BridgeCo Receives Follow-on Investment from Intel Digital Home Fund.ZURICH, Switzerland -- BridgeCo (www.bridgeco.net), a leading provider of wired and wireless digital home entertainment networking solutions, disclosed today that the Intel Digital Home Fund has participated in BridgeCo's $16 million Series C financing round. The Intel Digital Home Fund joins Fidelity Ventures Fidelity Ventures is the venture capital arm of Fidelity Investments. Based in Boston and London, Fidelity Ventures invests in emerging technology companies in North America and Europe. , Benchmark Capital Benchmark Capital is a venture capital firm responsible for the early stage funding of some very successful startups, including eBay. In 1995, the firm invested $6.7 million in eBay, which became worth more than $5 billion by the spring of 1999 and resulted in one of Silicon , Earlybird and Infineon Ventures as Series C investors. Intel Capital also participated in BridgeCo's Series B funding round. BridgeCo develops chips and the associated software to wirelessly connect PCs to consumer audio/video systems and the Internet. BridgeCo's highly integrated platform handles Internet protocols Refers to all the standards that keep the Internet running. The foundation protocol is TCP/IP, which provides the basic communications mechanism as well as ways to copy files (FTP) and send e-mail (SMTP). , content decompression, digital rights management and user interface processing so that legacy and emerging consumer electronics products can become nodes on wired or wireless home networks. "This investment is part of Intel Capital's strategy of enabling an ecosystem of complementary technologies for the digital home," said Scott Darling, Intel Capital vice president and director of Enterprise and Digital Home Sectors. "BridgeCo's cost-effective home networking silicon, hardware and software platforms, and strategic relationships with content providers and technology partners, will facilitate device interoperability and new ways to use consumer technology." BridgeCo will use this series C financing round to expand its global marketing efforts and support the company's home networking platforms at top tier OEMs. The $200 million Intel Digital Home Fund, one of Intel Capital's investment program initiatives, was announced in January 2004. It targets companies developing hardware and software, as well as connectivity and supporting technologies that enable people to enjoy digital content - including music, games, photos and video - on multiple devices in the home and beyond. For more information, visit www.intel.com/capital. BridgeCo Targets Mass Markets The BridgeCo Entertainment Network Adapter A printed circuit board that plugs into the bus of both user machines (clients) and servers in a local area network (LAN). Also commonly called a "network interface card" (NIC) or "LAN card," the network adapter transmits data onto the network and receives data from the network. (TM), or ENA ENA Ecole Nationale d'Administration (French) ENA Emergency Nurses Association ENA Energy Networks Association (Australia) ENA Ethiopian News Agency ENA Energetic Neutral Atom , is a silicon and software platform that enables audio systems, DVD players and other consumer electronic products to connect to a home PC using the popular WiFi, or 802.11, wireless home network. This allows consumers to play MP3 audio tracks, view digital photos, or access other digital content stored on a home PC, or on the Internet, while using the stereo, television or DVD DVD: see digital versatile disc. DVD in full digital video disc or digital versatile disc Type of optical disc. The DVD represents the second generation of compact-disc (CD) technology. in their living room. There are more than 2 billion legacy consumer products in living rooms around the world that can now be wirelessly connected to a home PC using cost-effective home networking products built on BridgeCo technology. In addition, a growing proportion of the 500 million consumer electronic appliances that are purchased every year will soon come equipped with home networking capability. "BridgeCo is targeting very high volume consumer markets with customized, standards-compliant technology that reduces the cost of networking PCs to consumer electronics," according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. BridgeCo 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. Angelo Ugge. "Just as networking increased the utility of computers at work, home networking is now poised to exponentially increase the utility of both PCs and all of the audio and video equipment that makes our lives more interesting and enjoyable at home." With this Series C investment round, BridgeCo has raised a total of $39.8 million. About BridgeCo BridgeCo is a pioneer of digital entertainment networking solutions. Its BeBoB (BridgeCo enabled Breakout Box A device inserted into a multiple-line cable for testing purposes that provides an external connecting point to each wire. A small LED may be attached to each line, which glows when a signal is present.  Breakout Box _title> ) is a highly integrated platform that delivers cost-effective audio capture and mixing solutions to musicians and content creators. The company's Entertainment Network Adapters (ENAs) are the world's most comprehensive, cost-effective and highly integrated silicon and software platforms for connecting Internet media sources and PCs to consumer electronics throughout the home. BridgeCo ENAs are used in a wide range of innovative and legacy products produced by the multi-billion dollar global consumer electronics industry, including Wireless Audio Adapters, Audio/Video receivers, DVD players, musical instruments and breakout boxes. Underlying all BridgeCo solutions are proprietary, integrated semiconductor and software technologies that network PCs to CE devices via widely-used standards and protocols (e.g. IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, New York, www.ieee.org) A membership organization that includes engineers, scientists and students in electronics and allied fields. 802.11b, IEEE 1394, UPnP, WiFi, and DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) A coalition of computer and consumer electronics companies that was formed to ensure interoperability in home networks. ) for network and signal processing. BridgeCo, an ISO (1) See ISO speed. (2) (International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland, www.iso.ch) An organization that sets international standards, founded in 1946. The U.S. member body is ANSI. 9001-certified company, is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland and maintains an international business development office in Silicon Valley. Its key investors include Fidelity Ventures, Benchmark Capital, Earlybird, Infineon Ventures, and Intel Capital. For more information, please visit www.bridgeco.net. All trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners. |
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