Austin Ventures Acquires Perseus Development Corporation and WebSurveyor; Dean Wiltse, Online Market Research Veteran, Named Chairman and CEO.AUSTIN, Texas -- Austin Ventures ("AV") today announced the acquisitions of Perseus Development Corporation, a leading provider of enterprise feedback management (EFM (Ethernet in the First Mile) Using Ethernet to provide connectivity from the customer to the carrier. See 802.3ah. ) solutions, and WebSurveyor, a leading provider of online survey tools for business professionals. Additionally, Dean Wiltse, former CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of Greenfield Greenfield, town (1990 pop. 18,666), seat of Franklin co., NW Mass., at the confluence of the Deerfield and Green rivers, near their junction with the Connecticut; settled 1686, set off from Deerfield and inc. 1753. Online, a leading panel provider for Marketing Research and consulting companies Noun 1. consulting company - a firm of experts providing professional advice to an organization for a fee consulting firm business firm, firm, house - the members of a business organization that owns or operates one or more establishments; "he worked for a , was named Chairman and CEO of the combined entity. "Our in-depth analysis of the market identified Perseus and WebSurveyor as leaders and innovators innovators people who will try new things. early innovators important figures in the farming or client community because they are the leaders in the introduction of new techniques and management systems. of the EFM and survey tools markets. Combining these two innovators establishes a single vendor offering the experience, technology, and resources to take full advantage of this swiftly growing market," said David Lack David Lambert Lack (July 16, 1910 - March 12, 1973) was a British ornithologist and biologist. Biography Lack was born in London and educated at Gresham's School, Norfolk and Magdalene College, Cambridge where he studied Natural Sciences. , Venture Partner, Austin Ventures. Mr. Wiltse spent the last four years as CEO and President of Greenfield Online. Under Mr. Wiltse's leadership, Greenfield delivered and sustained an organic growth rate of greater than 70% per year, reached $90MM run rate in 2005 revenues and $21MM in EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization) A metric used to show a company's profitability, but not its cash flow. EBITDA became popular in the 1980s to show the potential profitability of leveraged buyouts, but has become , and completed a successful IPO (Initial Public Offering) The first time a company offers shares of stock to the public. While not a computer term per se, many founders, employees and insiders of computer companies have found this acronym more exciting than any tech term they ever heard. in July 2004. During his tenure at Greenfield Online, Mr. Wiltse led Greenfield's strategic shift from a custom marketing research company to an online data and technology company. Under his leadership, Greenfield established the largest community of global online panels, communities and affiliates and was a key enabler for the custom marketing research industry to leverage the Internet for surveys and data collection. In recognition of his accomplishments, Mr. Wiltse was nominated nom·i·nate tr.v. nom·i·nat·ed, nom·i·nat·ing, nom·i·nates 1. To propose by name as a candidate, especially for election. 2. To designate or appoint to an office, responsibility, or honor. as the Ernst & Young 2005 Entrepreneur of the Year and nominated by Research Magazine as the "Marketing Research Industry CEO of the Year 2005." Prior to Greenfield Online, Wiltse served as president of the software division at Engage, Inc., where he led the development of the industry's first online profiling and ad-serving technology that enabled targeted online marketing based on an individual's interests and their online behavior. He has also held senior management positions at other innovative technology companies including Avid and Vivo Software Vivo Software was a pioneer internet streaming media company which was acquired by RealNetworks in March 1998. Vivo Software designed the Vivo Video/Audio platform, including its encoding tools and end-user VivoActive Player. , which was sold to Real Networks in 1998. "The relationship with Mr. Wiltse is part of AV's ongoing strategy of partnering with talented, proven executives to pursue growth investment opportunities. Through Jeff Browning Jeff Browning is an American ultrarunner. He was the 2005 and 2006 champion of the Big Horn 100 Mile Wild and Scencic Trail Runs in Wyoming's Big Horn Mountains. His 2006 performance was also a course record of 20 hours, 24 minutes. , our dedicated in-house talent partner, we continue to build relationships with executives who share our passion for growth businesses and are energized by the partnership we build with them and the resources we dedicate ded·i·cate tr.v. ded·i·cat·ed, ded·i·cat·ing, ded·i·cates 1. To set apart for a deity or for religious purposes; consecrate. 2. to the executives in our CEO-in-Residence program," said Chris Pacitti, General Partner, Austin Ventures. "The growth and success of Perseus and WebSurveyor are proof of the viability and opportunity within this market. Our objective is to build next generation online survey technology tools for the business professional, and the most comprehensive Enterprise Feedback Management platform for the enterprise. As the companies come together, the combined set of products and services will allow for 'total solution delivery' enabling our customers to manage and utilize feedback as they would any valuable corporate asset," said Dean Wiltse, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. About Austin Ventures Austin Ventures has been working with talented entrepreneurs to build valuable companies since 1979. With $3 billion under management, AV is the most active venture capital firm in Texas, and one of the most established in the nation. With a focus on business services, information services See Information Systems. , computer and communications hardware, and enterprise software, Austin Ventures invests at all stages of company development, from $100,000 "planned experiments" to $50+ million investments in management buyouts Management buyout (MBO) Leveraged buyout whereby the acquiring group is led by the firm's management. management buyout See going private. . Visit austinventures.com for more information. About Perseus Development Corporation Perseus is leading the transition from web survey software to Enterprise Feedback Management (EFM) solutions that help organizations better understand their world. Organizations worldwide rely on Perseus systems to better identify and meet employee, customer and partner needs, and increase profitability by creating loyal relationships. Perseus products enable business professionals to quickly and easily obtain, analyze, and manage sophisticated enterprise feedback using intuitive web-based software. Perseus SurveySolutions is a recipient of PC Magazine's Editors' Choice award for web-survey software, and is used by over 22,000 customers worldwide including over twenty-percent of the Fortune 100. Perseus is a 2003 and 2004 Inc. 500 company and Deloitte Technology Fast 500 company, and a four-time Deloitte Technology Fast 50 company. Visit perseus.com for more information. About WebSurveyor WebSurveyor Corporation is the leading provider of online survey technology solutions that empower people with real-time feedback to drive their businesses. Since 1998, over 4,000 customers have trusted WebSurveyor with their online survey projects. WebSurveyor ensures data security and confidentiality, a reliable survey hosting service, dependable survey software and a responsive team of survey experts -- all backed by a money-back guarantee. The company has been recognized for its strong commitment to business excellence and to the highest standards of civic and social responsibility, integrity, and ethical conduct, while being named one of the fastest growing companies in America. WebSurveyor is the 2004 and 2005 Inc. 500 company, Deloitte Technology Fast 500 company, and a Deloitte Technology Fast 50 company. For more information, visit www.websurveyor.com. |
|
||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion