd, the company behind SwiftKey, was founded in August 2008 by Jon Reynolds, CEO and Dr Ben Medlock, CTO, both Cambridge University graduates. The company currently has over 30 staff, with its headquarters in Southwark, London, UK.
About Octopus Investments (www.octopusinvestments.com)Octopus Investments, founded in 2000, is a leading investment specialist. We offer innovative core and satellite investment solutions to UK investors, and a wide range of funding options for exceptional companies.
Our core investments include a discretionary management service, multi-manager multi-asset OEICs, and single manager OEICs. These are complemented by our range of satellite solutions, including venture capital trusts, enterprise investment schemes and inheritance tax products. Each product has been designed to solve specific problems faced by financial advisers and their clients.
Our funding solutions cover the entire capital structure, from equity through mezzanine to senior debt, and we seek out outstanding management teams in unlisted companies with whom we can partner.
Octopus has built its business around three core pillars: customer led innovation, excellence in customer service and the quality of our people. We employ more than 200 people and currently have more than £2.3 billion in assets under management.
Octopus has won a number of awards for its products and customer service. We have twice been voted one of the best 100 SMEs to work for by the Sunday Times, and we are one of only two fund management companies to be AAA rated by financial advisers for customer service.
http://tourism9.com/
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