• Altierre

  Participated · Equity · Jul 2014

  Altierre provides ultra‑low‑power, long‑range wireless technology that enables devices to exchange data and instructions bi‑directionally over a low‑energy, scalable network. Its solutions target retail use cases such as dynamic intra‑day promotional pricing, point‑of‑decision interactive mobile communications (BLE/QR code/NFC), product‑placement optimization via temperature/lighting/customer traffic monitoring, and out‑of‑stock shelf sensor devices to maximize inventory turn. The technology is described as scalable into multiple verticals including supply chains, manufacturing, automotive, homes and defense. The company is led by Chairman and CEO Sunit Saxena. Altierre secured financing of more than $21M and intends to use the funds for global growth plans. No operating metrics (revenue/users) are provided in the article. Altierre builds RFID shelf‑tagging systems for retailers that allow prices to be changed through radio chips on store shelves. The company disclosed an additional $8 million second closing as part of its previously announced third round. That brings the third round to $30 million in total. Altierre has raised $60 million to date. The round included participation from previous investors D. E. Shaw and Labrador Ventures; other investors named in reports include ATA Ventures, DuPont Capital Management, Galleon Group and Kinetic Ventures. The company was founded in 2003 and is based in San Jose, Calif. Altierre is a San Jose-based provider of wireless infrastructure for retailers. Its proprietary hardware and software platform combines low-cost, long-range RFID technology with back-end data-management capabilities. The platform delivers real-time, chain-wide dynamic pricing and shelf promotions, improves price accuracy, reduces labor costs, and enables targeted communications with customers and employees. Electronic shelf labels, point-of-purchase messaging and other functions are integrated into the unified platform. The company says these technologies are creating major changes in retail operations. Financially, Altierre recently raised $17 million in a second round of financing, following a $13 million first round in January 2005.

• SoundThinking

  Participated · Equity · Jun 2011

  ShotSpotter is the market leader in acoustic surveillance for gunfire and explosive events, with its flagship ShotSpotter Gunshot Location System (GLS). The company’s GLS couples wide-area acoustic sensors with audio analytics to provide timely, precise event detection and actionable intelligence to public safety agencies. ShotSpotter says its solutions currently protect many cities and counties nationwide and that its technology is backed by numerous issued and pending patents built over nearly two decades of innovation. The company plans to use the new capital to transform its technology solutions into a domestic public-safety Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) delivery model. Management also intends to use the funds to solidify GLS’s dominance in international public safety and security markets. ShotSpotter is headquartered in Mountain View, California.

• Rocket Fuel

  Participated · Series B · Sep 2010

  Rocket Fuel is a Redwood Shores–based advertising-technology company that applies artificial intelligence, machine learning, and statistical modeling to optimize the placement of online display ads. Its platform purchases impressions either through ad exchanges or directly from publishers, analyzing signals such as user behavior, page context, location, and demographics to maximize campaign performance. Advertisers receive real-time feedback, allowing rapid adjustment of creative and budget. The company reported that second-quarter 2010 revenue was ten times higher than in the same quarter of 2009, indicating rapid commercial traction. With fresh capital, Rocket Fuel plans to open additional U.S. sales offices, expand into European markets, and enhance its optimization technology for mobile and video formats. Prior leadership experience includes stints at NASA, Yahoo, Salesforce.com, and IBM, lending deep technical expertise to the team. To date, the startup has raised $20 million in venture funding.

• Transpera

  Participated · Series C · Jun 2010

  Transpera is a San Francisco-based mobile video ad network that builds video ad-serving technology. It offers The Attention Network to deliver interactive mobile video advertising, including pre-roll ads and video interstitial placements for mobile applications. The startup develops interactive video ads and a range of engaging placement options aimed at mobile publishers and advertisers. Transpera completed a $9M third financing round led by BlackBerry Partners Fund, with participation from Flybridge Capital Partners, First Round Capital, Intel Capital and Labrador Ventures. The company says it will use the proceeds to continue developing its ad-serving technology and to expand its sales and publisher acquisition teams. As part of the round, Matt Golden of BlackBerry Partners Fund will join the company's board. Transpera develops an ad platform that enables the distribution and monetization of web videos on mobile phones. Its Transpera Ad Platform (TAP) offers mobile video publishers and carriers a suite of promotional and distribution tools and gives advertisers ways to serve targeted ads, including interactive display banners, pre-roll videos, overlay ads, post-roll experiences and mini sites. The company also maintains a spin-off platform tailored to the iPhone, which the article says is steadily gaining traction as mobile web usage grows. TAP is in use by established information and entertainment brands including the Associated Press, CBS News, Disney, Discovery Communications, Fox Reality Channel and MTV Networks. According to an SEC filing, Transpera has raised $2 million; it most recently raised $8.25 million in 2008 and previously received an undisclosed Series A in July 2007. The company recently appointed Jason Weisberger as President and COO; he was formerly COO of Federated Media. Transpera offers the Transpera Ad Platform (TAP), a suite for distributing and monetizing web videos on mobile phones using targeted interactive display banners, pre-roll, overlay, post-roll and mini-site ad experiences. The company also maintains a spin-off platform tailored specifically to the iPhone. TAP is used by publishers and carriers and is deployed by brands including Associated Press, CBS News, Discovery Communications, Fox Reality Channel, MTV Networks, Break.com and Revision3. Transpera emphasizes improving end-user experience for mobile video while providing advertisers rich targeting and promotional tools. The company highlights an experienced team and an advisory board with industry veterans, and recently hired Brian Monnin as Chief Product Officer from Brightcove. Financially, Transpera has completed a Series A (July 2007, amount undisclosed) and is announcing a new Series B alongside some debt financing.

• Integrating PV

  Participated · Series A · Mar 2010

  Integrated Photovoltaics is developing a 3rd-generation photovoltaic solution intended to reduce the cost of generating electricity. The company is still operating in stealth mode while it advances its core technology. IPV has closed an $8.5M Series A to fund continued development of that solution. The round was led by Peninsula Ventures with participation from new investor I2BF and existing investors Alloy Ventures and Labrador Ventures. As part of the financing, Peninsula’s Sam Lee and I2BF’s David Waserstein will join Dan Rubin from Alloy Ventures on IPV’s board. The funding strengthens the company’s ability to progress its product development and go-to-market preparations.

No current team members are available.