Tag Archives: Funding

Optimising secures government funding to attend leading US SEO Conference

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Optimising secures government funding to attend leading US SEO Conference
The Optimising team heads to Pubcon (Webmaster World) this October for the annual PubCon event, a global convention of industry leaders and expert in SEO and the global digital economy. James Richardson, Director at Optimising, is excited about the …
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Rand Fishkin on the Irrational Biases of SEO
Rand Fishkin, leading SEO expert, implores small businesses to consider whether their biases might be irrational. Turn out, women on major Internet dating sites have a tendency to focus on men who are 5'9” or taller, and inbound marketers also focus on …
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SEO or Pay Per Click?
SEO, which is what I prefer is difficult, takes a good amount of research, is time consuming and requires ongoing commitment with rules that change when Google alters their search algorithms, making it a moving target. Sounds fun, huh? I myself, am …
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CloudOn Raises $16M in Series B Funding to Transform Mobile Productivity

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Palo Alto, CA (PRWEB) June 21, 2012

CloudOn, a leader in mobile productivity, today announced it has closed a $ 16 million Series B funding round led by The Social+Capital Partnership (Social+Capital) with participation from Translink Capital and existing investors Foundation Capital and Rembrandt Venture Partners. The company is also announcing the addition of Mamoon Hamid, General Partner at Social+Capital, to their Board of Directors.

We are excited to close our Series B and have Social+Capital join the CloudOn team, says Milind Gadekar, co-founder and CEO of CloudOn. We now have the ability to capitalize on our early success and fulfill our vision of transforming mobile productivity.”

CloudOn, known for bringing Microsoft Office and Adobe Reader to a native mobile experience, launched in January 2012 and has seen phenomenal success and traction among consumers and enterprise users, blowing past 1 million downloads in less than 5 months. The app was first released in the US and immediately skyrocketed to become the no. 1 Free App and the no. 1 Productivity App for iPads, and has remained a top 10 productivity app ever since. CloudOn has since launched for both iPads and Android tablets in 19 additional countries across North America and Europe, becoming the no. 1 Free App in 10 countries and the no. 1 Productivity App in 18 countries. Going forward, the company plans to continue to aggressively grow its user base across the globe and expand its product offering, partnerships, and platforms.

Weve been following CloudOn since their launch and are excited to see their success in the market, said Mamoon Hamid. They are addressing a growing problem in the enterprise as employees are looking to be more productive across their PC, tablets and smartphones while they are on the go. Ive invested in and work closely with two disruptive companies, Box and Yammer, and see similar potential with CloudOn to bring easy to adopt and easy to use productivity software into the enterprise.

The company will use the funding to scale business operations and develop a productivity workspace available on any mobile device. This workspace will redefine mobile productivity by making it easy and intuitive to create, review, edit, share, track and annotate information while on the go. CloudOn also plans to expand its workspace to allow for improved group productivity, giving teams the ability to not only create content but also bring greater context to their workflow.

CloudOn, has already partnered with Microsoft, Adobe, Dropbox, Box and Google, and will continue to grow its partnerships to integrate more applications and storage solutions into its workspace to create the most usable and comprehensive mobile productivity solution on the market. CloudOn will also be expanding to additional platforms, including smartphones and PCs.

“We are extremely impressed with CloudOn’s signature vision and strong executive team, which have made the company into a venerable market leader,” said Charles Moldow, general partner at Foundation Capital. “I have watched CloudOn grow from its infancy when Milind was incubated in the Foundation Capital offices, and have observed a consistent series of successes since. The recent funding as well as impressive international growth reinforce the company’s market leadership and potential.”

CloudOn is available for download now in the Apple App Store and Google Play.

To download CloudOn for your iPad, visit: http://itunes.apple.com/app/cloudon/id474025452

To download CloudOn for your Android tablet, visit: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cloudon.client

To learn more about CloudOn, visit: http://www.cloudon.com

About CloudOn:

CloudOn is Silicon Valley based startup focused on mobile productivity. CloudOns platform delivers a mobile workspace that provides the applications that users need with the files they want on the devices they love making it easier than ever to create, review, edit and share information. For more information visit: http://www.CloudOn.com, or follow us on Twitter @cloudoninc







KPMG Report Shows Australian Banks Not Immune to Global Funding Markets, Big4.com Looks at Numbers

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(PRWEB) May 14, 2012

Big4.com, the premier social networking forum for professionals and alumni of Accenture, Andersen, BearingPoint, Capgemini, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers, PwC notes a new KPMG report where Australias major banks (the majors) continue to perform well but interconnectedness with global funding markets and the structural change the new regulatory environment demands also play a role.

Statutory profit before tax was $ 16.8 billion for the 2011-2012 half year compared to $ 16.3 billion in the second half of 2011, according to KPMGs Major Australian Banks Half Year 2012 report that was reported on by Big4.com. The majors cash profit after tax, $ 12.6 billion for the 2011-2012 half year was up 2.4 percent from the second half of last years cash profit of $ 12.3 billion.

KPMGs head of banking, Andrew Dickinson commented stating: The major banks profit clearly shows we have a strong banking system, however it must be viewed in light of the increased capital that the banks now need to hold.

The high cost of funding remains a challenge since it impacts on margins, which narrowed from an average of 229 basis points in H2 2011 to 221 basis points in H1 2012. Cost to income ratios have improved slightly at an average of 44.7 percent in H2 2012, compared to 45.2 percent in H1 2011. Although the majors have posted a healthy profit for the 2011-2012 half year lack of growth will be a focus for investors.

About Big4.com

Big4.com is the accounting, tax, consulting and IT professions premier resource, and has been exclusively focused on Big Four firm professionals and alumni for 10 years, providing high quality content, connectivity and commerce. The Big Four Job Board offers fresh job opportunities clients include the worlds leading companies. Big Four News covers key news, developments, events, survey results, press releases and appointments. The Big Four Blog provides opinion and insight on recent and key developments, news, happenings, management changes, regulations, acquisitions and capital market activities. Big4 Video is a professionally produced news covering key global developments in this space.

Big4.com has a strong presence on key social media platforms:

Youtube: Big4Video is a professionally produced weekly news magazine.

Twitter: twitter.com/big4 has 9,000 followers.

LinkedIn: The Big Four Alumni and Professionals group is the largest corporate and alumni group with 85,000+ members.

Facebook: The Big4 fan page has 5,500 fans at facebook.com/big4page.

Xing: The Big Four Alumni and Professionals group has 1,450+ members.

Contact

Kristy Short

Big4.com

(734) 481-0186







Mercom Capital Group Reports First Quarter 2012 Funding and M&A Activity for Solar Sector

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Austin, TX (PRWEB) April 09, 2012

Mercom Capital Group, llc, a global clean energy communications and consulting firm, today released its report on funding and mergers and acquisition (M&A) activity for the solar sector during the first quarter of 2012.

Venture Capital (VC) funding in the solar sector was off to a slow start in Q1 2012. VC funding for the quarter came to $ 329 million in 34 deals, the lowest dollar amount recorded since Q4 2010; however, VC investors were still very active in the sector with a record 34 deals funded, the highest ever recorded in the solar industry.

While VCs interest in the solar sector remains strong, their appetite for risk appears to be lower as the average VC funding round amount in Q1 was $ 10 million, compared to $ 18 million in 2011, said Raj Prabhu, Managing Partner at Mercom Capital Group.

To add to the current over capacity problems, policy changes and lower tariff announcements in some of the largest solar markets, such as Germany and Italy, will all contribute to an uncertain 2012, Prabhu continued. We can expect a more cautious approach to investing in the solar sector this year.

There was strong M&A activity in the solar sector totaling $ 5 billion in 15 transactions, however only four of these transactions disclosed details. The spike in M&A amounts was mainly due to the $ 4.7 billion acquisition of Solutia, a performance and specialty chemicals company with products in PV encapsulants, performance films for PV and CSP products and heat transfer fluids for CSP plants, by Eastman Chemicals Company. Other significant M&A transactions included the $ 275 million acquisition of Oerlikon Solar, a producer of equipment and turnkey manufacturing lines for thin film amorphous silicon and tandem junction technology, by Tokyo Electron, and Andrem Powers $ 274 million acquisition of 3W Power (a holding company of AEG Power Solutions), a provider of power controller for polysilicon production, solar inverters and monitoring and control systems for photovoltaic power plants.

The first quarter of 2012 also saw 11 new cleantech and solar-focused investment funds announced committing $ 5.7 billion. A significant positive event for the solar sector in Q1 was the Initial Public Offering (IPO) of the microinverter company Enphase Energy, which raised $ 62 million as part of its offering.

The top five funding deals made up about 60 percent of the total funding in this quarter, led by $ 81 million by SolarCity, a pioneer in the solar lease model. Three of the five top companies to receive funding also included MiaSol

Texas Hotel Developers Explore EB-5 Funding

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Austin, Texas (PRWEB) May 09, 2012

Capturing Foreign Capital to Fund Projects through EB-5 Program Seminar hosted by Brian Su, a leading expert on EB-5 marketing in China and Korea, is attracting hotel developers, commercial real estate developers, immigration attorneys, investment bankers, EB-5 executives, and venture capitalists, among others, to be educated on the latest happenings and trends in the Chinese and Korean immigrant investors market.

The June 8, 2012 event hosted at Embassy Suites Austin Central, will be centered on how to secure EB-5 funding from wealthy Chinese and Korean immigrant investors. The EB-5 regional center program has been a growing success, with much foreign investment pouring in from China and Korea. Rapid growth specifically in the Chinese economy has made the EB-5 program more relevant than ever before. The number of wealthy Chinese is growing at 9.7% annually, according to the GroupM Knowledge – Hurun Wealth Report 2011. Additionally, Merrill Lynch and Capgeminis Asia-Pacific Wealth Report 2008 shows that in 2007, high net-worth individuals in China placed 21% of their assets in real estate versus a worldwide average of 14%. The preference the wealthy Chinese show in real estate, along with the current drop in housing prices and a steady RMB, have made real estate investment in the U.S., along with the EB-5 program, more appealing than ever before. In the past five years, more than $ 3 billion of foreign capital have been invested into the U.S. through EB-5, creating thousands of jobs in a variety of industries. Nearly 70% EB-5 Visas are issued to Chinese investors this year. The Seminar aims to help U.S. companies and individuals tap into more of this foreign capital.

The day-long event will be headed by Mr. Brian Su, who is well equipped to help U.S. capital seekers utilize the EB-5 Program. Mr. Su acts as President and CEO of Artisan Business Group, Inc., a national consulting firm specializing in the development of market offerings for business projects seeking foreign capital. Additionally, Mr. Su acts as President of the China EB-5 Market Council. He is also a member of the Association to the Investment in the USA. Guest speakers include Mr. Kevin Wright, President of Wright Johnson LLC, Mr. Clem Turner, Attorney of Clem Turner, Esq. Homeier & Law, P.C. and Dandan Zhou, CEO of Texas Investment Regional Center.

This years event will provide both EB-5 professionals and those inexperienced with the program a great opportunity to learn more about Chinese and Korean market trends. Attendees of the event will obtain knowledge and experience that will be invaluable in their efforts to obtain EB-5 foreign capital. Those attending the event also have the opportunity to meet the prior day with Artisan Business Groups CEO, Mr. Brian Su, for a 1-hour private consultation.

For more information regarding the event, registration, or a private consultation with Mr. Su, please visit: http://www.TexasEB5Seminar.com.

Press Contact:

Artisan Business Group, Inc.

http://www.EB5NewsBlog.org







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The Spy Place Announces Funding And Sales Training Partnership

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Fort Wayne, IN (PRWEB) February 26, 2009

The Spy Place, LLC, is pleased to announce its business partnership with S.C. Equipment Funding of Southern California. This is just another milestone, paving the way for the completion of the entire franchise package. This complete franchise system is soon to be offered by The Spy Place Franchising, LLC.

Having a complete package requires having the ability to offer financing packages to prospective franchisees and their customers. This is important at any time, but it is especially important in today’s economic market. Everyone knows that financing is hard to come by and building relationships with lenders is an important part of providing the best service to franchisees.

S.C. Equipment celebrates 25 years in business in 2009. Beginning in 1984, SCEF had the goal of providing expert equipment leasing to a wide variety of domestic business. From the main facility located in California, the company provides funding for equipment purchases for all types and sizes of businesses. This partnership offers The Spy Place and its franchisees a great diversity of unique funding programs, while remaining industry competitive.

The Spy Place will also utilize S.C. Equipment Funding to teach sales and marketing at all Franchise training sessions taken place at The Spy Place University, located at The Spy Place World Headquarters, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The Spy Place University and SC Equipment Funding have jointly developed a sales training program called “Perception Selling,” to support The Spy Place Franchise Partners with their sales growth.

“This program is meeting with great success in-house” said The Spy Place spokesperson, Tami Smock. Despite current uncertain economic conditions, the “Perception Selling training” is our unique sales training tool. It will include learning skills regarding funding, as well as sales training and our unique leasing programs such as “Same as Cash,” which will help to position The Spy Place Franchising as a leader in the industry.

Bruce Braviroff, Director of SCEF and Mr. Ed Fittante, National Sales Manager of SCEF, will bring years of sales, sales management and sales training experience in the Surveillance Equipment Sector, to complement The Spy Place Franchise Training Package.

“This is very exciting for us here at SCEF” said Bruce Braviroff… “We deal with thousands of surveillance dealers and Ed and myself have personally visited hundreds of dealerships through the country, we have never seen anything quite like this cutting edge business model and plan. The Spy Place is truly a plan for certain success!”

ABOUT THE SPY PLACE

The Spy Place http://www.thespyplace.com, is a retail operation that engineers, sells and installs affordable Remote Viewing Video Surveillance Systems, allowing businesses and homeowners alike, the ability to view their home or business from any internet connected computer in the world, allowing for 24 hour real time viewing, and, at the same time, providing a permanent digital record of all events that happened in their absence.

The Spy Place also sells computer tracking software that will allow an employer, or parent the ability to monitor all Internet traffic going into and out of their computer. Parents can know every web-site the computer has visited as well as learn of every e-mail and instant message that was sent or received to their computer. Employers now have the ability to monitor web-sites that employees visit, as well as e-mails and instant messages being sent and received from the company computers.

Vehicle tracking software is another popular product offered. The Spy Place also installs these units. They have units that provide real time, up to the minute locating. This unit lets you know what street a vehicle is traveling on, the speed limit of that street and how fast the vehicle is traveling, where and when it stops, and when it leaves. These units can provide what we call, “Geo Fencing.” The unit will alert the owner if the vehicle leaves an approved operating area. If the customer chooses, it can disable the vehicle until the owner has the ability to re-claim it or approve its activity. “One of our local business customers had us install three units. Not only did they gain control of those vehicles, they were so excited with the insurance savings that they received that they ordered three more units”, said Tami Smock, company spokesperson for The Spy Place. Not only are business owners happy that we installed GPS systems for them, parents are very happy too. Somehow, knowing immediately where their teenagers are driving a vehicle provides a feeling of security for Moms and Dads too.”

Our proven operating system will be shared, along with our business knowledge and direction, as well as our years of experience and product knowledge. Because we have the combined buying power of a franchise system, we have already arranged for The Spy Place Franchise owners to receive preferred pricing from our approved vendors.

Upon successful completion of The Spy Place University, the graduate will now enjoy the use of and the excitement generated from our trademarked “The Spy Place” name.

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healthetreatment.com Receives Second Round of Funding

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Boston, MA (PRWEB) February 22, 2011

healthetreatment.com, a social health-information website, announces the companys second round of angel funding. healthetreaments mission is to create an online community where patients and caregivers can connect to anonymously learn and share with each other to feel better. The funding comes at a time of significant growth for the one year old company.

I am very excited to be part the patient empowerment movement, said Patrick OBrien, managing member of Patrick OBrien Enterprises, LLC, which has invested in the angel round of funding. Patients want to be more proactive and better informed when managing their healthcare. healthetreatment is helping achieve this goal by providing a community for the dissemination of important health information. The site has an important role to play in health care and also represents a great business opportunity.

Users of healthetreatment have contributed over 800 conditions, 1100 symptoms and 1000 treatments to the site. Members from six continents and more than 30 countries have shared their experience living with a health condition. Traffic to the site is growing quickly, with more than 50,000 people now visiting healthetreatment monthly to share information and learn from others who contribute ratings, reviews and comments. The site has an anonymous chat option that allows members to connect to discuss qualitative feedback related to their conditions. Visitors from Germany, Spain, France and Italy can now visit the site and find information in their native language.

Founded in February 2010 by a veteran team of online media experts with a passion for healthcare advocacy, the site is designed to empower patients to take control of their health. The site allows users to rate and compare various treatments for a variety of health conditions, from the common cold to pulmonary hypertension. This allows the user to become informed of all available treatments and to connect with others so they can have a proactive approach to manage their health condition.

About healthetreatment.com

healthetreatment is a privately held online media company that works with patients, caregivers, doctors, educators, and healthcare companies to collect and share information. The site was founded by a team of media veterans who saw the opportunity to harness the internet as a platform where people can share many different ways to solve problems and improve medical conditions. The sites mission is to share insights and information from real patients, doctors and healthcare providers in a transparent way which can lead to better health and better lives for many. Start living better today, visit http://www.healthetreatment.com

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Whogotfunded.com – The Worlds Largest Database of Funding Events

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(PRWEB) March 15, 2012

Digimind, a global leader in web intelligence solutions, is delighted to introduce whogotfunded.com – the largest and most comprehensive venture capital database, tracking developments in every industry and region in the world. The site will be fully operational in mid-April but the public can register on the website now to receive invitation-only email updates.

Whogotfunded.com is a one-stop site for reliable information about whats happening in the fast-moving, global venture capital scene.

The website automatically extracts information from Twitter, web news and The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The database is updated every minute in real-time, providing information as it happens. More than 2 million news stories are analyzed every day to bring you details of the latest venture capital transactions and deals closed.

Commenting on the new website, Digiminds CEO, Paul Vivant, said: This is an exciting new venture for Digimind, involving our core expertise in collecting and analyzing large unstructured data and converting it into actionable information. Our ability to monitor, extract and structure digital content has been proven to drive better informed decision-making for our clients.

Whogotfunded.com is the only website of its kind in the world, facilitating expansive searches by location, industry and company name.

Benefits:

Identify high potential start-ups by industry or location

Conduct company searches

Track investors

Receive email alerts when a specific funding event takes place

Register today at http://www.whogotfunded.com and stay on top of the latest VC deals taking place from San Francisco to Singapore. Watch the video presentation here:

http://whogotfunded.com/quicktour-vimeo.htm

About Whogotfunded

Whogotfunded.com is a comprehensive website tracking all venture capital developments in every industry and region in the world. Its updated every minute in real-time, with all the latest information about high potential start-ups, venture capital firms and VC transactions taking place around the world.

About Digimind

Digimind develops competitive intelligence software that helps organizations to automate the process of collecting, analyzing and publishing critical information. Digimind is essential to any organization that seeks to enhance its market position and corporate reputation, through ongoing monitoring of market trends and indicators, customer requirements and the competitive landscape. Digimind has an international presence to serve the needs of its global client base with offices in Boston, Paris, Singapore and Rabat.



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Woodbridge Structured Funding Experiences Record First Quarter in Structured Settlement and Lottery Divisions

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Sherman Oaks, CA (PRWEB) April 30, 2012

Woodbridge Structured Funding, LLC, announced record growth in their structured settlement and lottery divisions during the first quarter of 2012 with a 40% increase in fundings over Fourth Quarter 2011. Since 1993, Woodbridge and its predecessor companies have been pioneers and innovators in the purchase of periodic payments including lottery prizes, casino jackpots and structured settlements.

This record breaking first quarter continues the growth the company experienced throughout 2011. Vice President Scott Schwartz announced, “2011 saw deal flow in all our business units up 50% year over year.” Despite the troubled economy and merger of its largest competitors, Woodbridge Structured Funding, LLC has continued to thrive. In August 2011, the structured settlement buyer leased additional space in both its Florida and California offices, creating new jobs and adding employees.

Woodbridge remains dedicated to providing outstanding customer service. Their commitment to excellence recently earned the renewal of their A+ ranking from the Better Business Bureau. According to Schwartz, “Our record breaking first quarter demonstrates that our commitment to customer service and education has been and will continue to be a valuable investment.” He continued, “Our mission is to give each annuitant the tools and information they need to maximize the value of their settlement. The positive feedback and enthusiastic responses we receive from our customers every day are reflected in our Better Business Bureau rating and record growth.”

Woodbridge Structured Funding, LLC can be found online at http://woodbridgeinvestments.com

About Woodbridge Structured Funding, LLC

Woodbridge Structured Funding, LLC together with its predecessor companies and founders have been pioneers in the financial services industry for nearly twenty years. They were innovators in the purchase of future periodic payments in return for a lump sum, and since 1993, have purchased nearly a billion of dollars worth of lottery, casino jackpot,structured settlements and annuity payments — one satisfied customer at a time.







ClearVision Funding Experiences Monumental Growth

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Santa Ana, CA (PRWEB) April 23, 2012

ClearVision Funding (CVF), a full service Wholesale Mortgage Banker, specializing in Conventional and FHA loans, closed a record $ 1 Billion, during the first twenty-months of funding loans. The huge growth is attributed to a more forward-thinking, strategic business model that focuses on loan efficiencies and compliance, streamlined policies, and profitable growth.

Since ClearVisions first funding in June 2010, the companys record closing includes $ 235.3 Million in loan fundings during the first quarter of 2012. This represents a 177% increase over first quarter of 2011, when the company funded $ 84.7 Million.

The statistic supports the overall wholesale lending business on the rise. Although the industry still faces imminent challenges and regulatory requirements on a daily basis, this expansion comes at an exciting time for ClearVision, said Jon Maddox, President of ClearVision Funding. With industry veterans leading our team, and by committing to our business partners long term success, adhering to ethical lending practices and writing loans that consumers actually need and can afford, ClearVision will continue to establish a strong and lasting footprint in this new age of mortgage banking.

About ClearVision Funding

ClearVision Funding, established in May 2010, is currently authorized to do business in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, D.C., Georgia, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington. The company is approved by a variety of aggregators and sells loans on a whole loan basis. ClearVision is an approved Seller/Servicer for Fannie Mae and Ginnie Mae, and have been securitizing products, in addition. Based in Orange County, California, ClearVision provides business partners with experienced and responsive operational support, integrity, exceptional customer service, and competitive pricing.

To partner with ClearVision and to view their full product suite, visit http://www.clearvisionfunding.com

About LEAP (Loan Express Approval Portal)

LEAP is ClearVisions proprietary front-end Loan Origination System. Valued business partners receive 24/7 access to loan registration, pricing, lock, status and pipeline management. Built with emphasis on leveraging mortgage-lending experience with technology, LEAP is a cutting-edge tool that surpasses most products in the marketplace today.