press
Press releases

Tuesday
August 14, 2001
  Earlybird´s portfolio company Graviton Inc., San Diego, CA, USA closes $ 35 million D round
 

LA JOLLA, Calif., August 14, 2001—Graviton, Inc., a developer of wireless sensory information networks, announced today the completion of a Series D Preferred Stock offering totaling $35 million, exceeding the company’s original target for the round.
"This is an important milestone for our young company," said Solomon D. Trujillo, chairman, CEO and president of Graviton. “We believe the strong valuations we are receiving underscore the outstanding potential of Graviton’s technology and solutions. The results of this round are particularly exciting in view of the difficult funding environment for technology start-ups.”
The round was led by Merrill Lynch. Royal Dutch/Shell, Motorola, Inc. and Global Crossing also became investors, joining Mitsui, Omron, Qualcomm, Siemens and Sun Microsystems. In addition to Merrill Lynch, Graviton's primary financial investors include venture capital firms Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Earlybird.
“We are pleased to have led this round of financing for Graviton,” said Joseph M. Schell, chairman of Global Technology Banking for Merrill Lynch. “This is an attractive company, with an exceptionally strong management team, a compelling strategy and provocative technology and solutions.”

“We are very impressed at the range of significant opportunities that the company has open to it,” said Nicholas Callinan, senior vice president of Shell Internet Ventures. “In particular, we see great potential for Graviton’s sensory network solutions in the energy industry and in other markets where Shell is active. We hope to introduce the technology to several companies in the Royal Dutch/Shell Group.”
Warren Holtsberg, corporate vice president and director of Venture Investing for Motorola, Inc., said, “We see the potential for substantial synergies between Motorola’s and Graviton’s wireless sensory network technology solutions. We believe these solutions will offer highly promising opportunities to dramatically reduce costs and increase operating efficiencies in multiple business areas.”
Trujillo noted that Graviton is implementing as planned its strategy “to complete several test engagements with customers in a number of industrial markets to demonstrate the functionality, quick payback, ease of implementation and broad appeal of Graviton’s wireless sensory information network solutions.”
He noted that the company’s development plans are proceeding on an accelerated basis.
“We have set ambitious targets, which include quickly establishing an operating business, building a revenue stream, and creating a solid economic model,” Trujillo said. “I am pleased to say that we are either on or ahead of schedule with respect to all of our key objectives.”


About Graviton
Graviton provides comprehensive monitoring and control solutions for businesses and individuals. It does so through its unique integration of next-generation microsensors, non-wired networks optimized for sensor traffic, and management software designed to cost effectively and efficiently synthesize sensor data into actionable outputs. Through these wireless sensory information networks, Graviton makes it possible to reduce the cost of doing business,
efficiently control machines and devices, and conserve human and natural resources.


About Motorola
Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) is a global leader in providing integrated communications solutions and embedded electronic solutions. Sales in 2000 were $37.6 billion. Motorola Ventures (MV) is the global, strategic venture capital investment arm of Motorola, Inc. MV actively invests at early stages in developing companies of strategic value to Motorola in order to accelerate access to new technologies, new markets and new talent. For more information about Motorola, please visit the web site at www.motorola.com.


About Shell Internet Ventures and the Royal Dutch/Shell Group
Shell Internet Ventures B.V. is a corporate venture capital fund established by the Royal Dutch/Shell Group of companies in November 2000 to make minority equity investments in early stage companies in technology areas relevant to Shell’s current and future operations. The fund invests in high growth, early and expansion-stage companies in the software, Internet and business communications services sectors. For more information, visit the fund’s website at http://www.shell.com/home/Framework?siteId=internetventures-en.
The Royal Dutch/Shell Group of companies, “the Group”, is a diverse group of energy companies with operations in more than 130 countries. The Group’s businesses include oil and gas exploration and production; power generation; manufacturing, marketing and shipping of oil products and chemicals and renewable energy products, including wind and solar power. The Group’s parent companies are Royal Dutch Petroleum Company, which has a 60% interest in the Group, and The “Shell” Transport and Trading Company plc, which has a 40% interest in the Group. Shares in the parent companies are traded on stock exchanges in Europe and in the USA.


About Earlybird
Earlybird is an international venture capital fund with about US $ 300 million under management and investment focuses on information technology, telecommunications and healthcare. With offices in Hamburg, Munich and Palo Alto, Earlybird is well positioned to take advantage of international opportunities and to assist its portfolio companies to gain access to the international market place and financial resources. Earlybird’s investment professionals have extensive finance and start-up operating experience and actively support portfolio companies. In addition, a network of experienced industry specialists serves on the Earlybird advisory board and assists Earlybird and its portfolio companies in providing strategic advice and operational support.

* * * *




  www.graviton.com

 


 
Top