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Finance

Mobile Search Startup Raises $22M


Dealflow | October 4, 2006

The Big deal:

[Mobile] ― JumpTap, $22M

THE REST:

[Communications] ― Packet Design, $7.5M

[Hardware] ― SiCortex, $21M

MOBILE

JumpTap

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Funding: $22M

$22M

Prior funding: $21M

$21M

Round: C

C

Description: Offers a comprehensive search engine for mobile phone operators to tack on to their systems.

Offers a comprehensive search engine for mobile phone operators to tack on to their systems.

Lead Investor: Valhalla Partners

Other Investors: General Catalyst Partners, BCE Capital, and Redpoint Ventures

Capital, and Redpoint Ventures

The Herring Take: The company certainly has a foothold in the marketplace—as of September, JumpTap partnered with Alltel Wireless to bring a mobile-based search platform to consumers. Better still, it’ll be coming free of charge. The deal puts JumpTap’s search capabilities into the eyeballs of more than 11 million Alltel subscribers.

Wireless to bring a mobile-based search platform to consumers. Better still, it’ll be coming free of charge. The deal puts JumpTap’s search capabilities into the eyeballs of more than 11 million Alltel subscribers.

And with the recent release of JumpTap’s Advertising Suite, the door is open for advertisers looking to cash in on a growing, mobile search marketplace. According to JumpTap, carriers that use the company’s search service average about 4.2 searches per user, per month.

COMMUNICATIONS

Packet Design

Palo Alto, California

Funding: $7.5M

$7.5M

Prior funding: $10.5M

$10.5M

Round: C

C

Description: A creator of network analytics tools that allows an engineer to analyze a network’s operations both historically and real time.

A creator of network analytics tools that allows an engineer to analyze a network’s operations both historically and real time.

Investors: Advanced Technology Ventures, Allegis Capital, Masthead Venture Partners, Mayfield Fund, and Packet Design LLC

Advanced Technology Ventures, Allegis Capital, Masthead Venture Partners, Mayfield Fund, and Packet Design LLC

The Herring Take: According to Packet Design, revenues (and the company’s customer base, now over 140) have been on a yearly increase. Perhaps this is why all previous investors in the company’s B round have stayed around for another Packet Design trip to the financing pool.

According to Packet Design, revenues (and the company’s customer base, now over 140) have been on a yearly increase. Perhaps this is why all previous investors in the company’s B round have stayed around for another Packet Design trip to the financing pool.

In the past year, Packet Design’s been busy navigating international waters. Following a host of agreements, the company is pushing its network management products to markets in South Korea, Italy, Germany, and South Africa.

HARDWARE

SiCortex

Maynard, Massachusetts

Funding: $21M

$21M

Prior funding: $21M

$21M

Round: B

B

Description: High-performance cluster computers with Linux-based open-source software. The company is building a new industrial super computer for target markets including the oil and gas, automobile, and biotech industries, as well as the defense and homeland security sectors.

High-performance cluster computers with Linux-based open-source software. The company is building a new industrial super computer for target markets including the oil and gas, automobile, and biotech industries, as well as the defense and homeland security sectors.

Lead Investor: Chevron Technology Ventures

Chevron Technology Ventures

Other Investors: Polaris Venture Partners, Flagship Ventures, JK&B Capital, and Prism Venture Partners

Polaris Venture Partners, Flagship Ventures, JK&B Capital, and Prism Venture Partners

The Herring Take: Sicortex claims to have solved a problem that is plaguing high-performance industrial computing—significant heat loss and overuse of energy that leads to high costs. The company is keeping under wraps until mid-November exactly what it has done to revolutionize this little corner of the hardware market. However, the strategic investment from Chevron is a major vote of confidence, as is the significant size of the investment overall.

 Sicortex claims to have solved a problem that is plaguing high-performance industrial computing—significant heat loss and overuse of energy that leads to high costs. The company is keeping under wraps until mid-November exactly what it has done to revolutionize this little corner of the hardware market. However, the strategic investment from Chevron is a major vote of confidence, as is the significant size of the investment overall.

Contact the writer: DMurphy@RedHerring.com, SMugrabi@RedHerring.com

DMurphy@RedHerring.com, SMugrabi@RedHerring.com

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