Anametrix (http://anametrix.com), the leader in cloud-based business analytics technology, has established a Board of Advisors to offer strategic oversight and guide the company's rapid growth.  The first five members are Michael Robertson - technology entrepreneur of MP3.com and Gizmo5 fame, Fred Bourgeois - founder of six technology companies and "Team FREDNET" participant in the Google Lunar X-Prize, Neil Senturia - a serial entrepreneur and venture capital backer, Eric Otterson - a business development specialist who serves on many boards, and Gavin Mandelbaum - an Internet and eCommerce expert who sold four premier web companies.

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"The Anametrix advisory board is filled with bold visionaries with breakthrough accomplishments," stated Blaise Barrelet, Anametrix CEO.  "Michael Robertson, Fred Bourgeois, Neil Senturia, Eric Otterson, and Gavin Mandelbaum - they know what is required to define an industry and transform business practices. We are extraordinarily blessed by the invaluable addition of these intellectual icons to help build our $B company."  Barrelet added, "Anametrix is also fortunate to welcome two new Directors of the Board, Alain Schreiber, M.D. and Laurent Asscher, whose strategic personal investments and experience will accelerate further corporate growth."

Raising more than $100 million in private capital and orchestrating transactions with a combined value of nearly a billion dollars over the course of his career, Michael Robertson is an accomplished technology entrepreneur who founded MP3.com (the largest Internet IPO of all time and eventually sold to world's largest music company Vivendi / Universal), Linspire (sold to Xandros Corporation), and Gizmo5 (acquired by Google).

Acclaimed scientist and speaker, Fred J. Bourgeois, III is founder or co-founder of six high-tech companies in fields ranging from software development, networking, security, robotics, and most recently space exploration technologies. As the leader of "Team FREDNET", he is developing a robotic Lunar mission with over 600 volunteers from 63 countries on six continents in pursuit of the Google Lunar X Prize. Bourgeois states, "Blaise Barrelet has a catch phrase, 'Build with your dreams, not with your means' that is the driving sentiment of his many successes.  He has set out to make Anametrix a $B company, and I am excited to help pilot this mission."

With more than 25 years of diverse entrepreneurial endeavors, Neil Senturia is currently the CEO of Blackbird Ventures.  His background ranges from developing over 1.8 million square feet of residential and commercial building space to screen writing for popular television sitcoms. He also founded multiple software companies; most notably, Atcom/Info, which pioneered high-speed Internet access in hotel rooms and was sold for $80 million. Other companies were sold to Lockheed Martin and to Kofax.  Senturia states, "Anametrix provides a powerful service -- gathering disparate data feeds into one dashboard so rational decisions can be made -- now that is a platform which solves a significant business problem."

Eric Otterson is Vice President of Business Development at Cooley LLP, bringing business oriented legal solutions to publicly traded, middle market and emerging growth companies in Southern California.  In his career, he has lead the implementation and relationship teams for clients such as Fiserv, Countrywide, AT&T, and British Telecom.  Otterson states, "The WebSideStory key players have come back together to build another exciting business.  Serial entrepreneurs are critical to the continued growth of San Diego's vibrant technology sector, and I am thrilled to support Blaise and the team in driving Anametrix's growth."

A pioneer of eCommerce, Gavin Mandelbaum is recognized as one of today's Internet leaders in terms of innovation and profitable practical deployment.  He founded iBaby(acquired by iVillage) and iHome.com (acquired by the original Linens 'n Things) and co-founded BabyCenter.com (acquired by eToys and later by Johnson & Johnson) and iMaternity.com (acquired by Destination Maternity). Mandelbaum states, "Executives must make better use of company data. The promise of the InstaVista™ analytics platform is that business decision making becomes more efficient, more transparent, and more accountable."

Dr. Alain Schreiber is a Managing Partner at ProQuest Investments, a leading venture capital firm in the Healthcare industry.  He has previously served on the Board of Directors of ActivX Biosciences (sold to Kyorin), BioRexis Pharmaceutical Corp. (sold to Pfizer), Cabrellis Pharmaceuticals (sold to Pharmion/Celgene), Cadence Pharmaceuticals, Conforma Therapeutics (sold to Biogen Idec), LEAD Therapeutics (sold to Biomarin), Optimer Pharmaceuticals and Somalogic. Schreiber states, "I feel privileged to personally invest in Anametrix, which is transforming the emerging field of cloud based business analytics."

Currently serving on the board of directors of several technology companies, Laurent Asscher is also the President and Chief Executive Officer of Airtek Capital Group, a private equity investment firm based in Brussels, Belgium.  He has also served as General Manager of Apollo Invest, a private equity investment firm based in Paris, France.  Assher will introduce Anametrix to many European Fortune-like companies; he states, "Anametrix offers breakthrough technology in the real-time web and business analytics market by providing a cloud-based solution that is adaptable, scalable, and affordable.  The quality team members are poised to make Anametrix a major player."

About Anametrix, Inc.

Anametrix, Inc. is a privately funded next generation business analytics company whose InstaVista™ solution is delivered via Software as a Service (SaaS).  A high-performance data management infrastructure handles data integration, statistical analysis, and other compute-intensive functions to seamlessly manage online, offline, and multi-channel corporate objectives.  Founded in 2009 by analytics industry expert Blaise Barrelet, Anametrix provides cloud-based solutions that allow for quick and precise decision making from the correlation of vast amounts of data including web analytics, social media, search engine marketing (SEM), video & audio, e-mail campaigns, market research surveys, customer relationship management (CRM), and enterprise resource planning (ERP). Self-directed business insights are readily accessible across organizations, from sales staff to C-level.  For more information, please visit http://anametrix.com, call (858)558-8230 x333 or email publicrelations@anametrix.com

SOURCE Anametrix, Inc.

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http://www.anametrix.com

Michigan Accelerator Fund I, L.P., today announced the formation of the community's first venture capital fund formed specifically to support early stage life science and technology companies: the Michigan Accelerator Fund 1 (MAF1).

The new fund is made possible through a $6 million award from Michigan's 21st Century Jobs Fund, a program of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) focused on jump-starting new investments in high-growth industries around the state.  Additional investments by regional partners will bring the Fund's total to $10 million, with the total raise expected to be complete in early 2011. Fund investment activity is expected to begin in early 2011.

MAF1 was developed specifically to leverage the hundreds of millions of dollars already invested in West Michigan's science and research infrastructure by filling the region's early stage funding gap. The Fund will drive forward the new economy of Michigan, providing a path to funding and partnerships for the commercialization of new regionally developed opportunities.  MAF1 presents its university and research institution partners with a fresh channel for technology transfer funding.

While MAF1 will focus on healthcare and life sciences investments, a portion of its funding plan will be allocated to other important Michigan industries such as advanced manufacturing, alternative energy, and homeland security.

MAF1 is sponsored and supported by leading West Michigan investors, research organizations and socio-economic stakeholders, including:

• Grand Valley State University
• Van Andel Research Institute
• Hope River Ventures
• West Michigan Science & Technology Initiative
• Grand Angels
• Michigan State University Foundation
• The Right Place
• Lakeshore Advantage

MAF1 will be managed by John Kerschen and Dale Grogan, principals at The Charter Group, a Grand Rapids-based merger and acquisition advisory firm.  

"This Fund reflects the collaborative spirit and forward-looking leadership that has typified West Michigan over the years.  We have an opportunity to accelerate the development of high-growth industries and the creation of knowledge-based jobs – both of which are necessary for long-term economic success across our region," Kerschen said.

Kerschen also noted that while more than 20% of the country's research expenditures and patents occur in the Midwest region of seven states, less than 6% of venture capital investments occur in the region.  

"We cannot simply wait and hope this situation changes.  This Fund will help us more effectively chart our own economic path in the years ahead."

In addition to providing early-stage capital for high-growth businesses, MAF1 will also include a number of programs aimed at enhancing the support infrastructure for emerging companies.  These include:

Mentor-in-Residence Program:  Two to three mentors will be identified who have deep industry and scientific expertise and are willing to proactively incubate opportunities until they are successfully launched.

Student Internships:  As many as 10 Grand Valley State University Seidman School of Business students will be offered summer internships during the fund's initial five years of operations.

SOURCE Michigan Accelerator Fund I, L.P.

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The Business Accelerator Network for Southeast Michigan, a new region-wide network for building and retaining new business in southeast Michigan, today announces the Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition, an international business plan competition designed to highlight Michigan as a robust and vibrant venue for innovation and business opportunity.

The New Economy Initiative for Southeast Michigan has granted Ann Arbor SPARK $750,000 to launch the competition on behalf  of the Business Accelerator Network for Southeast Michigan, composed of four of the region's key business accelerators– Ann Arbor SPARK, Automation Alley, Macomb-OU INCubator, and TechTown. Joining the Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition as partners for event are the University Research Corridor (Michigan State University, the University of Michigan and Wayne State University) and Business Leaders for Michigan.

The Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition will uncover the best and brightest new business concepts from local and global entrepreneurs, exposing those opportunities to potential investment capital and fostering their growth within Michigan. Slated to be the world's largest business plan competition with more than $1 million in cash awards, plus in-kind awards of services, staffing and software, the Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition targets early stage businesses with proven technology and potential to generate an immediate impact on Michigan's economy, as well as student concepts with longer-term business viability.  

The business plan competition is open to entrepreneurs in Michigan and worldwide who are willing to establish a business in the state. Participants will submit entries in nine categories including advanced materials, advanced transportation, alternative energy, homeland security and defense, information technology, life science, medical devices, next generation manufacturing and products and services.  A separate track designed specifically for students to submit business concepts is open to any undergraduate or graduate student attending a Michigan university or college in fall 2010.

The competition kicks off on August 24, 2010, and culminates with a gala awards brunch in Ann Arbor on December 11, 2010. The Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition concludes with the University of Michigan vs. Michigan State University "Big Chill" hockey game at Michigan stadium and includes a pre-game tailgate party for all judges and participants.  

"The Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition highlights Michigan as the destination for innovation," said David Egner, executive director of the New Economy Initiative. "As the first of many projects of the Business Accelerator Network for Southeast Michigan, the competition will help to accelerate the transition of our region to an innovation-based economy. We are pleased that the University Research Corridor and Business Leaders for Michigan are joining with us as partners and support the message that Michigan is an ideal place to launch and grow a new business."

"The Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition provides second stage entrepreneurs with the opportunity to showcase their ideas and grow their companies in a region where new business thrives due to the unique resources available," said Michael Finney, president & CEO of Ann Arbor SPARK. "We also hope to reach the large number of talented Michigan University and college students and encourage them to submit their homegrown ideas to build upon Michigan's entrepreneurial ecosystem."

For more information about the Accelerate Michigan Innovation competition, visit www.acceleratemichigan.org, or connect with the competition via Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

About the Business Accelerator Network for Southeast Michigan

The Business Accelerator Network for Southeast Michigan is new region-wide network for building and retaining new business in southeast Michigan. Composed of the region's four key business accelerators– Ann Arbor SPARK, Automation Alley, Macomb-OU INCubator, and TechTown, the organization will work collaboratively to share best practices, host events focused on addressing issues and goals that impact southeast Michigan, support business plan development, and leverage funding to grow business in the region.  

The Business Accelerator Network for Southeast Michigan is supported through a three-year, $3 million grant from the New Economy Initiative for Southeast Michigan.

About The New Economy Initiative

The New Economy Initiative for Southeast Michigan (NEI) is an innovative philanthropic effort to accelerate the transition of metro Detroit to an innovation-based economy that expands opportunity for all. Ten national, regional and local foundations have committed $100 million to this unprecedented eight-year initiative, including the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan (Detroit, Michigan), the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation (Southfield, Michigan), the Ford Foundation (New York, New York), the Hudson-Webber Foundation (Detroit, Michigan), the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (Battle Creek, Michigan), the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation (Miami, Florida), The Kresge Foundation (Troy, Michigan), the McGregor Fund (Detroit, Michigan), the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation (Flint, Michigan), and the Skillman Foundation (Detroit, Michigan). The participating foundations are leading the implementation and governance of the Initiative. The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, which initiated the collaborative, is serving as its administrative home. For more information, please visit http://neweconomyinitiative.cfsem.org/.

About the University Research Corridor

Michigan's University Research Corridor (URC) is an alliance of the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and Wayne State University with a vision to contribute toward the transformation of Michigan's economy.

The URC is among the top R&D clusters in the nation (compared with regions of the USA such as Route 128 in Boston, Research Triangle in North Carolina, and Silicon Valley in Northern California) for producing patents, new business, and graduates with high-tech related degrees needed in growing new fields. In addition, the three universities serve as a magnet in helping to attract new business to the state of Michigan. http://urcmich.org/.

About Business Leaders for Michigan

Business Leaders for Michigan (www.BusinessLeadersforMichigan.com), the state's business roundtable, is dedicated to making Michigan a "Top Ten" state for job and economic growth.

The organization is composed exclusively of the chairpersons, chief executives or most senior executives of Michigan's largest companies and universities, which provide over 300,000 jobs in Michigan, generate over $1 trillion in annual revenue and serve over 130,000 students.

SOURCE Business Accelerator Network for Southeast Michigan

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Today, The Samuel Zell & Robert H. Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business announced that Michael Godwin and Jason Townsend, MBAs '10, have formed Resonant Venture Partners, an emerging venture capital firm that makes seed stage investments in regional firms across a variety of technology sectors. Resonant is the first venture capital firm to be established by alumni who previously played critical roles in investment decisions for the Wolverine Venture Fund. The firm, which will focus on investments in the IT, life sciences, advanced manufacturing, alternative energy and defense sectors, closed its first deal late last week.

Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Resonant began subscribing its first fund in July 2010 despite the challenging economic climate, and will continue fundraising efforts while simultaneously sourcing new portfolio companies throughout the next 18 months. The initial investments in the fund were raised from both in-state investors, as well as those from out-of-state, underscoring the investment potential of Michigan and its status as an emerging hub for technology innovation.

"Resonant is committed to keeping promising companies Michigan," said Godwin. "With the entrepreneurial talents and technology innovation coming out of the University, coupled with investors, like us, eager to invest locally, there is tremendous opportunity for companies to succeed in Ann Arbor and its surrounding communities."

Zell Lurie Institute Programs and Support Prove Critical

After successful technology and business development careers in Silicon Valley, Godwin and Townsend attended the Ross School of Business in order to pursue their entrepreneurial passions and hone their venture capital skills. While there, they served together as managing directors of the University's $5.5 million Wolverine Venture Fund, the country's first student led venture fund that has served as a model for other university programs over the years. Both were deeply involved in rigorous due diligence in support of the Fund's investment decisions.  During their time as fund leaders, the Fund made seven investments and benefited from two exits, most notably the acquisition of HandyLab by Becton Dickinson.

Godwin and Townsend credit the hands-on experience and mentorship they received at the Institute for much of Resonant's success, as well as citing the important relationships they established as a result of  the Institute's network of entrepreneurs and investors both locally and nationally. Resonant's advisory board is comprised of several notable members of the local investment community, including Tom Kinnear, executive director of the Institute and seasoned angel investor, as well as  Mary Campbell, managing director at EDF Ventures, and Donald Walker, managing director of Arbor Partners

"It takes an immense amount of passion and effort to start a venture capital firm, especially in today's environment" said Kinnear, Executive Director of the Samuel Zell & Robert H. Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies, Wolverine Venture Fund Director and member of Resonant's advisory board.  "Based on the experiences and successes both Michael and Jason faced on the Wolverine Venture Fund, I am very confident in their ability not only to make Resonant thrive, but also to make significant contributions to Michigan's flourishing startup community."

Resonant Closes First Deal with Investment in Scio Security

Resonant was part of a $1 million investment in Scio Security, a computer security startup led by serial entrepreneur Dug Song and University of Michigan PhD candidate Jon Oberheide. Palo Alto, Calif.-based True Ventures led the round, which also included two strategic angel investors with extensive security expertise. As part of Resonant's involvement, the firm will be actively involved in building the management team and technology commercialization, and Scio will maintain its Ann Arbor headquarters.

"We are looking to revolutionize the security market and provide strong authentication and fraud prevention by leveraging users' mobile devices," said Dug Song, co-founder, Scio. "The investment from True and Resonant will provide us the necessary capital to launch our flagship product which protects the security of online transactions and remote access.  We are thrilled to have Resonant on board with us as we grow."

About the Samuel Zell & Robert H. Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies / Center for Venture Capital & Private Equity Finance at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan

The Institute and its Center for Venture Capital and Private Equity Finance bring together a potent mix of knowledge, experience and opportunities from the front lines of entrepreneurship and alternative investments. The student learning experience is further enhanced through internships, entrepreneurial clubs and organization and events that serve to provide viable networks and engage the business community. The School's two student-led investment funds, with over $5M in management, immerse students in the business assessment and investment process. Members of the Advisory Board include Samuel Zell, Chairman of Equity Group Investments; Michael Hallman, former COO of Microsoft Corporation; and Eugene Applebaum, Founder of Arbor Drugs, Inc.  For more information, visit the Institute at www.zli.bus.umich.edu.

SOURCE The Zell Lurie Institute

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http://www.zli.bus.umich.edu
http://resonantvc.com
http://www.trueventures.com
http://sciosecurity.com

Oggifinogi, the leading provider of advanced rich media solutions, today announced that it has closed a Series A funding round of $2 million.  The round was lead by Greycroft Partners, with participation from iNovia Capital, Contour Venture Partners, and several prominent individual investors.  The company will use the funds to grow its national footprint of Real Time Rich Media (RTRM) products, designed for marketers who buy audience-based media through advertising exchanges, demand side platforms, agency trading desks, ad networks and branded publishers.  Oggifinogi is also using the funding to expand its New York City office, engineering team and creative talent.

Oggifinogi, founded in 2008, has established itself as the industry expert in developing highly interactive rich media formats for brands.  Oggifinogi has worked with over one hundred brands to date, across categories ranging from consumer package goods, retail, entertainment, and finance.  In addition, Oggifinogi's Real Time Rich Media (RTRM) products are the only rich media solutions that function within a real-time bidding environment.  The technology natively supports the high technical demands of agency trading desks and exchanges, solving one of the major obstacles for brand marketers interested in buying exchange-based media.  Further, the Oggifinogi RTRM suite of creative ad products delivers high-impact, feature-rich ad units, with cutting-edge technology and analytics, that result in market leading ROI for clients.  Together with a focus on complete creative development and laser-fast turnaround, Oggifinogi provides a cost effective solution in a market that has been plagued by legacy technology, poor service, and a slow reaction to market needs.  

Oggifinogi plans to announce several partnerships that solidify them as the leader in the RTRM space.  

"We built Oggifinogi to satisfy an important client need: the ability to quickly deliver high performing, dynamic, video-rich advertisements in a real time fashion, all with extensive analytics and optimization," said Michael Hyman, Oggifinogi co-founder and CEO.  "We let clients achieve their brand vision without compromising creativity, performance, or placement thus taking their online advertisements to an entirely new level."

The Board of Directors includes Ian Sigalow of Greycroft Partners, John Elton of iNovia Capital, Bob Greene of Contour Venture Partners, Geoff Judge, Co-Founder of 24/7 Real Media, Brian Fitzgerald, Co-Founder of Evolve Media Corp, and Chris Young, CEO and Founder of Digital Broadcasting Group.

"Oggifinogi allows advertisers to embed any functionality inside a standard ad unit – from video to fully-interactive websites – and the campaigns can be built in hours instead of weeks," said Ian Sigalow, Partner at Greycroft.  "When this is combined with real-time tracking and exchange functionality, you have a solution that has quickly become a new industry benchmark for interactive advertising."

Oggifinogi also recently announced the appointment of Michael Rosen as President, based in New York City, to focus on the company's national expansion.  

About Greycroft Partners

Greycroft Partners, based in New York City, is a venture capital partnership formed to invest in promising digital media companies.  Greycroft leverages an extensive network of media and technology connections to help investees gain visibility, build strategic relationships, and successfully bring their products to market.  Greycroft's portfolio companies benefit from active, hands-on assistance in all phases of expansion.  For more information, visit www.greycroftpartners.com.

About iNovia Capital

iNovia provides venture capital to entrepreneurs who transform innovations into successful companies. The team is comprised of sector experts focused on Mobile, Consumer Internet, Internet Communications, Software and Digital Media. iNovia has $165M under management across two seed and early stage IT and Life Sciences funds. For more information, visit www.inoviacapital.com or follow iNovia on Twitter at http://twitter.com/iNovia.

About Contour Venture Partners

Contour Venture Partners invests in companies focused on information technology, and the application of technology into the financial services, digital media and internet sectors. The principals at Contour have a long and successful track record, having directly supported over 40 companies through numerous market cycles since the late 1980s. For more information, visit www.contourventures.com.

About Oggifinogi

Oggifinogi is the leading provider of advanced rich media solutions focused on delivering Real Time Rich Media (RTRM) to marketers buying audience-based media through exchanges, demand side platforms, ad networks and branded publishers.   Oggifinogi's RTRM suite of creative ad products delivers high-impact, feature-rich ad units with cutting-edge technology and analytics designed to deliver market leading ROI for clients.   Founded in 2008, Oggifinogi has offices in New York and Seattle. Visit Oggifinogi at www.oggifinogi.com.

SOURCE Oggifinogi

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http://www.greycroftpartners.com
http://www.inoviacapital.com
http://www.contourventures.com
http://www.oggifinogi.com