[Posted on May 6, 2008 - 5:18 PM]
Software
Rearden Commerce
Rearden Commerce Inc. of Foster City, Calif., has completed a $100 million to advance sales of its Web-based personal assistant used by CFOs to manage spending on business services. Lead investors included J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. and American Express, both of New York, with participation from the returning Oak Investment Partners of Westport, Conn., and Foundation Capital of Menlo Park, Calif. The round gives the company roughly $167 million in total venture funding. Rearden's last round was a $25 million third round of funding in September 2005, which was expected to be its last venture round. Founded in 2000, Rearden had previously raised two rounds, including a $11.5 million in November 2003 led by Foundation and a $30.5 million in 1999. Rearden, whose so-called Internet concierge allows users to book travel reservations, ship packages and procure other services, was known as Talaris until February 2005 and, previously, as Gazoo Corp. Rearden plans to use the funding to expand deeper in the B2B sector and eventually enter the consumer space.
Semiconductors
Prime Sense
Tel Aviv-based user interface technology developer Prime Sense has raised $20.4 million in a second round led by Canaan Partners, joined by Gemini Israel Funds and Genesis Partners, all of Herzliya, Israel. The funding will support production and marketing of Prime Sense's three-dimensional imaging chipsets, which are scheduled to ship next month to third-party developers of gaming systems and other applications for new user interfaces. The deal brings total investment in the three-year-old company to $29.4 million and is expected to be its final private round. -- Clifford Carlsen
Energy
Mascoma
Cambridge, Mass., cellulosic ethanol developer Mascoma Corp. has raised $61 million in a third round led by Marathon Oil Corp. of Houston, joined by Detroit-based General Motors Corp. and previous investors General Catalyst Partners of Cambridge, Mass. Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers of Menlo Park, Calif., Vantage Point Venture Partners of San Bruno, Calif., Atlas Venture of Waltham, Mass., Pinnacle Ventures of Palo Alto, Calif., Khosla Ventures of Menlo Park and Cambridge-based Flagship Ventures. The strategic round will help the company test its technology in three research-oriented production plants before seeking alternative funding strategies to develop commercial production facilities. -- C.C.
Biotech
Apoptos
Oncology research and development company Apoptos Inc. has secured $28 million in Series A funding. Investors in the two-tranche financing include Venrock Associates, Arch Venture Partners and OrbiMed Advisors LLC, all of New York, and Advanced Technology Ventures of Palo Alto, Calif. The financing will fund the San Diego company's business plans through 2010 and will be used to advance Apoptos' portfolio of small molecule drugs directed at inducing tumor cell apoptosis, also known as programmed cell death.
Also From Tech Confidential
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- Analyst: Software maker Chordiant should seek sale
- ex-Kelkoo CEO rips Yahoo!, blames its culture for failed deal
- Think your portfolio is ugly? Behold Carl Icahn's



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