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.
Unigo Group, a portfolio company of Aequitas Capital, said Wednesday it has completed its buy of PrepTalk. Financial terms weren’t announced. Los Angeles-based PrepTalk provides webcasting and a video-chat platform for prospective students and administrators.
3 min read · 09 April 2015
Balance Point Capital Partners said Wednesday it invested in OnRamp Access LLC. Financial terms weren’t announced but Balance Point said it provided senior subordinated notes to fund OnRamp's growth initiatives. Austin-based OnRamp provides hybrid computing to companies that require high levels of security and availability.
2 min read · 09 April 2015
Frank Biondi Jr. has joined ViaSat Inc.’s board of directors. Biondi will serve as a Class I Director effective immediately, with an initial term expiring at the Company's 2015 annual meeting of stockholders. Biondi, a senior MD at WaterView Advisors LLC, is the former CEO of Universal Studios.
3 min read · 09 April 2015
Apache Corp. said Thursday it has agreed to sell its Australian subsidiary Apache Energy Ltd. to consortium of private equity funds managed by Macquarie Capital Group Ltd. and Brookfield Asset Management Inc. The purchase price was $2.1 billion. Apache Energy, and its subsidiaries, produced about 49,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in March. With the sale, Apache said it is fully exiting its exploration and production business in Australia but retains a 49 percent stake in Yara Pilbara Holdings Pty Ltd., a fertilizer producer.
3 min read · 09 April 2015
DemoChimp said Thursday it raised $2.8 million in seed funding led by Peak Ventures. Albion Financial, Seed Equity, Select Venture Partners, Paul Ahlstrom, Scott Frazier and Greg Schenk also participated. American Fork, Utah-based DemoChimp, a SaaS company, provides technology that automates product demos to accelerate sales.
4 min read · 09 April 2015
Credit Suisse NEXT Investors, part of Credit Suisse Asset Management, has led a $165 million Series D financing for Prosper Marketplace. Additional participants included J.P. Morgan Asset Management, SunTrust Banks, a subsidiary of USAA, BBVA Ventures (BBVA’s representative office in San Francisco), Neuberger Berman Private Equity Funds, Passport Capital, Breyer Capital, and others. San Francisco-based Prosper Marketplace is the parent of Prosper Funding, an online marketplace for consumer credit.
3 min read · 09 April 2015
Cherwell Software said Wednesday that Elizabeth Salomon has joined as CFO. Most recently, Ms. Salomon was CFO at Marshall &Swift/Boeckh and its holding company Decision Insight Information Group . Cherwell is backed by Insight Venture Partners.
2 min read · 09 April 2015
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. said Wednesday that Anand Sinha was named an industry advisor to the firm effective immediately. Sinha is the former Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India.
2 min read · 09 April 2015
Templeton Asset Management Ltd. has led a consortium to buy a minority stake in Defacto Perakende Ticaret A.S. Financial terms weren’t announced. Defactor is an apparel retailer based in Istanbul. Franklin Resources Inc. is the ultimate parent of Templeton Asset Management.
4 min read · 08 April 2015
FranConnect, which is backed by Serent Capital, said Tuesday that Christopher Fountain has joined as CEO. Fountain is taking over from Amit Pamecha, FranConnect’s founder, who will continue to serve as a board member. Reston, Virginia-based FranConnect provides franchise management software.
3 min read · 08 April 2015
