Subject: Venture News, Tuesday, December 5, 2000
From: [email-masked]
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Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2000 03:51:00 -0800 (PST)

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  Enron Net Works Ventures Portfolio News
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Computerworld Honors Acta Technology in Annual 'Top 100 Emerging Companies to 
Watch'; Industry Publication Recognizes Leader in B2B Data Integration
? 
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 4, 2000--Acta Technology, Inc., 
the leader in business-to-business (B2B) data integration, has been selected 
as one of Computerworld's "Top 100 Emerging Companies to Watch," the 
magazine's annual review of new leaders in high technology. The magazine has 
selected Acta as a winner in the highly-competitive eCommerce category, which 
includes other leading B2B software companies such as Blue Martini (Nasdaq: 
BLUE), Saga Software (NYSE: AGS), and Ventro (Nasdaq: VNTR). 
"We are honored to be included in this year's list of emerging companies," 
said Acta CEO Carol Mills Baldwin. "B2B data integration is emerging as a 
must-have technology for businesses around the globe. Recognition for this 
technology in Computerworld is further validation of the category we have 
created." 
B2B data integration resolves one of the principle issues in eBusiness today: 
that back-office systems were not designed to meet the data demands of B2B 
eCommerce and analytic solutions. Those demands include speed, scalability, 
and access to both the real-time and historical data locked away in multiple 
back-office systems. By staging real-time and historical data from multiple 
systems in data caches, the Acta eCommerce Data Platform allows companies to 
deliver the data that is needed, when it is needed, both inside and outside 
the enterprise. 
Industry analysts have sized the data integration market at $15B (cumulative) 
by 2005-driven by the need to provide information-rich data to partners, 
suppliers and customers for collaborative computing. 
With over 160 customers worldwide, Acta is well-poised to continue leading 
the growing B2B data integration market. In the past year, Acta has also won 
honors from Upside Magazine (Hot 100 private companies), DM Review (Winner, 
World Class Solutions) eWeek (Best Practices Award-B2B Category, Finalist), 
and Intelligent Enterprise (RealWare Awards-B2B Category, Finalist). 
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Other Venture News
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o Sun Buys Storage Firm HighGround For $400 Million

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- Sun Microsystems announced
it is acquiring HighGround Systems, a developer
of storage resource management software, in a stock-for-stock
transaction valued at approximately $400 million.
The acquisition is expected to close in the third
quarter of 2001. Following completion of the acquisition,
HighGround will become part of Sun's Network Storage
organization, which reports to executive vice president
Janpieter Scheerder. Last December, HighGround raised
$30 million in a mezzanine round of financing led
by Compaq Computer. Centennial Funds, Eagan Managed
Capital, Highland Capital Partners, Sequel Venture
Partners, and Venrock Associates were also investors
in the company.
http://www.sun.com/
http://www.highground.com/
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o Partech Int'l Raises $500 Million, Adds Two Partners

SAN FRANCISCO -- Partech International, a venture
capital firm that provides financing for start-up
and emerging growth companies in the United States
and Europe, said it has raised a new $500 million
fund. The firm said the new fund consists of $300
million in Partech International Venture IV, an
early stage investment vehicle, and $200 million
in Partech International Growth Funds, which is
focused on expansion and later stage investments.
In related developments, the company said it has
added two new general partners, Nicolas El Baze
and David Welsh, to its team. Mr. El Baze was previously
a venture partner with Partech and a co-founder
of several start-ups, including Software International,
which was acquired by Microsoft.  Mr. Welsh joins
Partech from Portal Software, a provider of infrastructure
software to the communications industry.
http://www.partechintl.com/
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o Digital Rights Firm Elisar Gets $2 Million in Seed Funds

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Elisar Software, a provider
of online digital rights management and digital
content protection technology, said it received
$2 million in seed funding. Murphree Venture Partners
led the round, which also included Telecommunications
Development Fund. The funds will support sales,
marketing, and research and development for the
company's digital rights management software product.
http://www.elisar.com/
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o Facility Management Firm Avista Advantage Has Series A Round

SPOKANE, Wash. -- Avista Advantage, a subsidiary
of publicly traded Avista and a provider of Internet-based
facility management, bill consolidaton, and payment
services, said it closed a Series A round with investments
from WS Investment Company and Cascade Investment.
EnerTech Capital Partners led the round. The company
said it will use the funding to refine, expand and
market Avista Advantage's suite of facility-cost-management
service offerings. The amount of the investments
was not disclosed.
http://www.avistaadvantage.com/
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o Training App Firm Knowledge Planet in $47 Million Round Two

RESTON, Va. -- Knowledge Planet, a Web-based corporate
training applications provider, said it has raised
$47 million in its second round of financing. GE
Equity and DHM Arcadia Partners co-led the round.
Backers included First Union Capital Partners and
AIG Horizon Partners . Previous investors HarbourVest
Partners and Knowledge Universe also participated
in the round. The company said it will use the funds
to increase sales and marketing and for international
expansion.
http://www.knowledgeplanet.com/
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o Data Storage Firm Xdrive Raises $50 Million in Series D

SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- Xdrive Technologies, a business
database management applications and online data
storage firm, said it has raised $50 million in
its Series D round of financing. Strategic partners
and investors that participated in the round include
StorageNetworks, Network Appliance, Aether Systems,
Mitsubishi, NEC, Pilot House Associates, and Softbank.
Previous investors, including Goldman Sachs Group,
Wit SoundView Ventures, and J. & W. Seligman & Co.,
also participated. The company said it will use
the funds to continue developing its new products,
Xdrive Enterprise and Xdrive Express.
http://www.xdrive.com/
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o EC Company Changes Name to ADX, Advanced Data Exchange

NEWARK, Calif. -- The EC Company, which hosts applications
for Internet business suppliers, said it has changed
its name to ADX, Advanced Data Exchange, to better
position itself in the Internet business-to-business
industry. The company has strategic partnerships
with over 150 companies including Ace Hardware,
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, and Newark Electronics.
ADX is backed by several venture firms including
Talkot Capital, Wasserstein Adelson Ventures, Invemed
Associates, and iCentennial Investments.
http://www.adx.com/
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o Transport B2B Tradiant Partners with Nine Ocean Carriers

ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Tradiant, a provider of Internet
business-to-business technology and services for
the transportation industry, said it will join with
nine ocean carriers in a partnership that aims to
enable importers and exporters to simplify the process
of containerized transportation. The  multi-million
dollar partnership will launch a new initiative
(currently code-named Global Transportation Network,
or GTN) early in the first quarter of 2001. The
technology platform will facilitate transactions
between the various parties involved in international
trade. The financial terms of the deal were not
disclosed. Carriers in the partnership will receive
an equity stake in the company. These partners include
APL; CP Ships, the container shipping business of
Canadian Pacific Limited, which includes ANZDL,
Canada Maritime, Cast, Contship Containerlines,
Lykes Lines and TMM Lines; Hanjin; Hyundai; K Line;
Mitsui OSK Lines; Senator Lines; Yang Ming; and
Zim Israel Navigation Co. GTN will use Tradiant's
e-commerce platform, which includes booking, track
and trace, and scheduling capabilities. GTN will
provide extended capabilities tailored for shippers
and carriers, including rate and contract management,
cargo forecasting and allocation. Customers include
merchant importers, exporters, freight forwarders,
third party logistics (3PL) providers, and carriers
of commercial freight. Tradiant's investors include
Warburg Pincus, ABN AMRO Private Equity, BEA Systems,
Itochu Corporation, and The Megunticook Fund.
http://www.tradiant.com/

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o Intel Communications Fund Grows Fund By $300 Million

HILLSBORO, Ore. -- Intel Communications Fund, a
$200 million corporate venture-capital program,
said it is increasing the size of its fund by $300
million.  A company spokesman said the fund, managed
by Intel Capital, will include a special focus on
wireless businesses. The initial program was created
September 1999 to invest in technology startups
in the networking and communications field. The
company is expected to announce additional details
of the fund at the Telecom 2000 conference, now
underway in Hong Kong.
http://www.intel.com/