by George White
[Posted on January 17, 2008 - 5:43 PM]
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Peptimmune
Cambridge, Mass., biotechnology company Peptimmune Inc. has completed the first closing of a Series D funding targeted at $8.2 million. The capital comes from New Enterprise Associates of Baltimore, MPM Capital and Boston Medical Investors of Boston, Hunt Ventures LP of Dallas and Silicon Valley Bank Capital of Santa Clara, Calif., as well as certain other investors, including its board chairman. Peptimmune expects a second close in the second quarter of 2008, which may involve an additional new investor. It will use the proceeds to advance clinical development of its lead product, PI-2301, for the treatment of multiple sclerosis.
Internet
Openads
London-based Openads raised $15.5 million in a second round led by Accel Partners of Palo Alto, Calif., to launch a hosted version of its open source advertising server software, and to accelerate expansion into the U.S. Accel joins Index Ventures of London, First Round Capital of West Conshohocken, Pa., Mangrove Capital Partners of Luxembourg and O'Reilly AlphaTech Ventures of San Francisco in backing Openads, which has been available as an open source project for about eight years, and which has been developed commercially by Unanimis over the last year and a half before spinning out in June 2007 with $5 million in Series A funding.
Broadband Enterprises
New York's Broadband Enterprises LLC, an online video network, has received a $10 million equity investment from Velocity Interactive Group, also of New York. The company has has built an online video monetization engine for agency, brand advertiser, content publisher and video producer clients. It will use the proceeds to accelerate strategic growth initiatives, including expanding the content through partnerships with media companies and from emerging video producers, as well as to launch new technology applications. Velocity's Jonathan Miller will join the Broadband Enterprises board of directors. Broadband Enterprises sells online video advertising, syndicates programming and produces original content that is delivered to targeted audiences through its network of more than 1,800 affiliates.
Conduit
Redwood Shores, Calif., toolbar developer Conduit has closed an $8 million Series B round. Menlo Park, Calif.-based Benchmark Capital led the funding, with general partner Michael Eisenberg joining the board of directors. The company develops technology that allows content producers create their own toolbars for their own distinct communities and syndicate their content. Aimed at small and medium organizations Conduit's toolbars are used by brands such Lufthansa, Major League Baseball, Greenpeace, TechCrunch and Softonic.
Fave Media
Chicago's Fave Media Inc., the creator of Getfave.com, a local search engine that uses online video advertising, has raised $1.6 million from a group of individual investors. Launched in October, Fave provides local businesses TV-style video advertising opportunities through its search engine. The funds allow Fave to gain traction in the Chicago market and prepare for a national launch.
Networking
Anagran
Redwood City, Calif., network flow management device maker Anagran Inc. raised $12 million in a third round of venture capital as it begins commercial sales of a new type of router design, positioned as an add-on device to allow for greater network traffic on existing equipment. Previous investors Argon Venture Partners of Redwood City, Calif., ArrowPath Venture Capital of Redwood Shores, Calif., Draper Fisher Jurvetson of Menlo Park, Calif. and Advanced Technology Ventures of Palo Alto, Calif. all returned in the deal, to bring total funding in the four-year-old company to $40 million. The new money will fund the company as it expands direct sales and builds channel partnerships with systems integrators and value added resellers. -- Clifford Carlsen
