3/14: First Round-backed Roblox a hit with kids, raises $92 million; Toshiba mulls selling Westinghouse




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Roblox raises $92 million in funding for its Lego-like virtual game world
(VentureBeat)
Prior funding in San Mateo-based Roblox was led by Altos Ventures and First Round Capital, dating back to 2009, with a total investment of $10.5 million. I noticed it was hot when recently I saw it near the top of the app download list.


Could and should Microsoft buy Citrix? (Mary Jo Foley /ZDNet)

Zenefits founder Parker Conrad takes another crack at HR onboarding (TechCrunch)


Toshiba Mulls Selling Westinghouse, Delays Earnings Report (CIO Today)

Toshiba Mulls Sale of Controlling Stake in Westinghouse Unit (Bloomberg)


Layer3 TV Launches in La La Land (Multichannel News)

Changes coming for 530,000 Time Warner Cable customers in Charlotte (Charlotte Observer)


ADT Reveals 2017 Plans, Protection 1 Integration, Connected Home Opportunities (CE Pro)

Google said it plans to build software platforms allowing mobile operators to run network services in virtualized environments. (RCR Wireless)


Techdirt looks to have lawsuit brought by software developer, represented by Hulk Hogan case lawyer, thrown out (Talking New
Media)



3/13: Post-Snap, more IPO action pops; NYC sues Verizon over FiOS




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Intel to Buy Israeli Self-Driving Car Tech Mobileye for $15 Billion. (Reuters via Fortune)

Citrix Shares Surge Just Before Close On Rumors Of Possible Sale (IBD)

Apple and SAP to release tool to build business apps (Reuters)


Chattanooga-based Skuid raises $24 million for its “codeless” app development toolkit (TechCrunch)

Alteryx, a data analytics software provider, sets terms for $117 million IPO (Renaissance Capital)









Newcastle (UK) digital agency to open Philadelphia office (ProlificNorth)






Comcast looks to complete ‘great tech triangle’ with closure of Austin’s Icontrol (FierceCable)

Alarm.com to Ratchet Up Pursuit of ISP, Cable Market (Multichannel News)
Suit bought by Honeywell against Alarm.com reportedly settled.

NYC sues Verizon, claims broken promises on Fios cable (Philly.com)


Princeton-based Solution Provider Ameri100 Makes Unsolicited Offer To Merge With Struggling Ciber (CRN)






Sunday Highlights: China Reins In Overseas Investment; Miscue Calls Attention to Amazon’s Dominance in Cloud Computing




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After $225 Billion in Deals Last Year, China Reins In Overseas Investment
(NY Times: Dealbook)
What if Trump had to sign off on American-led M&A overseas?

Miscue Calls Attention to Amazon’s Dominance in Cloud Computing (NY Times)

Can IBM Watson Find Its Mojo Through a Salesforce Einstein Partnership? (CMSWire)


Tech is divergent (TechCrunch)



FBI Actively Cultivated Informants in Best Buy’s Geek Squad
(Fortune)

Don't fret if you missed out on Snap - here are 6 more tech companies in the IPO pipeline (CNBC)


a16z Podcast: The Business of Healthcare / w Accolade CEO Rajeev Singh



Saturday Highlights: Trump to select Gottlieb for FDA: The latest startups from the Wharton program that brought you Warby Parker




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Trump to select Scott Gottlieb, a physician with deep drug-industry ties, to run the FDA

(Washington Post)

The latest startups from the Wharton program that brought you Warby Parker (Philly.com)




Concur CEO Steve Singh’s next venture: A smart corporate credit card with touchscreen and battery (GeekWire)
Wan't clear until two-thirds through that this venture is separate from SAP & Concur.

Canada's OutsideIQ, SAP Ariba partner to tackle compliance, risk (Reuters)

Shame on Silicon Valley's Stock Expense Stragglers (Bloomberg Gladfly)
Quite true. Investors should pay attention to this stuff.

Schwab Unit Allays Advisor Concerns Over eMoney (Financial Advisor Magazine)





NewSpring Capital Raises $257 Million Mezzanine Fund


March 10, 2017
NewSpring Capital Raises $257 Million Mezzanine Fund
RADNOR, PA - March 9, 2017 - NewSpring Capital, a family of private equity funds providing growth and expansion capital, today announced the final close of its third mezzanine fund, NewSpring Mezzanine Capital III, L.P. ("NSM III" or the "Fund"). In total, the Fund exceeded its initial target of $200 million and closed at $257.4 million. NSM III received strong support from existing and new investors, including a diverse group of banks, insurers, public plans, financial institutions and individuals. As a Small Business Investment Company (“SBIC”) under the Small Business Administration, NSM III marks the fourth SBIC licence for the Firm.

“Having surpassed our initial target of $200 million, NSM III will enable us to continue to execute on the success of our previous funds,” said Greg Barger, NewSpring General Partner. “We appreciate the continued support of our existing investors and are excited to work with our new limited partners.”

Consistent with the investment strategy of its predecessor funds, NSM III will provide investors with both current income and long-term capital appreciation through investments in mezzanine securities of mid-sized companies primarily in the business services, healthcare, information technology, and specialty manufacturing sectors. The Fund will lead or co-lead sponsored and unsponsored transactions with targeted initial investment amounts ranging from $5 - $20 million. To date, 12 deals have been completed totaling approximately $135.5 million in invested capital.
"Our robust sourcing platform was able to yield a healthy pipeline of opportunities allowing us to close twelve new deals in the last year. We are excited to be working with these great companies and their management teams and look forward to building upon their already strong positions to produce solid returns for our investors,” said Anne Vazquez, NewSpring Partner.



About / NewSpring Growth / NewSpring Healthcare / NewSpring Mezzanine / NewSpring Holdings / Portfolio / Team / News / Contact / Terms & Conditions
© 2012 NewSpring Capital, All Rights Reserved


MeetMe Prices Public Offering of Common Stock


MeetMe Prices Public Offering of Common Stock
March 10, 2017 09:01 AM Eastern Standard Time
NEW HOPE, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MeetMe, Inc. (NASDAQ: MEET), a public market leader for social discovery, today announced the pricing of an underwritten public offering of 8,000,000 shares of its common stock at a public offering price of $5.00 per share. MeetMe has also granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 1,200,000 shares of common stock to cover over allotments, if any. The offering is expected to close on or about March 15, 2017, subject to customary closing conditions.

Canaccord Genuity Inc. and Roth Capital Partners are acting as joint-book-running managers and Northland Securities, Inc. is serving as co-manager.

MeetMe intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes, including potentially to fund a portion of the consideration for the pending if(we) acquisition, and other potential future acquisitions.

The offering is being made pursuant to effective shelf registration statements previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). A preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus describing the terms of the offering has been filed with the SEC, and a final prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus will be filed with the SEC. Before investing in MeetMe, you should read the prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, and other documents that MeetMe has filed or will file with the SEC, for information about MeetMe and this offering.

When available, copies of the final prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to the offering may be obtained by contacting Canaccord Genuity, Attention: Syndicate Department, 99 High Street, 12th Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, by telephone at (617) 371-3900, or by email at prospectus@canaccordgenuity.com; or from Roth Capital Partners, LLC, 888 San Clemente, Newport Beach, California 92660, Attn: Equity Capital Markets, via telephone at (800) 678-9147 or via email at rothecm@roth.com.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, any of the securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities, in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state.

About MeetMe, Inc.

Through its portfolio of brands, MeetMe (NASDAQ: MEET) is meeting the universal need for human connection. Using innovative products and sophisticated data science, MeetMe keeps its approximately two million daily active users engaged and originates untold numbers of casual chats, friendships, dates, and marriages. MeetMe offers advertisers the opportunity to reach customers on a global scale with hundreds of millions of daily mobile ad impressions. MeetMe utilizes high user density, economies of scale, and leading monetization strategies to maximize EBITDA. MeetMe’s apps are available on iPhone, iPad, and Android in multiple languages worldwide. For more information, please visit meetmecorp.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including whether the offering will close as anticipated and the proposed use of proceeds. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained herein, including statements regarding the continued growth in our core platform, are forward-looking statements. The words “believe,” “may,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “should,” “plan,” “could,” “target,” “potential,” “is likely,” “expect” and similar expressions, as they relate to us, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Further information on our risk factors is contained in our filings with the SEC, including the Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 and the Prospectus Supplement as filed on March 10, 2017. Any forward-looking statement made by us herein speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

Contacts
Investor Contact:
MKR Group Inc.
Todd Kehrli or Jim Byers
323-468-2300
meet@mkr-group.com




3/10: Inquirer on Bullpen Capital's Martino; DirecTV’s regional sports fees vary wildly, even in Philly?




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Paul who? He's a Silicon Valley standout who came home to help Philly start-ups (Philly.com)

Dodgers' Boehly Leads $100 Million DraftKings Investment (Bloomberg)
Big thing for Paul Martino's (see article above) FanDuel investment, as FanDuel is slated to merge with DraftKings once regulatory approval is gained. (Its important that a dangerous monopoly not be formed, I suppose.)

Dan Primack reports in Pro Rata that FanDuel is separately raising a round.

Comcast Ventures is also an investor in New York-based FanDuel.



Google’s uncomfortable turn as enterprise IT vendor (Architecht)

Amazon Eyes Access to the Cable Box (Multichannel News)

DirecTV’s regional sports fees vary wildly, nonsensically, by ZIP code (Ars Technica)

"Philadelphia ranged from $0 to $5.83, which was odd because DirecTV doesn't carry Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia."

"'The strangest DirecTV fee pattern we found was in the heart of Center City Philly, where two small ZIP codes with $0 fees are sandwiched between two ZIPs with $4.83 fees,' Consumerist writer Chris Morran reported."

NCTA partnering with CableLabs for scaled-down April invite-only event in D.C.
(FierceCable)

Verizon Ventures and R/GA partner to launch a digital media “venture studio” (TechCrunch)
Perhaps it will turn out something like go90.


And the winner is? Who took home life sciences industry awards last night (Philadelphia Business Journal)

AlphaPoint Completes Blockchain Trial With Scotiabank (Nasdaq.com)



Absolutely incredible:






3/9: Foxconn doing the Fox Trot again?; PA firms eye huge deals overseas




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Foxconn Chairman Raises Uncertainties About U.S. iPhone Manufacturing Plant (MacRumors)
Its not clear that this proposed US plant would have anything to do with the iPhone.

Read next to this piece from WaPo: How Foxconn’s broken pledges in Pennsylvania cast doubt on Trump’s jobs plan.

AkzoNobel Shares Soar After Rejecting $22 Billion Takeover Bid From U.S. Paints Giant PPG (Fortune)

Yingde shareholders end board battle, paving the way for sale to PAG (South China Morning Post)
Air Products still waiting in wings as possible suitor.

Comcast Closes Icontrol Deal (Multichannel News)

Verizon, AT&T May Gain On Comcast, Charter From FCC Action (IBD)


Big data? Not yet. At HIMSS, time moves slowly (AthenaHealth)

Pa. sues IBM, alleging $60 million in cost overruns in unemployment-system contract (Philly.com)

SAP beefs up its integrated business planning suite (DCVelocity)

Millennials buy more clothes on Amazon than any other website (Recode)







Waterfront Lab Coworking Space Opens in Camden in Converted Bank Building


Esther Surden
Publisher & Editor, NJTechWeekly.com



Waterfront Lab is in a converted bank building.
 Photo Credit: Courtesy Waterfront Lab



Startups looking for coworking options in the Camden area have a new choice: Waterfront Lab, located in the converted National State Bank Building, at 121 Market Street. Waterfront Lab hopes to fill the gap created when the New Jersey Economic Development Authority sold the building that had housed Camden CoLab.

Speaking at the UP Conference at Camden’s Waterfront Technology Center in January, James Haley of City Invincible noted that his company, a merger of four urban- and architectural-design firms, had chosen to move to Camden to be part of the revitalization effort there. “One of our foundational principals is that we consider ourselves to be designers of communities first,” he said. The firm bought the abandoned bank building for $1.1 million.


The first floor at Waterfront Lab |
Courtesy Waterfront Lab



“We see the reemergence of Camden as a tremendously positive situation, and we want to be on the ground floor of that revitalization effort,” he said. Haley presented a stunning redesign that will comfortably and efficiently service clients. It will also announce the firm’s “presence as a regional design player on this side of the Delaware.”

Haley said that part of the redesign is the Waterfront Lab coworking facility, which will take up approximately 3,000 square feet on the second floor of the converted bank building and will share common areas. There will be “plenty of room for startups who will be displaced with the revitalization and others who want to move to Camden and start anew.”

Available workspaces will include private offices, as well as open and dedicated desks. Waterfront Lab will be offering flexible plans featuring virtual mailboxes, community facilities and drop-in memberships. Amenities such as a conference room, lounge area, kitchen, snacks, and unlimited coffee will be available to members and event participants.

Waterfront Lab conference room
Photo Credit: Coutesy Waterfront Lab

As of now, Waterfront Lab’s members consist of established startups; small business professionals; nonprofits; government contractors; remote workers; and freelancers from various industries, such as marketing, interior design, media and publishing, transportation, and more.

“We’re very excited to be a part of movement here at the Camden Waterfront,” said Melissa Le, office manager of Waterfront Lab, in a press release. “There is a tremendous amount of opportunity here.” Le added that she could see the Camden area becoming a thriving hub for tech startups.

               Waterfront Lab kitchen |
               Courtesy Waterfront Lab



Supporting the events and programs of Waterfront Lab is Waterfront Ventures, a Camden-based nonprofit organization promoting fun, innovation, and connections to attract businesses into the area.

“Waterfront Lab is more than just a coworking space, it’s a community development center, a think tank, and a brave step forward,” said Khai Tran, founder and CEO of Waterfront Ventures. “We, Waterfront Ventures, will be hosting programs and events at the Waterfront Lab, including our Lighthouse Mentorship and Entrepreneur 101 Program.”

There will be a ribbon cutting at the new facility on April 3, with government officials and other interested parties. The public is invited.




Esther Surden is Publisher and Editor of NJTechWeekly, and a contributor to Philly Tech News. This article originally appeared in NJTechWeekly, and is republished here with her permission.



3/8: Urban Outfitters CEO Says the Retail Bubble Has Burst; Customers Bank sells BankMobile for $175M




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Urban Outfitters – been there, done that, not yet got the omni-channel t-shirt (Diginomica)
Richard Hayne: "I predict within the next three years, total Urban Outfitters retail segment sales by channel will be almost equal."

Urban Outfitters CEO Says the Retail Bubble Has Burst (Bloomberg)


Customers Bank sells BankMobile for $175M (Philly Deals)

Liberty to demolish building on parcels acquired with Comcast {Philly.com)

NBC News Chief Andrew Lack Talks Megyn Kelly Hire, Vows He Won't "Be Intimidated" by Donald Trump (Hollywood Reporter)

GE Sells Water Unit in $3.4 Billion Deal to Smooth Oil Merger (Bloomberg)
GE Water is based out of Trevose.

Huntsman offered Russia ambassadorship (Politico)

AOL Chief Says Company Shopped Buyout Deals to Google, Facebook (Bloomberg)


SAP to offer its business apps on Google Cloud (Reuters)




Accenture to offer HCM as SaaS subscription on SAP’s cloud platform (CBR)

N. Virginia Landgrab Continues: Next Amazon Data Center Campus?
(Data Center Knowledge)

 Land of the giant data centers /
Jones Lang LaSalle