New in the News
Adwise USA, BidExpress.com, Digital Counterpart, ebookers.com, IFX, infoUSA.com, Next Generation Network
infoUSA.com Completes $10 Million Venture Capital Financing
FOSTER CITY, Calif.infoUSA.com Inc. (Parent Company, infoUSA Inc., Nasdaq:
IUSA), a provider of proprietary business and consumer databases, Internet white and yellow pages and directory assistance services, completed its first round of venture capital financing with a $10 million investment from Trident Capital. The company also announced that Don Dixon, managing director with Trident Capital, has been appointed chairman, infoUSA.com Inc.http://www.infousa.com
Adwise Receives $2.3 Million From Emicom Group and Other Investors
NEW YORK– Adwise USA Inc., a pioneering ad network for Internet Service Providers, closed a $2.3 million second round of funding. The round was led with a $1.3 million investment by the Emicom Group. Adwise provides targeting and delivery of advertisement, ISP messaging and rich media content that is delivered by the ISP directly to the user in response to real-time activity on the Internet.
http://www.adwise.net
BidExpress.com Receives $1.2 Million in First Round of Equity Financing
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — BidExpress.com, an on-line contract bidding service for commercial and private properties, received $1.2 million in funding from eConception, an Internet business incubator. Bid Express.com provides professional contractors to meet home or business building improvement needs. The company researches each contractor to ensure that the proper licenses and insurance certificates have been filed, checks their credit history and then screens them through the Better Business Bureau.
http://www.BidExpress.com
XMLFund Invests in Digital Counterpart
SEATTLE/BELLEVUE, Wash.– Digital Counterpart Inc., a provider of web-based operations support system software solutions for existing and new entrant telecommunications service providers, secured an initial round of funding including the XMLFund. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. DCI’s eCounterpart solution utilizes leading edge XML technology to deliver applications such as web-based order entry, order tracking and order management of telecommunications products and services. DCI’s eCounterpart solution also provides bi-directional automated gateway functionality to telecommunications companies’ internal systems and external trading partners.
Unit of United Technologies to Buy Stake In Next Generation Network
MINNEAPOLIS — Only two weeks after Otis Elevators announced its alliance with Next Generation Network Inc. to build Internet-enabled computer displays into elevators around the world, NGN announced an agreement in principle with a wholly-owned subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:
UTX) a Fortune 50 company. Under the agreement, UTC will invest $30 million in cash in NGN in exchange for 30% of the common equity of the company. Otis intends to install in new and existing elevators a monitor similar to a flat-panel computer screen. NGN’s E*billboards provide information, e-tainment and targeted advertising to more than 40 million consumers waiting in line each week in eighteen major markets throughout the United States.http://www.ebillboards.com
ebookers.com Acquires Swedish Internet Company
LONDON — ebookers.com (Nasdaq:
EBKR; Neuer Markt: eb6) signed an agreement to acquire Stockholm-based STT Airways AB, a holding company whose subsidiary Biljettakuten AB (http://www.biljettakuten.se) is one of Sweden’s online discounted fare agencies. The acquisition includes a business-to-business wholesale traditional travel company and a travel company selling to corporate businesses. Since its IPO on the Nasdaq and the Neuer Markt in November 1999, ebookers.com has spent $6 million on 4 acquisitions, two in Germany and one each in Finland and Sweden.http://www.ebookers.com
IFX Corp. Acquires Parmil S.A. in Uruguay, Nicanet S.A. in Nicaragua
MIAMI — IFX Corp. (Nasdaq:
FUTR) is further expanding its presence in Latin America with the purchase of Parmil S.A. (Multired), an Internet Service Provider in Uruguay. Multired is a provider of Internet services to Uruguayan consumers and businesses, providing dial-up, dedicated and wireless access, as well as Web development, design and hosting. IFX is also acquiring Nicanet S.A., an Internet Service Provider in Nicaragua. Terms of neither acquisition were disclosed. IFX has expanded its Web related services under the Unete brand name (http://www.unete.com) to 13 Latin American countries with dial-up access in over 100 cities.http://www.ifxcorp.com
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