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$3
Million into Six Portfolio Companies from Ariadne Capital
London (10 May, 2004)
– Ariadne Capital Ltd.
announced eight new investors rounding out a European shareholder base of
two-dozen successful entrepreneurs. New investors include Mark Blandford,
founder of Sportingbet; Finn Helmer, founder of Giga; Nick Ogden, founder
of On Instant, and earlier, WorldPay; Stefan Roever, founder of Navio and
earlier, Brokat; Michael Jansen, founder of Brokat and Auxell Private
Equity, and Nigel Burton, CFO, WILINK. Ariadne Capital is applying these
individuals’ experience of building businesses and shareholder value to the
next generation of European fast growth companies.
A source of capital for start-up entrepreneurs, these investors actively
invest in Ariadne Capital-backed deals, thereby contributing to its growing
portfolio of high-growth companies and its pool of private capital. This
brings Ariadne Capital’s private investor network to a total of 24 active
investors who are also Ariadne Capital shareholders.
Ariadne Capital and its investors have invested
more than $3 million into six Ariadne Capital portfolio companies including
NanoMuscle, Navio, Intamac, Casino Village, Ten UK, and Real Health.
“This is ‘Atlas Shrugged’ backwards,” said Julie Meyer, CEO of Ariadne
Capital, referring to Ayn Rand’s landmark book chronicling the building of
the New World. “The impact of pooling the market power of top business
leaders and entrepreneurs in this manner is massive. If there is a force
for ‘building Europe.net’ in an enterprise-friendly manner, this is it.”
Ariadne Capital’s shareholder base now includes the founders of Cinven,
WILINK, WorldPay, SES Astra, Net Beans, Systinet, Causeway Capital, James
Hallam Insurance, Net Partners, ENBA/First E, Global Bet Brokers, Navio,
Museums Online, Brokat, Affinity Internet Holdings, EuropeOnline,
Sportingbet, and First Tuesday.
Bundeep Singh Rangar, COO, Ariadne Capital, said, “Julie and I are
ruthlessly focused on backing those with the visions and execution ability
to change the world.”
Notes to Editors:
Investment Highlights
March 2004, Intamac based in Northampton, UK received investment from four
Ariadne Capital Investor Members.
October 2003, Ariadne Capital Investors also invested in and syndicated a
financing for Cupertino, California-based Navio, a company focused on
enabling digital commerce across platforms and on a P2P basis, which
recently closed its Series A round.
August 2003, Ariadne Capital Investors invested in and syndicated a $16
million Series C financing for Antioch, California-based NanoMuscle, which
develops motion technologies that displace motors.
Current
Investors
Ariadne
Capital Investors include Lionel Anthony, Mark Blandford, Peter Wakeham,
Nigel Burton, Finn Helmer, Stefan Roever, Nick Ogden, Stephen Harlow,
Gerhard Huber, Michele Appendino, Michael Jansen, Martin Velasco, Candace
Johnson, Wayne Lochner, Roman Stanek, Alan Turner, Paul Turner, Paul Danowa,
Gerard Bonnevay and Benoit Leleux.
About Ariadne Capital
Ariadne Capital is a European venture capital group, which invests in early
stage private and advises later stage private and public companies,
undergoing significant growth or change. The sectors that it focuses on
include Enabling Technologies, Life Services, Communications and Software.
Information about its portfolio can be found at
www.ariadnecapital.com
Ariadne Capital provides its portfolio companies, as well as its strategic
partners, access to its network of industry executives and investors,
hands-on management and Board level assistance to implement strategic,
operational and financial plans. Ariadne Capital helps its companies access
capital, secure executives, leverage innovation and generate sales.
Ariadne Capital advises BT, Volkswagen, Lloyds TSB, Gresham Computing, T
Mobile as well as high-growth start-ups.
Ayn Rand/Atlas Shrugged
http://www.aynrand.org/aynrand/
For more information contact:
Lena Ahmed
Brodeur Worldwide
Tel: +44 (0)20 7298 7097 /
Email to: lahmed@uk.brodeur.com
Julie Meyer, CEO, Ariadne Capital Bundeep Singh
Rangar, COO, Ariadne Capital
+44 (0)20 7653 0236
+44 (0)20 7653 0215
julie@ariadnecapital.com bundeep@ariadnecapital.com
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