Dudu Mimran Blog

Executive Moves

ActiveGrid, a San Francisco based Enterprise LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP/Python/Perl) company, named Larry Abrahams as VP of Engineering. Abrahams was formerly SVP of Product Development at Blue Titan Software.

BrassRing, a Waltham, MA based provider of talent management solutions, named Arlene Hammel as VP of Marketing. Hammel was formerly VP of Marketing at Genesys.

Business Propulsion Systems, a Toronto based provider of compliance process execution solutions, named Gavin Terrill as CTO. Terrill was a founding partner and CTO of Karora Technologies.

ClairMail, a Novato, CA based provider of workforce mobility solutions, named Daniel Turano as VP of East Coast Sales and Martin Phelan as VP of West Coast Sales. Turano was formerly SVP of Sales at Intellirisk. Phelan was formerly employed by Veritas Software.

Cornice, a Longmont, CO based provider of consumer storage solutions , named Warren Fondrie as SVP of Worldwide Sales. Fondrie was formerly COO at NanoAmp Solutions.

GrandBanks Capital, a Newton Center, MA based early stage venture capital firm focused on technology related east-coast investments, promoted Principal Ryan Moore to General Partner.

I-play, a London based mobile games company, named Krishna Gidwani as VP of Corporate Development. Gidwani was formerly a Principal at Celerity Partners.

IP Unity, a Milpitas, CA based provider of carrier-grade media servers, application servers and real-time multimedia applications for IP and TDM networks, named Nithya A. Ruff as VP of Product Management & Marketing and promoted Subhajit Bagchi to SVP of Customer Operations & Quality. Ruff was formerly Director of Services Marketing at Avaya. Prior to joining IP Unity in 2004, Bagchi was General Manager of a business unit in JDS Uniphase.

Levanta, a San Mateo, CA based provider of Linux management solutions, named Miguel Nhuch as VP of Sales and Channels. Nhuch was formerly VP of Sales and Channels at Nominum.

Metatomix, a Waltham, MA based provider of composite application solutions, named Mike Kinkead as President & CEO. Kinkead was formerly President & CEO of Acumenta.

Mobile Satellite Ventures, a Reston, VA based developer of a hybrid satellite-cellular communications network, named Ali Asghar as VP of Corporate Development. Asghar was formerly employed by AOL.

mValent, a Tewksbury, MA based provider of automated application configuration management software, named Joe Forgione as President & CEO. Forgione was formerly VP of Solutions at Novell.

MySQL AB, an Uppsala, Sweden based developer of an open source database, named Dennis Wolf as EVP & CFO. Wolf was formerly Managing Director and CFO at Hercules Technology Growth Capital.

NanoOpto, a Somerset, NJ based provider of optical components and systems, named Nada O’Brien as VP of Product Development. O’Brien was formerly Product Development Manager at JDS Uniphase.

NexTone Communications, a Gaithersburg, MD based provider of distributed and intelligent session management solutions for voice over IP (VoIP) and other real-time IP services, named Malik Khan as Chairman and CEO. Khan formerly held executive positions at companies including GE, Motorola, Indus River Networks, Sitara Networks and Converged Access.

Rivermine Software, a Fairfax, VA based business applications provider for enterprise telecommunications management (ETM), named John Shea as VP of Marketing. Shea was formerly VP of Product Marketing, Management & Corporate Strategy for Nuance Communications.

Siderean Software, an El Segundo, CA based provider of comprehensive turn-key digital content navigation solutions, named Robert Petrossian as CEO. Petrossian was formerly COO for Integrien.

StrongMail Systems, a Redwood Shores, CA based developer of digital messaging infrastructure, has named Peter Zadrozny as CTO. Zadrozny was formerly VP & Chief Evangelist at Oracle.

Syndera, a Redwood City, CA based provider of Operational Intelligence solutions, named Karen Barnes as VP of Engineering. Barnes was formerly VP of Products at Resonate.

Tacoda Systems, a New York based online behavior marketing company, named Hugh McGoran as VP of Eastern Advertising Sales. McGoran was formerly employed by Knight Ridder Digital.

Telcontar, a San Jose based supplier of software and related services for the Location-Based Services (LBS) industry, named Mike Cottle as VP of Worldwide Sales. Cottle was formerly VP of Sales for Digital Chocolate.

Tharas Systems, a Santa Clara, CA based provider of high-performance, hardware-assisted verification solutions, named Dan Hafeman as SVP of Engineering. Hafeman was formerly VP of Engineering and CTO at Ikos Systems.

Webroot Software, a Boulder, CO based provider of anti-spyware software and other security technologies for the enterprise and consumers, named Seksom Suriyapa as SVP of Business Development. Suriyapa was formerly SVP of Corporate Development at McAfee.

WiDeFi, a Melbourne, FL based fabless semiconductor company, named Geoff Phillips as President & CEO. Phillips was formerly VP & GM of the digital television product line at ATI Technologies.

Mergers & Acquisitions

BroadSoft, a Gaithersburg, MD based provider of VoIP application software, acquired Carbon Twelve, a Sydney, Australia based software and multimedia applications developer, for an undisclosed amount.

eBay acquired Skype Technologies, a Luxembourg based developer of software focused on resource sharing for telephony, for $2.6 billion.

Sabeus, a Calabasas, CA based manufacturer of acoustic sensing and telecommunications sub-systems, acquired Aragon Technologies, a Van Nuys, CA based laser developer, for an undisclosed amount.

SeaGate Technology, a Scotts Valley, CA based hard drive company, acquired Mirra, a Sunnyvale, CA based provider of networked digital content protection products for the home and small business market, for an undisclosed amount.

Zinio Systems, a San Francisco based provider digital publishing and marketing services, merged with Blue Dolphin Group, a Sudbury, MA based online magazine retailer, for an undisclosed amount.

Funding

Adaptive Planning – Mountain View, CA; the provider of on-demand budgeting, forecasting and reporting applications; $5 million; Series B; Monitor Ventures, ONSET Ventures.

Blue Frog Mobile – Seattle, WA; a mobile media and entertainment provider; $16 million; Series A; Canaan Partners, MK Capital.

Brandcontrol.net – Elmhurst, IL; a Marketing Resource Management Systems developer; undisclosed amount; Series B; Midwest Investment Ventures.

BuildForge – Austin, TX; a provider of development automation solutions for Real-World Application Lifecycle Management (ALM); $6 million; Series B; Austin Ventures.

Earnix –Ramat Gan, Israel; a price and revenue optimization software for the financial services industry; $7 million; Series B; Jerusalem Venture Partners, Formula Ventures.

Freeborders – San Francisco, CA; a provider of IT and software application outsourcing services from China; $20 million; round not specified; FTVentures, Internet Capital Group, TAL Investments.

Gamelion – Helsinki, Finland; a mobile game company; undisclosed amount; round not specified; Magnolia Ventures.

Glimmerglass Networks – Hayward, CA; a provider of intelligent optical switches; $1 million; round not specified; NTT Leasing.

Handmark – Kansas City, MO; a distributor of mobile media; $5 million; round not specified; Apax Partners, Argnor Wireless Ventures, Borealis Ventures, Hanna Ventures, Village Ventures.

Impress Software – Waltham, MA; a provider of ebusiness solutions; $10 million; Series C; Key Venture Partners, Carmel Ventures, General Catalyst Partners, Star Ventures Management, Techno Venture Management (TVM).

inQ – Agoura Hills, CA; an online marketing company that utilizes live chat to put salespeople on the Web; $2.5 million; Series C; Dolphin Equity Partners, Hudson Ventures.

Mendocino Software – Fremont, CA; a recovery management company; $18 million; Series B; Foundation Capital, Accel Partners, Advent International, Mayfield.

Stoke – Mountain View, CA; a telecommunications company focused on designing and manufacturing a new category of service delivery infrastructure that enables fixed-mobile convergence supporting any service over any infrastructure using any end-user device; $19.8 million; Series B; Integral Capital Partners, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Pilot House Ventures Group, Sequoia Capital.

Synchris (fka MAP ROI Systems) – Sterling, VA; a provider of software solutions for businesses bidding on federal, state and local government contracts; $4.5 million; round not specified; Aurora Funds, Inflection Point Partners, Novak Biddle Venture Partners.

TapRoot Systems - Morrisville, NC; worldwide provider of software to the smartphone industry; $6.5 million; Series B; Harbert Management, Intersouth Partners, Mid-Atlantic Venture Funds.

Teranode – Seattle, WA; a developer of design automation software for the Life Sciences industry; $9.5 million; Series B; Trident Capital, Cargill Ventures, Ignition Partners, WRF Capital.

Tizor Systems – Maynard, MA; provider of Activity Auditing solutions for compliance auditing and information theft detection; $12 million; Series B; Hummer Winblad Venture Partners, CommonAngels, Masthead Venture Partners, Navigator Technology Ventures.

Voice Genesis – Huntington Beach, CA; a mobile messaging software company; $1 million; round not specified; Keiretsu Forum.

Volantis Systems – Guildford, UK; a supplier of Intelligent Content Adaptation solutions for the mobile Internet; $7.5 million; round not specified; Accel Partners, Kennet Venture Partners.

Wave7 Optics – Alpharetta, GA; a supplier of fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) equipment for residential and business services; $18 million; Series C; Advanced Technology Ventures (ATV), Armada Partners, Ballast Point Ventures, Lucent Venture Partners, Mellon Ventures, Morgenthaler Ventures, Oak Investment Partners.

Wellogix – Houston, TX; a provider of on-demand business workflow solutions that support complex services planning, procurement, and payment for energy companies and their service providers; $8 million; round not specified; First Capital Group, Capital Southwest.

Xelor Software – Salem, NH; a developer of proactive solutions for service quality management (SQM) for enterprises deploying IP telephony systems; $6 million; Series B; Still River Fund, Foundation Capital, Starfish Ventures, Technology Venture Partners.