|
CENTRAL FLORIDA START-UPS DRAW $62.1 MILLION
IN CAPITAL
Released Monday, May 15, 2000
by Venture Capital Column
Venture capital
investment quadrupled in Central Florida and tripled statewide in
the first quarter over the same time in 1999, according to the
latest survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers. Investors poured more than
$301 million into Florida companies. There were 31 deals, almost
double the number in the first quarter last year. Central Florida,
including Melbourne, garnered eight deals and almost $62.1 million.
South Florida companies sealed 13 deals and more than $159
million.
Florida 1st-quarter 2000
deals:
1. 2nd Century Communications
City:
Tampa
Industry:
Telecommunications
Description: CLEC with ATM-based
technology, providing networking and telecommunications
services
Stage of development:
Expansion
Financing round: Third
Amount:
$2,500,000
Investors: Accel Partners, Venrock
Associates, North Bridge Venture Partners, Meritech, Microsoft
Corp.
2. BizProLink.com
City: Boca
Raton
Industry: New media
Description:
Network of B2B community portals and Web sites for content and
commerce
Stage of development:
Early
Financing round: First
Amount:
$3,500,000
Investors: CrossBow Ventures, Netinvest,
Power Equity AG
3. ByeByeNow.com
City:
Pompano Beach
Industry: Business
services
Description: Online provider of travel
services and travel content focusing on leisure side of
industry
Stage of development:
Early
Financing round: Second
Amount:
$33,000,000
Investors: CrossBow Ventures, World
Span
4. CAVU
City:
Orlando
Industry:
Telecommunications
Description: Delivers affordable
high-speed Internet access to business users
Stage of
development: Early
Financing round:
First
Amount: $19,400,000
Investors: Adams
Capital Management, Digital Media Capital, Patricof & Co.,
Advent International, PSINet
5. d'essence Personal
Luxury Products
City: Palm Beach
Gardens
Industry:
Retailing/distribution
Description: Telemarketer of
imitation of perfume products
Stage of development:
Start-up/seed
Financing round:
Second
Amount: $150,000
Investors:
Sycamore Ventures, LM Capital Corp.
6. dbusiness.com
(American Digital Media)
City: Fort
Lauderdale
Industry: New
media
Description: Publishes business news through a
network of local-oriented Web sites across the United
States.
Stage of development:
Early
Financing round: First
Amount:
$16,000,000
Investors: BancBoston Capital and Ventures,
U.S. Equity Partners, Times Mirror Interactive, TMCT
Ventures
7. DesktopDollars
City:
Jupiter
Industry: Business
services
Description: Internet-based information
intermediary that sells access to membership
lists
Stage of development:
Early
Financing round: First
Amount:
$600,000
Investors: Advantage Capital and
others
8. Digital Owl
City: Winter
Park
Industry: New media
Description:
Web-based publishing media with copyright protection
solutions
Stage of development:
Early
Financing round: Second
Amount:
$1,000,000
Investors: Draper Atlantic Venture Fund and
others
9. Dynacs
City: Palm
Harbor
Industry:
Electronics/instrumentation
Description: Develops
advanced techniques in the areas of information science systems,
aerospace and satellite system operations
Stage of
development: Late
Financing round:
Bridge
Amount: $1,900,000
Investors: RG
Capital Fund
10. Encore Development
City:
Jacksonville
Industry: Business
services
Description: Provides Web solutions to large
corporations, focusing on e-business and
datawarehousing
Stage of development:
Late
Financing round: Fourth and
beyond
Amount: $2,500,000
Investors: Rock
Creek Partners
11. Gold Coast
Restaurants
City: Tampa
Industry: Consumer
services
Description: Seafood restaurant
chain
Stage of development:
Early
Financing Round: Second
Amount:
$10,250,000
Investors: Lovett Miller & Co.,
Jefferson Capital Partners, SSM Venture Partners
12.
Highlander Communications
City:
Lakeland
Industry: Software
Description:
Develops middleware applications and tools that enable its clients
to develop end-user wireless applications
Stage of
development: Early
Financing round:
First
Amount: $2,000,000
Investors: Lovett
Miller & Co. and others
13. Intelligent Machines
Corp.
City: Titusville
Industry:
Electronics/instrumentation
Description: Develops,
manufactures and sells real-time 3-D systems used in manufacturing
and assembly-line processes
Stage of development:
Early
Financing round: Bridge
Amount:
$150,000
Investors: Advantage Capital
Partners
14. iviewit.com
City: Boca
Raton
Industry: New media
Description:
Provides outsourced streaming video and high-speed, full-screen
digital imaging over the Internet
Stage of development:
Start-up/seed
Financing round:
First
Amount: $1,500,000
Investors:
CrossBow Ventures and others
15. Liquid
Golf
City: Orlando
Industry: Consumer
services
Description: Online golfing community that
features news, information and e-commerce
Stage of
development: Early
Financing round:
Second
Amount: $12,000,000
Investors: RG
Capital Fund and others
16.
MediaBrains.com
City: Naples
Industry: New
media
Description: Outsourcer of online tools to the
publishing/new media industry
Stage of development:
Expansion
Financing round: Second
Amount:
$13,500,000
Investors: Plum Holdings, TL Ventures,
Seaport Capital Partners and Advanta Partners
17. Mesh
Networks
City: Maitland
Industry:
Semiconductors/equipment
Description: Designs and
builds wireless chip sets using next generation technologies that
include switching and routing intelligence within the subscriber
unit
Stage of development:
Start-up/seed
Financing round:
First
Amount: $1,000,000
Investors:
BancBoston Capital and Ventures, Patricof & Co.
18.
Military Commercial Technologies (MILCOM)
City:
Maitland
Industry: Business
services
Description: Provides technology research and
development and consulting services to identify military financed
technologies with commercial applications
Stage of
development: Not categorized
Financing round: Not
categorized
Amount: $16,000,000
Investors:
BancBoston Ventures, Patricof & Co. and others
19.
Muvico
City: Fort Lauderdale
Industry:
Publishing/broadcasting
Description: Operations IMAX
movie theaters
Stage of development:
Expansion
Financing round: Not
categorized
Amount: $1,500,000
Investors:
BCI Partners
20. NT Corp. (Network Telephone
Corp.)
City: Pensacola
Industry:
Telecommunications
Description: DSL CLEC focused on
Southeastern states
Stage of development: Not
categorized
Financing round:
Second
Amount: $33,000,000
Investors:
Morgan Keegan & Co., Spectrum Equity Investors, Mellow Ventures,
Onset Ventures, Lehman Bros.
21. Parkstone Medical
Systems
City: Weston
Industry: Health-care
services
Description: Develops hand-held PDAs for
physicians
Stage of development:
Early
Financing round: Second
Amount:
$31,000,000
Investors: Partech International, Oak
Investment Partners, Cardinal Health Partners, Salix
Ventures
22. Parts Locators
International
City: Jacksonville
Industry:
Business services
Description: Auto-parts exchange on
the Web
Stage of development:
Start-up/seed
Financing round:
Initial/seed
Amount: $2,000,000
Investors:
Interprise Technology Partners, Advantage Financial Group and
others
23. Pronto Capital
Technologies
City: Fort
Lauderdale
Industry:
Electronics/instrumentation
Description: Quick-turn
manufacturer of prototype and pre-production printed circuit
boards
Financing round: Fourth and
beyond
Amount: $3,200,000
Investors: North
American Funds
24. ScoreCard USA
City:
Orlando
Industry: New Media
Description:
Personal Internet portal for amateur athletes
Stage of
development: Early
Financing round:
First
Amount: $2,500,000
Investors:
CrossBow Ventures
25. SweepsClub.com
City:
Deerfield Beach
Industry: New
media
Description: Online game and prize
contests
Financing round: First
Amount:
$2,000,000
Investors: CrossBow
Ventures
26. Switch and Data
Facilities
City: Tampa
Industry:
Telecommunications
Description: Carrier neutral
co-location service provider
Financing round:
Second
Amount: $17,500,000
Investors:
Seaport Capital Partners, Summit Capital Associates
27.
TowerCom Development
City:
Jacksonville
Industry: Networking and
equipment
Description: Operates communications towers
in the Southeast
Stage of development:
Start-up/seed
Financing round:
Initial/seed
Amount: $7,300,000
Investors:
Lovett Miller & Co.
28. US Bid
City:
Melbourne
Industry: Business
services
Description: E-commerce intermediary for
electronic components
Stage of development:
Early
Financing round: First
Amount:
$10,000,000
Investors: Brinson Partners, Spectrum
Equity Investors
29. Vitalcast.com
City:
Tampa
Industry: Health-care
services
Description: Web site offering information on
alternative health-care services
Stage of development:
Start-up/seed
Financing round:
Bridge
Amount: $1,000,000
Investors: Imlay
Investments
30. Wild Card Systems
City:
Sunrise
Industry: Software
Description:
Developing online payment systems for insurance
industry
Financing round: Third
Amount:
$18,400,000
Investors: Sutter Hill Ventures, Greenwich
Street Capital Partners, E.W. Branch and others
31.
Xcelerate
City: Fort Lauderdale
Industry:
Business services
Description: E-commerce information
technology consulting firm
Financing round:
Third
Amount: $35,000,000
Investors:
Idealab Capital Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners and
others
Copyright 2000, Unauthorized
reproduction prohibited.
Pledge | News & PR | Affiliate
Services
|
