Thames Tech Wire

London Business Angels Takes Home AllStars VC Award

London -- Greater London Enterprise (GLE) announced that London
Business Angels (LBA) has won this year's "Private Investor Network
of the Year" award at the Investor AllStars Venture Capital Awards for
early stage U.K. investors. London Seed Capital Investment Director
Mark Boggett was also short-listed for the Young Personality of the
Year Award. "This is a fantastic achievement for LBA, which has been
breaking new ground in the last year with its new business angel funds
and programmes, such as Ready2invest and the Creative Business
Accelerator for SMEs," said LBA Managing Director Anthony Clarke.
MTI won Best Venture Fund, while Intel Capital won best Corporate
Venture Fund.
http://www.investorallstars.com/
http://www.jasonball.com/

Report: VC Investment in Irish Companies Falls in 3rd Qtr

Dublin -- According to the latest Ernst & Young and Venture One
"Quarterly European Venture Capital Report", VC investment in
Ireland declined in the third quarter. The report found that VC firms
invested nearly 22 million euro (£15 million) in local companies in the
quarter, down from the 28.4 million euro invested the quarter previous
and the 30.6 million euro invested in the same quarter last year. A total
of 11 deals were completed, up from the eight deals in the second
quarter, but down from the 14 deals in the third quarter of 2004.
"Quarter three 2005 did see a lower total of money raised, but there
were a greater number of early-round deals at the expense of later-stage
investments," said Ernst & Young Ireland Senior Manager Garry
O'Rourke. "While it is possibly too early to declare this as a definite
trend, it is certainly positive news for younger, innovative companies
entering the funding market."
http://makeashorterlink.com/?A2945153C

MTC-Vodafone to Offer New GSM AlJazeera News Service

London -- MTC-Vodafone, a Kuwait-based mobile operator,
announced that it is offering a new AlJazeera Mobile news service for
its GSM users. In September 2002, MTC (Mobile Telecommunications
Company) entered into a Partner Network Agreement with U.K.-based
Vodafone Group Plc, the world's largest mobile operator, creating
MTC-Vodafone Kuwait. The AlJazeera Channel, established in 1996,
is the first independent Arabic language satellite channel to broadcast
out of the Arab world. "In collaboration with AlJazeera Channel, Al
Majaz Telecom Technology and Aiwa Gulf, MTC-Vodafone will
enable customers to stay connected by viewing breaking news, sports,
political and business news and information on their GSM mobile
handsets from the leading Arab news provider," MTC-Vodafone said.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?C4D35153C

Mtrack Launches New Mobile Service for Bullied Children

London -- Mtrack, a U.K.-based mobile technology firm, announced
that it has launched a new mobile-phone service called PingAlert that
will allow bullied children to contact their parents discreetly. The
service can be activated by pressing a speed-dial button on a handset
that can be kept hidden from view. PingAlert sends a text message to
the parent's phone with a location description and, when possible,
picture-message map. "PingAlert provides a great tool in the war
against bullying," said Michele Elliott, director of children's charity
Kidscape, which has endorsed Mtrack's other service, KidsOK. "Now
kids can alert their parents that they're in trouble without having to call
or text them." The service can be accessed online and costs 50 pence
per alert, plus the cost of the call, Mtrack said.
http://www.kidsok.net/

Ofcom Appoints Graf as Non-Executive Deputy Chairman

London -- U.K. telecommunications watchdog Ofcom announced that it
has appointed Philip Graf as non-executive deputy chairman. Graf was
most recently chairman of the Press Standards Board of Finance, the
body that funds the Press Complaints Commission, and chairman of the
Broadband Stakeholder Group, the advisory group to the government
on the promotion of broadband services. Graf's appointment is effective
from Jan. 1, 2006. Separately, the regulator announced that it has also
appointed Sean Williams as executive director of the Ofcom board and
Polly Weitzman as general counsel.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?N2321253C

Phoenix IT&T Consulting Teams Ups with Ireland's Ci3

Dublin -- Ireland's minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment has
launched a distribution agreement between Australia's Phoenix IT&T
Consulting and Irish financial software developer Ci3. "I am delighted
to launch the distribution of SWORD in the Australian and New
Zealand market and to see the successful partnering between Phoenix
and Ci3," said Micheal Martin, currently on a business-promotion visit
with Enterprise Ireland to Australia. "This partnership demonstrates a
successful match up of an award-winning Irish operational risk
management software and Australian specialist sales and distribution
expertise to bring SWORD to market."
http://www.entemp.ie/press/2005/20051122a.htm

BNS Telecom Makes Initial Public Offering on London's AIM

London -- BNS Telecom Group Plc, a U.K.-based provider of
telecommunications services to small and medium-sized enterprises
(SMEs), announced that it has launched an initial public offering (IPO)
on the London Stock Exchange's Alternative Investment Market
(AIM). BNS said it raised approximately £8 million with the IPO. BNS
provides integrated telecommunications services to the SME and
corporate market in the U.K., offering a broad range of services
including fixed-line, mobile, Internet telephony and data services
complemented by installation and maintenance of telephone systems.
The market capitalisation of the company at the placing price of 54
pence per share was approximately £27 million.
http://www.bnstele.com/

Medical-Technology Company Dictate IT Raises £250,000

London -- Dictate IT Ltd., a U.K.-based firm that provides an online
medical-transcription service, announced that it has raised £250,000 in
venture-capital financing. The Capital Fund, a £50-million fund that
backs fast-growing SMEs in the Greater London area, led the round.
Dictate IT said it would use the funding to expand its sales team and IT
development. "Dictate IT offers a great product that is tailored to a
significant and growing market niche," said Capital Fund Investment
Manager Helen Reynolds. "The various factors driving change in this
area in the NHS, including the increased use of electronic patient
record systems, difficulties in recruiting medical secretaries and a focus
on staff cost savings, are all creating opportunities where Dictate IT is
well-placed to provide solutions."
https://www.dictate.it/public/index_html

Report: VC Investing Maintains Strong Momentum in 2005

New York -- Following an active year in 2004, venture-capital
investing sustained the momentum in 2005 in the U.S., Europe and
Israel, according to a year-end report by Ernst & Young and Dow Jones
VentureOne. The report found that fundraising by venture-capital firms
reached its highest level since 2001, while mergers and acquisitions and
initial public offerings (IPOs) by venture-backed companies also
showed continued strength. Although investments in venture-backed
companies remained about the same as a year ago, the report showed
there was a stronger trend toward later-stage financings, suggesting that
investors are "confident in the prospects of their portfolio companies
and optimistic in regard to exit opportunities".
http://www.dowjones.com/ 
http://www.ey.com

BancTec Acquires SDS Applications for Undisclosed Sum

Slough, England -- BancTec Ltd., a U.K.-based financial systems and
outsourcing specialist, announced that it has acquired SDS Applications
Ltd., a U.K.-based mortgage and trading systems firm, for an
undisclosed amount. BancTec said the acquisition would move the
company into the mortgage and trading software markets for the first
time and allow it to further its growth plans in Europe and North
America. "(SDS Applications's) software product suite is a natural
extension to our eFIRST product suite, and the combination will allow
BancTec to deliver cost-saving solutions across the financial services
market, especially in areas such as mortgages, insurance and consumer
loans," said BancTec U.K. and Ireland COO Steve Downey.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?B2F64633C