Private Equity Week Wire for Tuesday 5/1

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC — WinCom Systems Inc., an Internet infrastructure company, today announced it has secured $32.9 million in second round funding from Crosspoint Venture Partners and TPG Ventures. WinCom Systems has developed an entirely-new class of infrastructure equipment which will revolutionize the data center network and will use the funding to drive this technology and its products to market.

CHICAGO — Douglas-Danielle Inc. (DDI), a Chicago-based Internet direct marketing services firm, recently closed its first round of venture capital to support growth and expand its operations. Douglas-Danielle is a leading Internet direct marketing services provider that integrates online and offline direct marketing communications to generate immediate, measurable and improved sales for its clients, which include Bank of America, Chase Manhattan, Wachovia, Sears and other major direct marketers. Founded in 1998, Douglas-Danielle uses traditional direct marketing strategies to drive consumers online, and leverage its clients’ off-line infrastructure. DDI’s technical capabilities and direct marketing experience have consistently generated immediately improved sales results and new reply channel efficiencies.

WASHINGTON CROSSING, PA — Ripple Technologies Inc., a leading developer of enterprise-wide management solutions, today announced it has secured $4.5 million in its second round of venture capital financing. NewSpring Ventures, L.P. led the investment along with significant participation from Edison Venture Fund, Eastern Technology Fund and Wynnefield Private Equity Partners. This round of funding will be used to increase engineering, sales and marketing, in addition to continuing International Channel Development. NewSpring Ventures’ Partner Mike DiPiano and Ian J. Berg, Managing Director of the Eastern Technology Fund, have joined Ripple Technologies’ Board of Directors. Other Board members include Scott Broder of Citrix, John Martinson of Edison Venture Fund and David Crocker, Chairman.

SAN FRANCISCO — Xythos Software Inc, today announced that it received $6.3 million from IDG Ventures, Softbank Venture Capital and other investors. Both IDG and Softbank contributed $3 million each. Xythos develops server-based file management software that provides secure file storage and sharing functions over the Web, leveraging businesses’ existing storage network infrastructures.

SAN FRANCISCO — Zone Labs Inc., a leading creator of Internet security solutions, announced today that it has closed its Series B financing round with an additional $14 million dollar investment. Existing investors EastWest VentureGroup and Intel Capital are maintaining their participation while new investors, Oxford Bioscience Partners, a life science venture capital firm, and Pacific Venture Group, a leading healthcare focused venture capital firm are joining the round. Zone Labs’ new valuation represents an increase of more than 200% since their last round of financing.

WALTHAM, MA — Matrix Partners, one of the nation’s leading venture capital firms, announced today that David Skok, chairman of Silverstream Software, Inc., has joined the firm as a general partner. Skok started his first company at age 22. Now 45, Skok has founded a total of four separate companies and performed one turn around.

SAN FRANCISCO — First Union Securities announced today that Kevin Morrison will join the group as a managing director in First Union Securities’ Financial Sponsors Group. Morrison will be based in First Union’s San Francisco office, complementing the build-out of First Union Securities’ West Coast presence. Morrison joined First Union Securities from Bank of America Securities where he was a managing director in their Financial Sponsors Group, based in San Francisco.

MCLEAN, VA — GlobalLearningSystems (GLS), an award-winning enterprise level learning solutions provider, announced today that it has secured a $10 million equity commitment, led by Hampshire Equity Partners. This follow-on round of funding from GLS’ current financial partners will be used to continue building the global Internet and new media centered corporate education and training company, including completion of strategic international acquisitions, development of LearningVista(TM), GLS’ enterprise learning solution environment and ongoing development of GLS’ product and service offerings.

For yesterday?s Wire, click here.