CAP A is proud to continue to support Questis, the financial wellness software platform company in Charleston. After participating in their seed round in 2014, CAP A participated in their bridge round to the upcoming Series A. See the news here >>
CAP A GOES MARITIME!
CONEXBIRD ACQUIRES ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR GLOBAL COMMERCIALIZATION
Conexbird’s container analytics platform to change maritime operations globally
October 12, 2015 – Conexbird Oy, a Finland-based technology provider for the maritime industry, has secured more than 650,000 Euros in funding from both existing and new investors. The additional funding will provide Conexbird with resources for commercialization of their container data analytics technology to be deployed in ports and terminals worldwide. Existing investors, including Butterfly Ventures and Conexbird management, participated in the financing, as well as new investors, the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation (TEKES) and Capital A Partners. Capital A Partners “CAP A”, based between Sweden and the United States, participated in the financing to help Conexbird access global markets, particularly throughout Europe and North America.
“We are thrilled that our current investor group continues to support the company, and we welcome CAP A to the family,” stated Conexbird’s Director of Business Development, Kimmo Laakkonen. “Establishing a relationship with CAP A will help us establish a broader understanding of the European and U.S. market as well as expand our global customer base,” added Laakkonen. CAP A’s involvement in Conexbird is the first step in an ongoing co-investor relationship with Butterfly Ventures, a leading early stage venture capital firm based in Finland.
“CAP A identifies technology companies that have a global opportunity, and Conexbird exemplifies the kind of investments we target,” added Tanya Marvin-Horowitz, Managing Partner at Capital A Partners in Sweden. “Leveraging our network and access to potential customers and channel partners, and human and growth capital, CAP A intends on accelerating Conexbird’s global business by bringing the technology to the maritime sector,” concluded Marvin-Horowitz.
-About Conexbird -
Conexbird, based in Jyväskylä and Oulu, Finland, utilizes its patented vibration measurement technology to collect data on containers and its contents real-time for optimization of container flow and to prevent and identify damages. For more information, go to: http://www.conexbird.com.
Contact for Conexbird: Kimmo Laakkonen, kimmo.laakkonen@conexbird.com.
CAP A's Anette Nordvall receives VINNOVA fellowship in Silicon Valley
First Grantees Accounted in VINNOVA Fellowship Program in Silicon Valley.
Among the 40 qualified applicants, VINNOVA has now appointed its first two fellows into the program. Donnie S.C. Lygonis, Technology Transfer Manager at KTH innovation, and Anette Nordvall, partner in the Stockholm Business Angels and Venture Advisor at Capital A Partners "CAP A", will be the first fellows in the program.
Both are well known in the Swedish startup world as dynamic people and sought-after speakers, with excellent networking capabilities. They are both serial entrepreneurs, nationally active and have a great understanding of entrepreneurial living. Mr. Lygonis' fellowship starts October 15, 2015, and Ms. Nordvall starts February 1, 2016.
Mr. Lygonis, whose ties to KTH Innovation where he worked for 6 years, has proven to be valuable in building businesses while acting as a highly regarded business coach. His stay in Silicon Valley is expected to contribute to creating stronger links between the university's' innovation programs and Silicon Valley.
Ms. Nordvall compliments the team with her long experience as an advisor and investor. She is expected to contribute to developing stronger links between investor networks in Sweden and Silicon Valley with special emphasis on non-institutional investors.
VINNOVA established an office in Silicon Valley three years ago. In partnership with Nordic Innovation House in Palo Alto, CA, the operations are aimed at incubating young Swedish companies in the U.S. The aim is that companies with the ambition to scale and expand internationally will be able to take maximum advantage of the unique innovation ecosystem in Silicon Valley.
VINNOVA launched a fellowship program for people with good understanding of startups who wish to develop their network and whose expertise can contribute to the operation. Two scholarships totaling 20 months will be awarded annually for 4 years. The program is funded by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.
NeuroSpire launches NEURO+ for ADHD
Durham, NC-based CAP A Portfolio company NeuroSpire publicly launches its NEURO+ technology for the treatment of ADHD. Learn more here >>
Charleston funding firm Capital A Partners invests in Columbia tech company
Charleston-based venture capital fund Capital A Partners is partnering with another firm to invest $3.5 million in a Columbia-based technology company.
The money is for ZVerse, which develops software applications for the 3-D printing industry. The lead investor is Atlanta-based Mosley Ventures. Other strategic backers are involved in the funding round as well.
David Mendez, managing partner at Capital A, said the investment in is the first from his firm’s second fund, which hopes to raise $10 million.
ZVerse said it plans to use the new funding to grow its business and to commercialize a new software platform called LAYR.
Launched in 2013 and formerly known as DoodleSculpt, the company specializes in technology that makes two-dimensional images printable in a full-color 3-D format. It licenses one of its apps to universities to help them make highly detailed reproductions of their stadiums from digital files.
The company recently announced it is partnering with 3D Systems, a Rock Hill-based business that’s one of the pioneers of 3-D printing.
“The strategic relationship with 3D Systems and the completion of our ... funding gives ZVerse the resources and expertise to continue our leadership position in the full color 3D printed content arena,” ZVerse CEO and co-founder John Carrington said in a written statement.
Reach Allison Prang at 937-5705 or on Twitter @AllisonPrang.
CAP A in 3D!
ZVerse Announces Global Strategic Partnership with 3D Systems and Raises $3.5 Million Series A Investment
COLUMBIA, S.C., July 23, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- ZVerse, leading developers of 3D content creation applications for full color 3D printing, today announced a strategic partnership and commercial agreement with 3D Systems (NYSE: DDD) to advance applications and market opportunities for full color 3D printing.
As part of the agreement, ZVerse and 3D Systems will co-develop ZVerse's patent pending post processing technology for producing high gloss and moisture resistant full color 3D printed products. In addition, the companies will collaborate on development and marketing of 3D Systems' Photobooth technology using ZVerse's licensed content and distribution channels.
"We are pleased to partner with ZVerse, combining our technology and engineering expertise with their deep experience in application development and content creation to advance full color 3D printing," said Rajeev Kulkarni, Chief Product Officer, 3D Systems. "We are excited to leverage their process know-how and expansive distribution network to expand content and coverage for our Photobooth technology."
In addition to the partnership, ZVerse announced that it has closed on a $3.5 million Series A funding round from Mosley Ventures, Capital A Partners and strategic investors. Top regional entrepreneurial angel investors in earlier rounds, Walter Alessandrini and Scot Wingo, participated in the Series A round, also. Wei-Chun Tai, of Mosley Ventures, joins the ZVerse board.
The funding will be used to grow the company's leadership position in full color 3D printing applications for licensed content of major brands and to commercialize ZVerse's proprietary B2B 3D content creation platform, LAYR.
"The ZVerse software platform is core to unlocking 2D image content for 3D printing. We believe ZVerse is uniquely positioned to help solve 3D printing's content problem as the 3D printing market trends towards exponential growth," says Wei-Chun Tai.
LAYR enables any business to take advantage of the benefits of 3D printing and, as a result, helps expand the reach of 3D printing into new markets.
"The strategic relationship with 3D Systems and the completion of our Series A funding gives ZVerse the resources and expertise to continue our leadership position in the full color 3D printed content arena," said John Carrington, Co-Founder & CEO, ZVerse. "Additionally, we are seeing strong inbound demand for our underlying 3D content creation and management platform for 3D printing, LAYR. We look forward to exploring this opportunity as well as our direct-to-consumer model with major brands."
About ZVerse
ZVerse develops 3D content creation and production applications for 3D printing. Applications powered by Layr from ZVerse have been used by Fortune 100 companies and small businesses alike. Companies trust ZVerse to extend their brand with 3D print technology. ZVerse is licensed with over 36 collegiate organizations, including the University of Notre Dame and University of Oregon, to produce full color 3D printed sports memorabilia. ZVerse maintains the largest library of officially licensed 3D printable content for the sports industry worldwide. Founded in April 2013, ZVerse is headquartered in Columbia, SC.
More information is available at www.zverse.com or email info@zverse.com, 803-764-0353.
About Mosley Ventures
Mosley Ventures is a venture capital fund investing in early stage technology startups in Atlanta and the Southeast. We primarily invest in the following sectors – security software, mobility and wireless, big data and healthcare IT. Sig Mosley is the Managing Partner of Mosley Ventures. Since 1990, Sig has been the most prolific southeast investor in 122 startups with 83 liquidity events. Sig is currently the record holder of the largest southeast venture deal with the $5.7 billion acquisition of Tradex by Ariba.
http://www.mosleyventures.com/
About 3D Systems
3D Systems provides the most advanced and comprehensive 3D digital design and fabrication solutions available today, including 3D printers, print materials and cloud-sourced custom parts. Its powerful ecosystem transforms entire industries by empowering professionals and consumers everywhere to bring their ideas to life using its vast material selection, including plastics, metals, ceramics and edibles. 3DS' leading personalized medicine capabilities save lives and include end-to-end simulation, training and planning, and printing of surgical instruments and devices for personalized surgery and patient specific medical and dental devices. Its democratized 3D digital design, fabrication and inspection products provide seamless interoperability and incorporate the latest immersive computing technologies. 3DS' products and services disrupt traditional methods, deliver improved results and empower its customers to manufacture the future now.
Leadership Through Innovation and Technology
- 3DS invented 3D printing with its Stereolithography (SLA) printer and was the first to commercialize it in 1989.
- 3DS invented Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) printing and was the first to commercialize it in 1992.
- 3DS invented the ColorJet Printing (CJP) class of 3D printers and was the first to commercialize 3D powder-based systems in 1994.
- 3DS invented MultiJet Printing (MJP) printers and was the first to commercialize it in 1996.
- 3DS pioneered virtual surgical simulation (VSS™) and virtual surgical planning (VSP®), and its leading 3D healthcare products and services help doctors achieve better patient outcomes.
Today its comprehensive range of 3D printers is the industry's benchmark for production-grade manufacturing in aerospace, automotive, patient specific medical device and a variety of consumer, electronic and fashion accessories.
More information on the company is available at www.3dsystems.com.
IRON YARD ACADEMY Receives Significant Funding from Apollo Education Group
CAP A portfolio company, Iron Yard Academy, receives a significant infusion of capital from The Apollo Education Group. Read more >>
OPENRATIO FEATURED AS ONE OF "SIX NORDIC STARTUPS ENTERPRISE IT USERS SHOULD WATCH" BY COMPUTERWEEKLY
Dynepic, CAP A Portfolio Company and winner of 2014 DIG SOUTH WILD PITCH, featured on the cover of SC Biz News
CAP A GOES FOR GAMING
Finnish Game Studio Small Giant Games Completes $3.1M Equity Investment Round
New game studio with a differentiated approach to casual gaming now backed by Spotify investor Creandum, PROfounders, Spintop Ventures, Capital A Partners and a group of private investors
Helsinki, Finland, October 22, 2014 - Finnish game studio Small Giant Games today announced the completion of their investment round. The company raised $3.1 million for launching their first game and for development of several new titles. The lead investor of the round was Stockholm and Palo Alto based Creandum, followed by PROfounders, Spintop Ventures and Capital A Partners. A group of private investors also joined the round, including Gregory Milken and Risto Siilasmaa.
“It’s not possible to succeed in the fiercely competed mobile games market just by copying existing popular games – you need to create new and unparalleled game features and experiences, which shape the existing genres and create entirely new ones. One of our goals is to raise the quality of character animations in mobile games to a new level”, Small Giant Games CEO Timo Soininen says. “We are thrilled to get experienced investors to back our vision of creating beautiful and engaging multiplayer games with small focused teams.” Soininen continues.
Small Giant Games was founded in early 2013 by a group of Finland's leading game designers, developers and graphic artists. Currently the team is finalizing its first title Oddwings Escape, which is aimed to launch globally in the beginning of 2015. The deeply engaging new type of flying game combines innovative one-touch control mechanics with highly detailed graphics and rich physics enhanced character animations.
“We were impressed by the Small Giant team and the approach they’ve taken with their debut title”, Daniel Blomquist from Creandum comments. “We are confident that the team’s strong technical, visual and animation expertise, and the fresh approach to free to play mechanics will result in a series of original and successful casual games.”
The company is looking for experienced game designers and developers to join the team for new game projects.
More information:
Timo Soininen, CEO, Small Giant Games
timo@smallgiantgames.com
Tel: +358 50 5648 269
Interview requests:
Merja Turpeinen, SagaSocial PR
merja@sagasocial.com, tel: +358 40 5840 542
About Small Giant Games
Small Giant Games, based in Helsinki, Finland, was founded in early 2013 by a group of Finland's leading game designers, developers and graphic artists. The founding team has over 30 years of combined free to play game development experience from Habbo Hotel, one the world’s largest free to play social games and online communities for teenagers. Small Giant focuses on creating unforgettable gaming experiences, filled with fabulous characters, rich animations, and beautiful graphics aimed at the casual audience. The studio’s first title Oddwings Escape will be launched in the beginning of 2015.
www.smallgiantgames.com
About Creandum
Creandum is the leading Nordic based venture capital firm investing in innovative and fast-growing technology companies within consumer, software and hardware industries. The firm has over €260M under management and has over the last decade invested in more than 45 companies including Spotify, Cint, Edgeware, iZettle, Vivino and Videoplaza. For more information, please visit www.creandum.com.
CAP A partner David Mendez hosting Charleston's Startup Grind!
More information on the event here>
Research Triangle's TRIANGLE BUSINESS JOURNAL talks about NeuroSpire and CAP A Investment!
CAPITAL A PARTNERS INVESTS IN NEUROSPIRE, A GROUNDBREAKING INNOVATOR IN NEUROSCIENCE APPLICATIONS
NeuroSpire aims to treat symptoms of ADHD with its NEURO+ product
CHARLESTON, SC: July 1, 2014 – Capital A Partners has participated in the Series A investment in NeuroSpire, a Durham, NC-based neuroscience technology company. The company has been licensing its neuromarketing software platform to companies in North and South America, Europe, the Middle East and South Africa since its inception in 2010. Its new offering, NEURO+, applies neuroscience combined with gaming to treat children struggling with ADHD.
Past clinical research shows neurofeedback to be as effective as pharmaceutical solutions at treating brain-centered conditions. NeuroSpire’s NEURO+ offering will be one of the first commercially available applications in neuroscience for clinical treatment of ADHD. The company’s application combines neurofeedback with popular gaming platforms to provide clinicians and parents an alternative to pharmaceutical treatments. Future applications of the technology include improving mental readiness in athletes and military personnel, as well as treating anxiety, depression and addiction.
“Applying proven neuroscience technology through gaming to solve one of our society’s most challenging problems in education is core to our excitement about NeuroSpire,” stated David Mendez, General Partner at CAP A. “Replacing pharmaceutical treatments with a more sustainable and equally effective solution in the treatment of these conditions is literally a game changer,” added Mendez.
Jake Stauch, CEO and founder of NeuroSpire, is a former researcher at the Duke University Center for Cognitive Neuroscience. He founded the company in 2010, and was previously awarded grant funding through NC IDEA and the Duke Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative, and was awarded prizes from both the ACC Startup Madness and Duke Startup Challenge competitions.
-About Capital A Partners-
Formed in 2013, Capital A Partners invests in post-revenue early stage ventures as well as small operating companies seeking growth capital. General partners are David Mendez, based in Charleston, SC and Tanya Marvin-Horowitz, based between New York, NY and Stockholm, Sweden. For more information, go to www.capitalapartners.com.
Contact for Capital A Partners: David Mendez, General Partner, dmendez@capitalapartners.com.
Contact for NeuroSpire: Jake Stauch, CEO, jake.stauch@neurospire.com.
Tanya Marvin-Horowitz chosen to speak at the Global Symposium on Women's Entrepreneurship
Ms. Horowitz, General Partner at CAP A, is attending the symposium as a special guest speaker. In Stockholm June 17-18, 2014.
http://www.esbri.se/june2014/gswe-speakers.asp
MERGERS & ACQUISTIONS COVERS CAP A'S INVESTMENT IN PERFORMYARD:
CAPITAL A PARTNERS JOINS CIT GAP FUNDS TO INVEST IN PERFORMYARD
Web-based people management software to help maximize revenue growth, employee performance, and HR data management
CHARLESTON, SC: May 20, 2014 – Capital A Partners joins The Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) in an investment in Arlington-based startup, PerformYard. PerformYard provides enterprise software for strategy execution, employee performance and human resources information. PerformYard is CAP A’s second investment in software, following their investment in Swedish-based mobile enterprise software, OpenRatio, in April.
“CAP A is thrilled to follow CIT’s investment lead from earlier this year into PerformYard, a company that is rapidly penetrating underserved small to medium-sized businesses in need of its collaborative HR management platform,” stated David Mendez, General Partner for CAP A. “CAP A’s involvement in our company will be strategic as we navigate the software landscape with our new offering,” added Ben Hastings, CEO at PerformYard. “CAP A’s knowledge and experience in the software space will be a valuable addition to the team as we continue to ramp sales growth and work with larger companies in the enterprise, “ added Hastings.
Contact for PerformYard: Ben Hastings, CEO, bhastings@performyard.com.
WILD PITCH, WILD SUCCESS!
WILD PITCH: ACCELERATORS
Eight innovative startups from national accelerator programs presented their best new ideas to an audience of DIG SOUTH attendees, expert judges and investors. Business pitches covered innovative solutions in health care, social media, toy robotics and other industries. The audience chimed in with strong opinions as the judges whittled down the list of contenders for the $10,000 investment from Capital A Partners. And that $10k quickly became $30k when two investors matched the offer. Congrats go to Dynepic from Charleston's Harbor Accelerator!
WILD PITCH: STUDENTS
Eight student teams competed for the opportunity to secure a $2500 investment from Capital A Partners. Innovative business pitches ranged from a new social and software platforms to apps and consumer products. In the end, the judges chose SouthYeast Labs from Clemson as the winner. More good news: an investor matched the $2500 on the spot for a total of $5,000! And, SouthYeast has 8 more days to reach their crowdfunding goal.
BlowPro Acquired by Beauty Elite Group
blowpro Purchased by New Privately Held Company
- Beauty Elite Group -
Established by Basim Shami, Farouk Systems, Inc. CEO
Houston, Texas – blowpro, the pioneer, innovator and recognized leader of the blow dry category announced today that it has been acquired for an undisclosed sum in private sale by industry leader and CEO of Farouk Systems, Inc. Basim Shami. With the purchase of blowpro, Shami is creating a new stand-alone company coined Beauty Elite Group, independent of Farouk Systems, Inc. (which is known for its world renowned brands Biosilk and CHI). blowpro will be the first of many prestige professional beauty acquisitions, facilitated by Kevin O’Connor, Business Development Ambassador (koconnor@blowpro.com), to comprise this new beauty entity.
Shami has appointed Basel Badran, his nephew and former Director at Beauty Elite Group (bbadran@blowpro.com) as General Manager of blowpro. Badran is a third generation of hair professionals to continue the Farouk Systems, Inc. family tradition in nurturing and growing beauty brands. Badran is excited to grow the strong foundation blowpro founders David Maleh and Stuart Sklar have laid.
“blowpro is a unique brand with a strong identity – it has unlimited potential. I look forward to working with the brand’s exceptional partners to continue to grow and expand the business.”
— Basel Badran, blowpro General Manager
“It’s been an incredible journey creating and building blowpro from scratch. We filled an untapped white space in the industry and the consumer response and passion has been amazing. We are happy that the brand will have a new home with the resources and support to continue to flourish and make its unique mark within the industry.
— Stuart Sklar, Founder and President, blowpro
Under new ownership, blowpro will continue to maintain its DNA as a professional, prestige brand offering the most innovative formulations. The new team will continue to grow, expand and enter related and complimentary categories, as well as unveil additional product launches and establish new partnerships.
blowpro is currently sold in North America and Europe and is distributed via retailers including Macy’s Herald Square, Nordstrom, ULTA and HSN as well as fine salons and its own website blowpro.com in the USA. The brand can also be found at blowpro outposts located in select Nordstrom doors and at Macy’s Herald Square.
About blowpro:
blowpro is devoted to the art of the perfect blowout. Our philosophy stems from the belief that every woman not only looks, but also feels better with a great blowout. The devoted team brings excellence to all our offerings — salon services, quality products and education — and will continue to introduce new ways to help all women get better blow dry results every day, both in salon settings and at home. blowpro products feature exclusive formulas that are free of damaging sulfates, parabens, and sodium-chloride – safe for color treated hair and keratin compliant.
CAPITAL A PARTNERS provided bridge financing to the acquisition in 2013.
Capital A Partners Invests in Mobile Enterprise Technology
CAP A's Investment in OpenRatio AB sets the stage for global expansion
CHARLESTON, SC: April 8, 2014 – Capital A Partners makes it’s second European investment in Stockholm-based mobile enterprise technology company, OpenRatio AB. CAP A’s investment will assist in bringing the technology to the North American market.
“Having Capital A Partners on our team as an investor in Sweden, and as an advisor in the U.S. market is strategic to our strategy to penetrate the B2B mobile enterprise sector”, stated Hannes Dernehl, co-founder of OpenRatio. “The Capital A team’s experience and strategic locations fit perfectly with our growth plans”, added Dernehl. Tanya Marvin-Horowitz, CAP A’s General Partner based between Stockholm and New York City, will serve on OpenRatio’s advisory board, while David Mendez, CAP A’s General Partner based in the United States, will assist in business development efforts in the U.S.
“The B2B mobile enterprise sector is one of dynamic growth opportunities worldwide, and we believe OpenRatio’s technology will quickly become a global leader in this evolving space”, stated Mendez. “We look forward to introducing OpenRatio to the North American market”.
-About OpenRatio-
OpenRatio, founded and headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, is a revolutionary enterprise platform that makes information and business processes available and actionable for enterprises across devices, independent of platforms, technology vendors or infrastructure. For more information, go to www.openratio.com.
Contact for OpenRatio Holding AB: Hannes Dernehl, co-founder
hannes@openratio.com
Follow us on Twitter: @openratio
____________
Article on the news in Mergers & Acquisitions:
CAPITAL A PARTNERS TO INVEST “ON THE SPOT” AT DIG SOUTH
CAP A to judge and award the winners of the DIG SOUTH Wild Pitch events with cash investments
CHARLESTON, SC: April 2, 2014 – Capital A Partners has committed to award the winners of DIG SOUTH’s Wild Pitch events with cash investments. $10,000 will be invested in the winner of the Wild Pitch: Accelerators, and $2,500 will be invested in the winner of the Wild Pitch: Students. The Wild Pitch events take place during the DIG SOUTH Interactive Festival and Conference in Charleston on April 10 at 11:00am-1:00pm and 3:00pm-5:00pm respectively.
“CAP A is thrilled not only to provide this early stage financial support to regional entrepreneurs, but also to have this exclusive involvement with DIG SOUTH as the only investor committing investment dollars to entrepreneurs right on the spot!,” stated David Mendez, General Partner of Capital A Partners. Mendez will serve alongside other volunteers as a judge for both pitch events, as well as on the Strategic Startup Positioning panel held on the same day.
“CAP A’s investment to the pitch winners exemplifies their commitment to the startup community, and we are proud to have them as an integral part of DIG SOUTH”, added Stanfield Gray, Founder of the annual conference. The 2nd Annual DIG SOUTH Interactive Festival and Conference is being held on April 9-13 in Charleston.
-About DIG SOUTH-
DIG SOUTH is the Southeast’s interactive festival celebrating innovation and the digital economy. The 5-day festival and 2-day interactive conference includes high-level presenters, innovative startups, the Wild Pitch events, a 2-day tech and creative industry expo, a 1-day Culturama featuring the Digathlon plus HACKCharleston Challenge, national touring bands, Space Walk tours, Halsey microcinema, dine arounds, craft beer gardens and unlimited networking opportunities. For more information, go to www.digsouth.com.
Tickets for the Wild Pitch: Accelerators event are $10, while admission to the Wild Pitch: Students event is free to the general public. Tickets can be purchased at www.digsouth.com.