Random Ramblings
Some notes to kick off your Monday:
• Sports talk: Charles Wang, co-founder and former CEO of CA Technologies, is being sued by a hedge fund manager for pulling out of a handshake agreement to sell the New York Islanders. But Fortune has now learned that he may have done it more than once.
As we first reported on Friday, a Boston-based investment firm called Peak Ridge Capital also thought it had a deal to buy the Islanders, before being blindsided by news that the team was being sold to former Washington Capitals co-owner Jon Ledecky and London-based investor Scott Malkin.
While it clearly is an owner’s prerogative to sell to the highest bidder, this situation also raises some major questions about negotiating in good faith and what the NHL did, or didn’t, know about what was going on. You can read the full story by going here.
• Timing: Re/Code reports this morning that social news community Reddit is in talks to raise more than $50 million in VC funding at a valuation north of $500 million. Likely investors include Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia Capital. This comes just days after Reddit shut down the thread that hackers had been using to share many of those hacked pics of female celebrities. There certainly are more controversial things on Reddit than those photos, but nothing nearly so high-profile.
Got to wonder if the thread shutdown is related to the pending investment, particularly given that many A16Z and Sequoia LPs would be loathe to be publicly associated with the pic hack.
• iEvent: I am not an Apple watcher (nor even much of an Apple enthusiast, as I type this on a PC), but isn't it a bit odd that we've been getting a steady stream of leaks ahead of tomorrow's big product unveiling? Is it as simple as longtime PR boss Katie Cotton having left the company? Or maybe that tomorrow's news comes with a large assortment of third-party agreements (fashion industry, payments industry, etc.) and added supply chain partners? Or is it a strategic change of course? Maybe it doesn't matter, but it does feel notable.
• For a lot of good causes: This Wednesday, more than 1,500 Boston-area tech company employees and venture capitalists will take the day off of work to assist in community service projects around the community. It's part of the 4th Annual Tech Gives Back event, and projects include everything from park cleanups and school beautification. There are still some spots left to sign up for the projects as an individual or small group, by going here.
On that page you also will find tickets available for the TUGG after-party, which is expected to raise around $150,000 for area nonprofits. I'm a host for the party, and you can get a 25% discount on tickets by entering promotional code PRIMACK. Hope to see a lot of Term Sheet readers there.
THE BIG DEAL
• Alibaba Group on Friday disclosed pricing plans for its upcoming initial public offering, which is expected to be the largest tech IPO of all time. The Chinese Internet giant plans to offer around 320.1 million shares at between $60 and $66 per share, thus raising around $21.12 billion at nearly a $163 billion market cap if it were to price at the top of its range.
Alibaba plans to trade on the NYSE under ticker symbol BABA. Its underwriters are Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Morgan Staley and Citigroup. The company is expected to launch its investor road-show today, and price the offering a week from Thursday night. Read more.
VENTURE CAPITAL DEALS
• GlassPoint Solar, a Fremont, Calif.-based provider of solar steam generators to the oil and gas industry, has raised $53 million in equity funding from Oman’s State General Reserve Fund, and return backers like Royal Dutch Shel, RockPort Capital, Nth Power and return backer Chrysalix Energy Venture Capital. www.glasspoint.com
• GlobalTranz, a Phoenix-based provider of transportation management and logistics solutions, has raised $40 million in Series C funding from Providence Equity Partners and Susquehanna Capital. The company previously raised funding from Volition Capital. www.globaltranz.com
• Tryton Medical Inc., a Durham, N.C.-based developer of stents designed to treat coronary bifurcation lesions, has raised $20 million in new equity funding from Canepa Advanced Healthcare Fund and return backers RiverVest Venture Partners and 3x5 Special Opportunity Fund. www.trytonmedical.com
• Symphony Commerce, a San Francisco–based provider of “commerce as a service” to brands, has raised $21.5 million in Series B funding. CRV led the round, and was joined by return backers Bain Capital Ventures and FirstMark Capital. www.symphonycommerce.com
• Good Eggs, a San Francisco-based provider of local produce and farm food delivery logistics, has raised $21 million in new VC funding led by Index Ventures. Other company backers include Sequoia Capital, Correlation Ventures, Baseline Ventures, Kapor Capital, Harrison Metal Capital and The Westly Group. www.goodeggs.com
• Wellframe, a Boston-based provider of a mobile platform for patient care management, has raised $8.5 million in new VC funding. DFJ led the round, and was joined by Formation 8, Waterline Ventures and Queensbridge Venture Partners. www.wellframe.com
• Adjust, a German mobile app analytics and attribution startup, has raised $7.6 million in Series C funding. ACTIVE Venture Partners led the round, and was joined by return backers Target Partners, Iris Capital and Capnamic Ventures. www.adjust.com
• Lob, a San Francisco-based suite of print and mail APIs for developers and businesses, has raised $7 million in Series A funding. Polaris Partners led the round, and was joined by First Round Capital, Floodgate and individual angels. www.lob.com
• ZIRX, a San Francisco-based on-demand valet parking service, has raised $6.4 million in Series A funding co-led by Norwest Venture Partners and Trinity Ventures. www.zirx.com
• Delta ID Inc., a Newark, Calif.-based provider of biometric authentication solutions for mass-market computing devices, has raised $5 million in Series A funding led by Intel Capital. www.deltaid.com
• Be-Bound, a Paris-based provider of global mobile Internet access solutions for smartphones, has raised $4.5 million in Series A funding. Backers include the Global Corporate Investment Holding and Gonzague de Blignières (ex-chairman of Barclays Private Equity France). www.be-bound.com
PRIVATE EQUITY DEALS
• Actis is investing $250 million to form a Mexican energy platform called Zuma Energía, which already has acquired a 50 MW wind farm located in Oaxaca. www.act.is
• Batteries Plus LLC, a Wisconsin-based portfolio company of Roark Capital Group, has acquired LED Hut Ltd., a UK-based provider of LED lighting products. No financial terms were disclosed. www.batteriesplus.com.
• HGGC has acquired a majority stake in Pearl Holding Group, a managing general agent focused on the non-standard auto insurance market in Florida. No financial terms were disclosed. www.pearlholding.com
• The Jordan Company has acquired Capstone Logistics LLC, a Norcross, Ga.–based provider of outsourced supply chain solutions at nationwide distribution centers catering to the grocery, foodservice, retail and automotive industries. No financial terms were disclosed. Sellers include H.I.G. Capital. www.capstonelogistics.com
• Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. has acquired Papresa, a paper mill located in northern Spain, from Grupo Alfonso Gallardo. No financial terms were disclosed. www.kkr.com
• Naxicap Partners has acquired Groupe Sud Robinetterie, a French maker of ball valves for various industrial applications, from 21 Partners. No financial terms were disclosed. www.sri.fr
• Ridgemont Equity Partners has acquired a majority stake in Abrasive Products & Equipment, a Deer Park, Texas-based distributor of surface preparation, remediation, abatement, safety, environmental and waterjet cutting products and solutions. No financial terms were disclosed. The seller was Shoreview Industries. www.shoreviewindustries.com
• Signalhorn, a Swiss provider of network services and communications solutions to the enterprise, military and government sectors, has raised an undisclosed amount of equity funding from Metric Capital Partners. www.signalhorn.com
Standard Chartered Private Equity has invested $35 million for a minority stake in Al Jazeera Agricultural Co., a Jordanian poultry and chicken feed producer and distributor. www.sc.com
IPOs
• Two companies are expected to price IPOs this week, according to Renaissance Capital: Affimed and ReWalk. Read more.
• ProQR Therapeutics Inc., a Dutch developer of RNA-based therapeutics for the treatment of severe genetic disorders, has set its IPO terms to 6.25 million shares being offered at between $11 and $13 per share. It plans to trade on the Nasdaq under ticker symbol PRQR, with Leerink Partners and Deutsche Bank Securities serving as co-lead underwriters. Shareholders include Sofinnova Capital (17.18% pre-IPO stake), Fidelity (11.26%) and Gilde Healthcare (5.3%). www.proqr-tx.com
EXITS
• BC Partners has sold half of its remaining 14% stake in British estate agent Foxtons (LSE: FOXT), via a private placement valued at £47.6 million. www.foxtonsgroup.co.uk
• Rakuten (Tokyo: 4755) is in talks to acquire Ebates, a San Francisco-based site for ecommerce rebates, for upwards of $950 million, according to Reuters. Ebates has raised VC funding from such firms as August Capital, Canaan Partners and Foundation Capital. Read more.
• Reservoir Capital Group and Black Diamond Capital Partners have hired Evercore Partners to find a buyer for AmeriLife Group LLC, a Clearwater, Fla.-based life and health insurance company, according to Reuters. A sale could value the company at upwards of $450 million. Read more.
• Yahoo (Nasdaq: YHOO) has acquired Luminate (f.k.a. Pixazza), a provider of in-image ad solutions, for an undisclosed amount. Luminate had raised nearly $30 million in VC funding from such firms as August Capital, Google Ventures, SV Angel, Shasta Ventures, CMEA Capital, Nokia Growth Partners and Webb Investment Network. The Luminate service has been shut down. www.yahoo.com
OTHER DEALS
• FMC Corp. (NYSE: FMC) has agreed to acquire Cheminova, a Denmark–based pesticides maker, for approximately $1.5 billion (including assumed debt), from Auriga Industries. EQT Partners and CVC Capital Partners also had entered a joint bid, according to Reuters. www.cheminova.com
• General Electric (NYSE: GE) has agreed to sell its home appliances unit to Sweden’s Electrolux for approximately $3.3 billion. Read more.
• Global Cash Access Holdings (NYSE: GCA) has agreed to acquire casino gaming equipment maker Multimedia Games Holding Co. (Nasdaq: MGAM) for approximately $1.2 billion in cash, or $36.50 per share (31% premium over Friday’s closing price). www.multimediagames.com
• L'Oréal (Paris: OR) has agreed to acquire Brazilian hair-care company Niely Cosmeticos Group for an undisclosed amount. www.niely.com.br
FIRMS & FUNDS
• The Carlyle Group has closed its fourth Asia-focused private equity fund with $3.9 billion in capital commitments. www.carlyle.com
• Salesforce.com (NYSE: CRM) has launched a $100 million corporate venture capital fund. Read more.
MOVING IN, UP, ON & OUT
• Carolyn Glick has joined Tennenbaum Capital Partners as a Los Angeles-based director. She previously was a senior VP with Bank of America Business Capital. www.tennenbaumcapital.com
• Melissa Mounce has joined Baird Capital in the newly-created role of VP of human capital. She previously was with Abbott Labs as global division talent acquisition leader. www.bairdcapital.com
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