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Enron Net Works Ventures Portfolio News _______________________________________ 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). __________________________________________________ Other Venture News ____________________________________________________ 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/ _____________________________________________ 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/ _____________________________________________ 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/ _____________________________________________ 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/ _____________________________________________ 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/ _____________________________________________ 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/ _____________________________________________ 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/ _____________________________________________ 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/ ______________________________________________________ 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/
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