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????據《華爾街日報》專欄作家卡拉?斯韋什爾報道，新聞集團（News Corp.）可能將在本周四敲定一項交易，將麻煩重重的社交網絡Myspace交易出去，目前金門資本（Golden Gate Capital）和網絡廣告服務商Specific Media是最有希望的意向買家。新聞集團可能以2，000萬至3，000萬美元的價格將Myspace脫手。而2005年新聞集團從風投機構手里收購Myspace的時候，卻足足花了5.8億美元。 ????科技界對金門資本并不陌生，它所投資的科技公司包括芯片制造商Aeroflex和企業軟件公司Infor。但金門資本還從來沒有收購過一家消費者網絡公司，而且斯韋什爾貼出的價格標簽對于金門資本來說也稍低了些。金門資本目前共管理著55億美元的投資，它對旗下每家公司的投資額往往在2，500萬美元到1億美元之間。或許金門資本將MySpace視作一個可以由自己著手構建的平臺也未可知，但是我有充分的理由相信，金門資本對這樁交易的興趣也許并沒有斯韋什爾想象的那樣大。 ????另一個意向買家Specific Media倒是可能會將MySpace視為有價值的收購。Specific Media是一家位于加州歐文市的在線廣告網絡服務商，創立于1999年。該公司2007年從私募股權公司Francisco Partners（在某些情況也下是金門資本的競爭對手）那里募集了1億美元資金。此前它還從Enterprise Partners Venture Capital、Kennet Partners和Shepherd Ventures等風投機構手中募得資金。因此我認為Specific Media手中會有足夠的資金來完成這筆交易，不需要額外注資。不過Francisco Partners公司肯定也有能力為這次收購撥出一筆款項（截至2009年年終，Francisco Partners共運營著20億美元的資金）。 ????Specific Media與新聞集團的首席數字官約翰?米勒也打過交道。2010年10月，Specific Media收購了一家視頻廣告網絡Broadband Enterprises，后者曾從一家名叫Velocity Interactive Group的風險投資公司那里募集到風險投資。而約翰?米勒曾短暫地在這家風投機構里擔任合伙人。 ????我已經致電金門資本和Francisco Partners詢問此事，如果他們進行了回復，我會及時更新此文。（不過別抱太大希望） ????譯者：樸成奎 |
????Kara Swisher is reporting that News Corp. (NWSA) could finalize a deal for the troubled social network by this Thursday, with Golden Gate Capital and Specific Media emerging as the leading bidders. The sale would be for between $20 and $30 million -- a far cry from the $580 million News Corp. paid to acquire the company from its venture capitalists in 2005. ????Golden Gate is no stranger to technology companies, with a portfolio that includes chipmaker Aeroflex and enterprise software company Infor. But it has never backed a consumer Internet company, and Swisher's reported price-tag seems a bit on the low side for Golden Gate. The firm currently is investing out of a $5.5 billion fund, and usually seeks to invest between $25 million and $100 million of equity in each portfolio company. Maybe it somehow views MySpace as a platform upon which it could build, but I've got good reason to believe that Golden Gate is not as far along on this deal as Swisher thinks it is. ????Specific Media, on the other hand, would view MySpace as an add-on acquisition. The Irvine, Calif.-based online advertising network has been around since 1999, and in 2007 raised $100 million from private equity firm Francisco Partners (an occasional rival of Golden Gate). It previously raised VC funding from Enterprise Partners Venture Capital, Kennet Partners and Shepherd Ventures. I assume that Specific would have enough cash on hand to complete the deal without an additional equity infusion, but Francisco could certainly afford the cut another check (it closed on a $2 billion fund in 2009). ????Specific also has a bit of history with Jon Miller, News Corp.'s chief digital officer. In October 2010, Specific bought Broadband Enterprises, a video ad network that had raised venture capital from a firm – Velocity Interactive Group – where Miller had briefly been a partner. ????I've got calls into both Golden Gate and Francisco, and will update this post if they respond (don't hold your breath). |
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