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Luisa Beltran

I've been a business reporter for a while. I've covered Wall Street, venture capital and now private equity. I'm always looking for a scoop or something to talk about. I'm the eternal optimist and am still waiting for the Chicago Cubs to win the World Series. Yes, I believe.
NetLogic Microsystems, a Santa Clara, Calif.-based chipmaker, said Monday that it has agreed to buy Optichron for an initial cash payment of $77 million. NetLogic said it may also provide up to $108.5 million in a milestone payment, as well as $12.5 million in additional consideration. Optichron's investors include U.S. Venture Partners, Battery Ventures, TL Ventures and VentureTech Alliance. The sale has been approved by the boards of both companies and is expected to close in second quarter.
Registering with regulators apparently isn't a good thing. Yesterday, we asked you whether buyout shops with $150 million or less in AUM should have to register with regulators. A resounding 72.5% -- or more than two-thirds -- voted "No." Less than one-third, or 27.5%, believe smaller PE shops should have to register with the SEC.
Advantage Capital Partners and Ironwood Capital have provided financing to three companies in Connecticut. They include Greenleaf Biofuels, Floop Inc. and NovaTract Surgical. Each of the companies received a pre-seed investment of $150,000. Ironwood, of Avon, Conn., is an investment management firm that provides private equity, mezzanine and senior debt investments. Advantage Capital is a VC firm.
Ideas are important to Bryan Plug, CEO of Accept Corp. Santa Clara, Calif.-based Accept provides software that helps companies find ideas to innovate their products. Accept has raised $26 million in financing, including $17 million in 2009 from investors such as StarVest Partners, Jefferson Partners and the Entrepreneurs Fund. Plug spoke to me by phone recently.
Living Proof has secured $16 million in Series B financing from Piper Jaffray Merchant Banking and existing investor, Polaris Venture Partners. Cambridge, Mass.-based Living Proof is a technology-based beauty company.
Netflix, apparently, doesn’t have much to worry about from Facebook. That’s according to the results of our recent poll. On Thursday, we asked you whether Time Warner’s move to offer video rentals on FB would spell the death of Netflix. Nearly 32% said yes. However, a resounding 62.3% didn’t think the pact would affect Netflix. Facebook, one reader said, is trying to be the “Google of all social activity” but there’s a limit as to which and how much of those activities can be made "social."
StumbleUpon said Wednesday that it has completed a $17 million Series B round. Accel Partners, August Capital, DAG Ventures, First Round Capital and Sherpalo Ventures participated in the round. The previous round was led by Accel Partners, August Capital and Sherpalo Ventures.
The FTC has granted early termination, under Hart-Scott Rodino, of Summit Partner's $127 million buy of Answers.com. The sale still needs certain other closing conditions, including approval of Answers.com's stockholders. A special meeting of Answers.com’s stockholders has been called for April 12. Summit announced its buy of Answers.com in February.
appMobi has named Leland Westerfield their CFO. Most recently, he was an MD at BMO Capital Markets where he was responsible for the firm's internet and media sector investment banking practice. appMobi is a mobile solutions provider.
Kik Interactive said Monday that it has closed an $8 million round of Series A funding from RRE Ventures, Spark Capital, and Union Square Ventures. Fred Wilson, a managing partner of Union Square Ventures, and Adam Ludwin, an associate at RRE Ventures, are joining Kik’s board. Kik, of Waterloo, Ontario, develops mobile smartphone applications. PRESS […]
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