• SugarSync

  Led · Series D · Feb 2012

  SugarSync is a subscription-based file-syncing service that lets users keep photos, documents, and other files automatically updated across multiple devices—including PCs, Macs, iPhones, and Windows Mobile phones—and accessible via the cloud. Most of the 20,000 customers acquired since its launch in March are on the $50-per-year plan, implying roughly a $1 million annual revenue run rate. Pricing tiers span from $25 to $250 per year, positioning the product for both light and heavy users. The company targets consumers who operate in mixed device ecosystems, differentiating itself from more platform-specific offerings like Apple’s MobileMe and Microsoft’s emerging Live Mesh. Funds are being directed toward marketing expansion and continued product development to strengthen its competitive edge. With major platform owners still refining their own solutions, SugarSync aims to capture market share early and potentially become an attractive acquisition target. The service’s flexible, device-agnostic approach is core to its value proposition in the rapidly growing cloud-sync market.

• Fon

  Participated · Equity · Feb 2011

  Fon operates a global, crowdsourced WiFi network and reports more than 14 million hotspots in over 200 countries. Founded in February 2006 by serial entrepreneur Martin Varsavsky, who serves as CEO, the company partners with major telecoms including BT, Deutsche Telekom, KPN, Proximus, MTC, MWEB, Oi, SoftBank and Telstra. Fon maintains offices in Madrid, London, Tokyo and New York. The company positions itself as a global WiFi leader and is pursuing a global growth strategy. Its recent financing activity includes a growth capital loan intended to support that expansion. Fon builds a global crowdsourced WiFi network by enabling people to share part of their private broadband via devices like the Fonera router. It is developing a "social" Fonera integrated with Facebook that will let friends and retail customers access WiFi via likes/check-ins, and a separate shop-focused Fonera for stores. Qualcomm has entered a strategic relationship to integrate Fon into Atheros chipsets and the Atheros SDK so third parties can include Fon access. Fon reported just over 12 million hotspots worldwide, grew 50% that year, and claims about 10% penetration in markets like Belgium and the UK, with a target of 35 million hotspots by 2016. The company pursues carrier partnerships (for example BT in the UK) and is talking to U.S. carriers to expand into the U.S. and target business/enterprise users. Fon has raised nearly $72 million since being founded in 2006. Fon sells consumer WiFi routers that enable homeowners to share bandwidth as publicly accessible hotspots. The company positions that network to serve growing demand for mobile WiFi from smartphone and tablet users. The new financing is intended to support expansion in the US and other markets. Fon was founded in 2006 by serial entrepreneur Martin Varsavsky. Prior to this round the company had raised over €40M in earlier financings. The product and expansion focus aim to capitalize on increasing mobile data demand. Fon deploys consumer WiFi routers (Foneras) that let users share bandwidth with other "Foneros" for free roaming access or charge guests and retain 50% of fees. The company reports about 170,000 active routers worldwide, with leading markets in the UK, Japan, France, Germany, and the U.S.; the UK alone has more than 70,000 BTFon members. Fon partners with telecom operators (notably British Telecom and Neuf) to enable roaming broadband offers and is preparing a launch in Russia with telco Sistema. Product plans include a Fonera 2.0 router (with a USB port for media sharing) due in June and an 802.11n router slated for December. Financially, this latest infusion is part of a multi-round raise that has taken the company’s total funding to more than $50 million. The company intends to use the new cash to fund the Russia launch and the new router rollouts. FON sells a €34.44 ($48.70) WiFi router and its core product is a community WiFi model where customers who share their home connection gain access to other members' hotspots. The company claims roughly 500,000 members but reports about 190,000 active hotspots, suggesting not all members host a hotspot. FON’s distribution strategy relies on carrier and location partnerships to expand coverage; it has signed deals with chains, ISPs and operators such as Neuf Cegetel and Time Warner. The company is pursuing wider UK reach through a deal with BT, which has more than 3 million broadband customers and will invite them to join FON’s service. The announcement indicates a revenue-sharing arrangement with BT, though the terms were not disclosed, and questions remain about how FON will monetize the free router distribution. FON faces competition from mobile broadband providers and emerging technologies like WiMax that could limit demand for shared WiFi.

• Delivery Agent

  Participated · Series D · Oct 2009

  Delivery Agent operates a multi-channel commerce platform that maps and delivers products tied to entertainment and advertising content across web, social, mobile and television. The company serves more than 350 major media and entertainment properties, including NBCUniversal, Twentieth Century Fox, CBS, Discovery Communications, A+E Networks, HBO, Showtime, UFC and the New York Knicks. Delivery Agent reports it has processed millions of entertainment-commerce transactions tied to network and cable content. Its platform and products include commerce applications, video and mobile products, interactive advertising solutions and the TV Wallet™ transaction engine. Delivery Agent plans to use the new funding to aggressively expand and manage deployment of commerce applications tied to entertainment content across connected devices, including Smart TVs and mobile. The company maintains offices in San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Denver and London. Delivery Agent creates online marketplaces that catalogue products and merchandise appearing in movies and TV shows and enables viewers to purchase those items. The company has signed all the major networks, including ABC, CBS, NBC Universal, Twentieth Century Fox, and MTV Networks. Its second core service indexes products that will air in episodes and sells ad packages to the brands behind those products. Delivery Agent processes entertainment-commerce transactions across traditional web, social, mobile and connected television and has processed millions of such transactions to date. The company has expanded through acquisitions, including media firm The Band and flash-sales site Billion Dollar Babes. On the financial side, Delivery Agent recently raised $35.5M in a Series E, bringing total funding to date to $107.3M. Delivery Agent is a San Francisco-based provider of shopping-enabled programming and content monetization. Its technology is deployed across more than 125 entertainment properties, including ABC, CBS, NBC Universal, Twentieth Century Fox, MTV Networks, HBO and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. The company plans to extend its platform to support click-to-buy applications for online video, mobile and set-top boxes. It will use the financing to fuel global growth, build a European client base and offer U.S.-based clients opportunities to transact with audiences in international markets. Delivery Agent received $5M in venture debt from ATEL Ventures to support these efforts. Delivery Agent creates online marketplaces that catalog products appearing in TV shows and enables viewers to purchase those items through e-commerce sites it operates for networks. The company outsources e-commerce for networks so they can monetize content while keeping overhead low. Delivery Agent also coordinates advertising by indexing products that will air and selling ad packages to brands before episodes run. It has signed partnerships with major networks including ABC, CBS, NBC Universal, Twentieth Century Fox, and MTV Networks. The company recently raised a $25 million Series D, bringing total funding to $60 million. Delivery Agent plans to develop click-to-buy applications for online video and mobile, launch a click-and-buy remote control partnership with a major cable operator, and pursue international expansion into Europe and Asia. Delivery Agent provides a service and retail site, SeenOn, that lets viewers find and purchase products that appear in TV shows and movies. The company helps producers create an index of products appearing in content; that index is exposed on SeenOn so users can browse by network, show, character, and episode and buy items. Delivery Agent has developed a proprietary Shopisode video player that synchronously highlights products as they appear on screen to make videos "shoppable." The company secured a deal with Viacom giving four years of exclusive access to product-placement data from Viacom’s MTV, VH1, CMT, and Logo networks. Delivery Agent raised $18.5M in a third round of funding and has $35M invested to date. Based in San Francisco, it is targeting "hardcore consumers" and competes with services such as StarStyle.com/Entertainment Media Works.

No current team members are available.