Nokia Venture Partners announces 18 investments in 2004 — MobileMonday Global: Industry News

^{From compact memory to mobile marketing} Nokia Venture Partners announces 18 investments in 2004

19 Dec 2004 at 08:38 GMT Timo Poropudas

Nokia Venture Partners, which recenty announced a new, one hundred million dollar later stage investment fund, has announced this year 18 separate investments in mobile or mobile technology related companies. The latest in Enpocket that has aquired other companies with Nokia support.

Enpocket closed USD 9.5 million 3rd round funding announced on November 8. The company, which offers integrated entertainment and marketing services to build and retain mobile audiences, is headquartered in New York and has offices in Los Angeles, Boston, London, Helsinki, Reykjavik and Singapore.

The financing was led by new investor Straumur Investment Bank, and its subsidiary Bru Venture Capital, with all of Enpocket’s existing investors including Nokia Venture Partners, GrandBanks Capital and Dolphin Equity Partners also participating.

The new funding round will be used to expand the company’s sales and marketing initiatives across the Americas, Europe and Asia. Funds will also be used to support Enpocket’s ongoing acquisition of key technologies and products. Enpocket recently merged with Landmat, and had previously acquired SkyGo, an early leader in mobile internet ad serving technologies and Mobicus, an innovator in the development of mobile messaging software.

Network Inference, the leading provider of standards-based adaptive software infrastructure, in October announced the first quarter 2004 close of USD 8.1 million dollars as part of its Series B venture capital funding round.

The funding round was co-led by top venture capital firms Palomar Ventures and Nokia Venture Partners.

Atrua Technologies, Inc., a provider of intelligent touch-based controls for mobile phones, in September announced that the company has raised USD 12 million in Series B financing.

NeoCarta Ventures led the round, with participation from existing investors Acer Technology Ventures, Ericsson Venture Partners, Intel Capital, Nokia Venture Partners and McKenna Capital.

This latest financing round will further accelerate Atrua’s go-to-market efforts, extend their haptic-based processing technology leadership in the mobile space, and expand their operational capabilities.

Other companies where Nokia Venture Partners has invested during 2004 are Lightningcast (July, USD 5 million financing round); Frontier Silicon (May, multi-million pound investment round from Nokia Venture Partners); FreedomPay, Inc. (May, USD 7 million financing round) Nevis Networks (May, USD 10 million financing round); Qovia, Inc., (April, USD 10.6 million financing round); Bitfone (March, USD 21 million financing round); Proquent Systems (March, USD 14 million financing round); Kilopass Technology Inc. (February); Oplayo (February, USD 5 million financing round); Landmat (February, USD 5 million by Nokia Venture Partners); Cornice (February, USD 51 million financing round); Airgo Networks (February, USD 25 million financing round); MicroDisplay Corporation (January, USD 18 million financing round).