INFO2CLEAR SECURES 3,5 MILLION EURO ADDITIONAL FUNDING
by Anonymous

Info2clear, Europe’s leading provider of digital content delivery systems, announced today that it has raised 3,5 million Euro in new financing. Bruficom is investing 1 million EUR in Info2clear, while the existing shareholders ABN AMRO Capital (Belgium), BELGACOM, CD Technicom and management are contributing a further 2,5 million EUR in fresh capital.

At a time when many technology start-ups are struggling to attract finance, Info2clear still attracts funds. The high standard of the financial parties is a recognition of Info2clear’s leading technological solutions to the media and business markets.

"We are pleased to announce completion of the new funding round in one of the most difficult financial markets in recent history," says Anthony Belpaire, CEO and President of the Board of Info2clear. "Venture Capitalists are acting very cautiously, and are applying stricter, more analytical investment criteria.â€Â�

Michel Moll, President of BRUFICOM, investment trust specialized in telecommunications and multimedia, explains: "Without a doubt, the DRM market, the field in which Info2clear works, is very promising. We have been following the development of Info2clear from the very beginning of the company's history. The technologies that the company has developed and continues to develop, the specialized services offered by Info2clear that allow the company to create global integrated solutions for copyright management - as well as the management team of Info2clear - are, for us, the factors of success. We wished to participate in strengthening Info2clear's position as the European leader in the content delivery market and Secure Document Distribution.â€Â�

ABN AMRO Capital (Belgium), BELGACOM N.V. and CD Technicom who already hold assets in the company, took advantage of the operation to increase their capital share.

Jan Picavet, Executive Member of the Advisory Board of Info2clear, has been following Info2clear closely for 2 years. “As one of the original shareholders, I am pleased to see how Info2clear has been able to build a solid international customer base in the publishing industry and to adapt its services to the changing media market needs. Info2clear’s technology and know-how can be used for any form of content - text (newspaper articles, eZines or eBooks), pictures, music or video. The strength of Info2clear’s business model is that they help their customers to create value from distributing their digital content.â€Â�

“One of the hottest investment area in the coming year will definitely be content distribution security solutions. Info2clear’s SecureAttachment BIZ service responds to the increasing need for secure Business-to-Business distribution of confidential documents,â€Â� predicts Florent Schmid, Investment Manager of ABN AMRO Capital (Belgium).

Jean Gabriel from Belgacom, sees a lot of opportunities in Info2clear’s new services. “Together with Info2clear’s technology Belgacom has been able to successfully promote music downloads from its portal site Skynet last year. With Info2clear’s SecureAttachment ISP, specifically developed for Internet Service Providers, portal sites will be able to offer secure document distribution services to their customers.â€Â�


Info2clear was founded in April 1998. The team of 40 professionals is based mostly in Brussels with offices in The Netherlands, UK, France and Spain.
Info2clear helps Media customers to select an approach to digital distribute content best suited to their business models, and then builds the necessary infrastructure. Among Info2clear’s Media customers are Uitgeversbedrijf Tijd, Roularta Media Group, VNU Business Publications, Albin Michel, Wegener Group and Kanaal Z.
For Business customers Info2clear provides the tool for secure distribution of confidential documents as e-mail attachment. Among Info2clear’s Business customers are Deloitte and Touche, PWC and Bird & Bird.

BRUFICOM, recently established by S.R.I.B., with the cooperation of leading institutional shareholders, is an investment trust completely dedicated to information technologies: telecommunications, data processing and new convergent technologies. Bruficom's involvement goes from aiding the growth of companies that are already established on the market to funding innovative start-up and developing companies. Beside investments in companies such as MOBISTAR or DEFICOM, Bruficom's portfolio includes participations in M-BRUSSELS INVEST, a start-up incubator, created in partnership with companies such as SIEMENS, BELGACOM, TRAFF-X and GLOBALSIGN.

ABN AMRO Capital (Belgium) is part of the worldwide ABN AMRO Bank Private Equity Network, which helps entrepreneurs and private companies to fulfil their business goals. Besides financial resources companies can also enjoy benefits inherent to the global structure of the ABN AMRO Bank Private Equity Network. ABN AMRO Capital (Belgium) assists privately held growing companies to begin the next stage of their development.

BELGACOM S.A. is the incumbent Belgian Telecommunications operator. The Venture Capital fund BMV has been created in 1996, to actively participate in European ICT-related early stage and development stage companies. The total capital under management is 75 million €. BMV’s mission is to identify promising projects and to support its companies with the development and commercialization of their products and services. BMV actively participates in Streamcase, Ultragenda, Language and Computing, Pefa.com, Unit.net, Netverk Plc, M-Brussels Invest and Netfund Europe.

CD Technicom is a venture capitalist specialised in IT and telecommunication. The company has about 20 participations in the IT, telecommunication, Internet and Multimedia. The company invested in belgian firms, such as Selligent, Reef and TRAFF-X.

Submit Your Article