StrongMail Systems Secures $9.5 Million in Series B Funding; Company Closes Record Quarter; Increases Customer Base by 51 Percent.

REDWOOD SHORES, Calif. -- StrongMail Systems, the innovation leader in email infrastructure software, today announced that it has closed a $9.5 million round in Series B funding. The round was led by Globespan Capital Partners, with additional financing from existing investors Sequoia Capital and Evercore Ventures. Venky Ganesan, managing director of Globespan Capital Partners, will join StrongMail's board of directors.

The announcement comes on the heels of a record financial quarter for the company, with a 51 percent increase in customers, including Citrix Online, BrassRing and HouseValues, among others. The funding will be used to expand company operations in response to increasing demand for its products.

StrongMail Systems develops email infrastructure software designed to meet the challenges of today's digital messaging environments. The company's products alleviate common problems such as poor deliverability, low visibility and data integration challenges. This enables businesses to leverage email in increasingly sophisticated ways to improve their bottom line.

"StrongMail embodies one of those rare combinations of talent, uniqueness and timing that provides an excellent investment opportunity for firms like Globespan," said Venky Ganesan, managing director of Globespan Capital Partners. "StrongMail has an acute understanding of the email delivery market and an elegant solution with a growing list of satisfied customers that speaks to its potential."

StrongMail software includes a message transfer agent (MTA) optimized for email delivery, a message assembly engine for dynamic content, advanced message tracking, and the industry's only Live Updates and self-diagnostic tools for delivery assurance. StrongMail leverages a Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) for easy integration with any business system via Web services or SMTP. Available as software or a turnkey appliance, StrongMail exceeds the performance requirements of even the most demanding enterprises and service providers with the ability to assemble, deliver and track over one million highly-dynamic messages on a single, standard server.

"Email and other forms of digital messaging hold enormous potential for businesses today, but most companies don't have the infrastructure they need to take advantage of it," said Sam Cece, CEO of StrongMail Systems. "Our customers use StrongMail software to simplify and enhance their infrastructure so that they can focus more on the value that digital messaging can bring to their business."

Cece continued, "Our Q4 results, coupled with strong financial support from top-tier investors like Globespan, clearly validate our view of the market."

About StrongMail Systems, Inc.

StrongMail Systems, the innovation leader in email infrastructure software, is the only company that has solved the email challenge at its core, thereby empowering businesses to fix, enhance and extend their email communications. StrongMail Systems has pioneered the email application server -- the industry's first complete, fully integrated infrastructure solution for outbound email. Companies use StrongMail software to email-enable disparate business assets and deliver marketing messages, order confirmations, and other transactional communications seamlessly and in real-time. StrongMail is application agnostic and easily integrates with CRM, e-commerce and financial applications, as well as custom developed solutions to unlock the potential of email for enterprises, service providers and ISP's. Founded in 2002, StrongMail Systems is privately held and funded by Globespan Capital Partners, Sequoia Capital and Evercore Ventures. The Company is headquartered in Redwood Shores, Calif., and can be found on the Web at www.strongmail.com.

About Globespan Capital Partners

Globespan Capital Partners is a leading global venture capital firm investing in information technology companies. The firm is focused on a balanced investment strategy across all segments of the IT sector. With offices in Boston and Palo Alto, as well as a business development office in Tokyo, Globespan is uniquely positioned in the US venture capital industry to provide portfolio companies access to global markets, customers, and partners.

About Sequoia Capital

Since 1972, Sequoia Capital has provided startup venture capital for very smart people who want to turn ideas into companies. As the "Entrepreneurs Behind the Entrepreneurs," Sequoia Capital's Partners have worked with innovators such as Sandy Lerner and Len Bozack of Cisco Systems, Jerry Yang and David Filo of Yahoo!, Gaurav Garg of Redback Networks, Larry Page and Sergey Brin of Google, Dan Warmenhoven of Network Appliance, Max Levchin and Peter Thiel of PayPal (eBay), T.J. Rodgers of Cypress Semiconductor, Lou Tomasetta of Vitesse Semiconductor, Steve Jobs of Apple Computer and Larry Ellison of Oracle. To learn more about Sequoia Capital visit www.sequoiacap.com.

About Evercore Ventures

Evercore Ventures (EV) is an information technology venture fund. Evercore's venture investing benefits from its proven investment discipline, analytical capabilities and relationships. This is coupled with technological experience and company building expertise derived from a team that embodies diverse experience and skill sets. As with its other businesses the venture business also revolves around Evercore's relationships. EV invests in areas that allow it to leverage its relationship and knowledge network, or it teams up with proven leaders it knows and with whom it can tackle a new business opportunity. Areas of particular interest include new ventures in wireless and wireline communications, storage, enterprise software and technology enabled services.