Business Finance: Deals for May 09

Some of the interesting venture funding deals and almost deals for May included the following:

Facebook, the social networking site, has held meetings with a bevy of private equity firms to explore raising another round of financing, The New York Post reported. Facebook held “valuation discussions” with Providence Equity Partners, General Atlantic, Bain Capital and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, among others.

Associated Content, an online publishing start-up, has rounded up $6 million in funding, one month after it named a new chief chief executive, former CBS Interactive executive Patrick Keane, PaidContent.org reported. The latest round comes from existing investors including SoftBank Capital, Canaan Partners and AOL chief executive Tim Armstrong, the publication said. The additional cash brings the company’s fund-raising total to $21 million.


Marin Software, a provider of search marketing technology, said it raised $13 million in a third round of funding led by DAG Ventures.

EveryZing, a publisher-based search engine, has nabbed $8.25 million in a third round of financing. NBC Universal’s Peacock Equity provided $3 million of the total, while existing investors Fairhaven Capital, Accel Partners, General Catalyst Partners and BBN Technologies also participated.


Apparently Apple, with $29 billion in cash burning a hole in its pocket, was mulling a deal to buy Twitter for about $700 million. Putting aside the will-they-won’t-they chatter started by a report from Valleywag, PaidContent.org trains its sights on the price tag.


Slacker, a maker of portable musical devices, has taken in $9.6 million of a $10.2 million round, PaidContent.org reported, citing a regulatory filing released Thursday. The financing came from nine undisclosed investors, the publication said. Previous backers of Slacker include Centennial Ventures, Rho Ventures, and Austin Ventures. The new capital brings Slacker’s total funds raised to $68.7 million, PaidContent said.

Venture Capital Investment: March 09

Some interesting venture capital deals that took place in March this year are as follows:

Google has joined a $5.75 million investment round for Pixazza, a start-up that hopes to profit by overlaying photos on the Web with links that let people buy the products in the images.

Audience, a maker of mobile-phone technology intended to drown out background noise, has nabbed $15 million in a fourth round of funding. Investors in the latest round include New Enterprise Associates, Tallwood Venture Capital, Vulcan Capital and VentureTech Alliance.

Flat World Knowledge, an online textbook publisher, has landed $8 million in its first round of financing. Investors in the round include Greenhill SAVP, High Peaks Venture Partners and Valhalla Partners.

HyTrust, a virtualization start-up, launched its flagship product Monday with $5 million from its backers, VentureBeat reported. Trident Capital led the round, which included participation from Epic Ventures.

Revolution Money, an online payment firm backed by AOL co-founder Steve Case, said on Monday it has received funding of $42 million from a group that includes a Goldman Sachs affiliate and earlier investors Citigroup and Morgan Stanley, Reuters reported.

Redbrick Health, a provider of employer insurance, landed $15 million in a third round of financing led by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. Fidelity Ventures, Highland Capital Partners and Versant Ventures also contributed to the round.

Mostly sourced from Venture Beat. If you know of any other interesting venture finance activity please let us know.