Visible Technologies Secures Series B Funding

Business Wire, Sept 24, 2007

Ignition Partners and WPP Group Co-Lead Financing for Growing Seattle Company

SEATTLE -- Visible Technologies, a leading provider of Internet brand and reputation management services, today announced it has secured $12 million in Series B funding from Ignition Partners and WPP Group, plc. Ignition Partners is a premier venture capital firm and WPP is one of the world's leading communications services groups.

Since being founded in 2003, Visible Technologies has focused its efforts on building superior social media monitoring and reputation management solutions. Its TruCast[R] and TruView[TM] product offerings have successfully been adopted by several Fortune 500 companies, politicians, and high-net worth individuals.

"Our clients are looking for solutions to help them understand the social media space and participate in relevant communities as a way to enhance the value of their brands," said Adam Selig, CEO of Visible Technologies. "We are excited to welcome Ignition as an investor in Visible Technologies and are honored to have WPP continue its investment in our solutions."

The rapid adoption of social media involvement among consumers has contributed to the successful growth of Visible Technologies. According to a recent iProspect study, at least 25 percent of the U.S. online adult population visits social networking sites on a monthly basis. This has resulted in the increasing need for companies to regularly monitor their online reputations and presence.

"Marketers have always needed to monitor media for information related to their brands -- whether it's for public relations activities, fraud violations, or competitive intelligence," wrote Peter Kim, senior analyst, Forrester Research. "But fragmenting media and changing consumer behavior have crippled traditional monitoring methods. ... To adequately monitor media in today's rapidly shifting environment, businesses need a strategy for brand monitoring." ("The Forrester Wave: Brand Monitoring, Q3 2006." Forrester Research, Inc., September 2006).

The new funding will be used by Visible Technologies to better serve its expanding customer base and help grow the TruCast and TruView product lines.

"The growth of social media and user-generated content requires major companies to be increasingly concerned about their reputation online and to look for ways to track and manage it. Our clients are already seeing the benefits of Visible Technologies' technology solutions in tracking what is written about them online in blogs and other social media and in responding effectively," said Mark Read, CEO of WPP Digital. "We remain incredibly excited about TruCast and TruView, and look forward to continuing to foster and encourage Visible Technologies' growth."

Visible Technologies further announced Michelle Goldberg, principle at Ignition Partners, will join the Board of Directors. Michelle is presently a board member for Entellium and Mpire. "Visible Technologies' solutions anticipate the growing shift from traditional marketing toward social media. The company has provided a compelling investment opportunity for Ignition," Goldberg said. "The combination of the technology, strong customer adoption and shifting market trends work together to position Visible for market leadership."

About Visible Technologies

Founded in 2003, Visible Technologies empowers companies to track, analyze and participate in consumer-generated media to drive their business forward. Their innovative TruCast[TM] platform is the industry's first complete solution for social media analysis and participation. Visible Technologies also helps brands and individuals manage and protect their online reputations with its powerful TruView[TM] search engine solution. Visible Technologies has 55 employees with key offices in Seattle and New York. For more information, go to www.visibletechnologies.com or visit the blog www.visinsights.com.

About Ignition Partners

Ignition Partners, headquartered in Bellevue, Wash., is a premier venture capital firm dedicated to helping the best entrepreneurs seize opportunity. From turning their early-stage idea into a business, to hiring the right team or providing the right industry and functional insight and connections, Ignition helps companies grow their business strategically, globally and financially to realize the best ultimate outcome. Ignition invests in emerging and future leaders in communications, internet, software and services across business and consumer targets. Ignition brings together an unparalleled combination of domain focus, technical expertise and global operational experience.

Ignition's partners are proven business leaders who have built some of the world's most successful businesses of the last two decades, including Microsoft Windows and Office, McCaw Cellular Communications, AT&T Wireless and Starbucks. For more information on Ignition Partners, visit its Web site at www.ignitionpartners.com.

About WPP Group

WPP (NASDAQ: WPPGY) is one of the world's leading communications services groups, providing national, multinational and global clients with advertising; media investment management; information, insight & consultancy; public relations & public affairs; branding & identity, healthcare communications, direct, digital, promotion & relationship marketing.