Investors in Telecommunications

We’re (not just) investors. We’re (more than) advisors. We’re (beyond) connectors. Ben Franklin Technology Partners combines the best practices of early stage investing with a higher purpose – to lead the region’s technology community to new heights, creating jobs and transforming lives. For over 30 years, Ben has been the leading seed stage capital provider for the region’s technology sectors, investing over $170 million in more than 1,750 regional technology companies, many of which have gone on to become industry leaders. Ben Franklin has also launched university/industry partnerships that accelerate scientific discoveries to commercialization, and has seeded regional initiatives that strengthen our entrepreneurial community.

MASSACHUSETTS CAPITAL RESOURCE COMPANY was established in 1977 as a limited partnership privately owned and funded by Massachusetts-based life insurance companies. The Company’s mission was to create a source of risk capital to fill the senior debt to equity funding “gap” experienced by growing companies. Their investment activity complements, rather than competes with, the financing provided by senior lenders and equity investors. Mass. Capital provides higher risk growth and acquisition capital to manufacturing, distribution, service and technology companies. They focus on emerging growth and middle market companies with operations in Massachusetts. Their investments are structured to fit the specific needs of portfolio companies and to complement funding available from senior lenders and equity investors.

IMM Investment Corp. is a private equity and venture capital firm specializing in mezzanine investments. It focuses on mergers and acquisitions, venture capital investing, corporate restructuring, private equity investing, industry consolidation, management buyouts, spin-offs, recapitalizations, and cross-border investments. Within mergers and acquisitions, the firm invests in strategic mergers, growth through acquisitions, going public via a reverse merger, and strategic divestures. For recapitalizations, it targets family owned enterprise considering whole or partial exit and balance sheet restructuring. The firm also co-invests in buyout transactions. For its growth stage investments, it allocates 20 percent to startups, 40 percent to expansion, and 40 percent to mezzanine. The firm targets companies operating in information technology infrastructure, wireless communications entertainment and contents, franchising, cement, software, electricity, food and beverage, machinery, game software, chemical, paper manufacture, and automobile parts industries. For industries concentration, it sets 40 percent to information technology infrastructure focusing on security, application service provider, and e-commerce solutions; 30 percent to contents, focusing on education, game, and animation; and 30 percent to digital hardware focusing on network and communications equipment, semiconductor, parts and others. The firm also invests in infrastructure, environment, manufacturing, enzyme, biotechnology, and healthcare sectors. It also makes secondary investments. The firm primarily invests in South Korean medium-sized companies located in Seoul, Gyeonggi, Daegu, Gyeongsangbuk-do, and Chungcheongbuk-do. It prefers to take an active role in management. IMM Investment Corp. was founded in July 1999 and is based in Seoul, South Korea.

Founded in 1997, Seaport Capital is a lower middle market buyout firm that invests in communication infrastructure and services, business and information services and media companies (the “Focus Sectors”). Seaport’s senior investment team has over 100 years of combined experience investing in the Focus Sectors, and the team has worked collectively for over 15 years. Seaport typically invests $10 to $30 million of equity capital in companies generating EBITDA between $3 and $15 million, with the goal of maximizing the return on invested capital. Seaport’s substantial industry expertise and investing experience enable it to develop successful strategies; its relationships and team help achieve them. Nearly all of Seaport’s platform investments have been owned by founders or entrepreneurs seeking a collaborative institutional partner to provide the financial and operational resources to grow their businesses and execute on a successful strategic plan.

Tennenbaum Capital Partners, LLC is an investment firm specializing in direct and secondary direct investments. For direct investments, it specializes in special situations, distressed debt, turnaround, PIPES, leverage buyout, growth, industry consolidation, corporate divestitures, complex ownership changes, expansion stage, and recapitalization investments in middle market companies. The firm typically invests in companies that are facing rapid secular or cyclical change or legal, operational, and financial challenges; turnarounds; restructurings; and bankruptcies. The firm prefers to make investments in technology, healthcare, energy and power, aerospace, forest products, paper, packaging, gaming/lodging, defense, clean technologies, media and business services, chemicals, retail and consumer services, real estate, telecommunications, housing & building products, natural resources, metals, mining, engineering & construction, environmental services, financial services, financial technology, transportation, logistics, utilities, and general manufacturing. It seeks to invest in North America with investing in Europe. It seeks to make equity investments between $10 million and $300 million in public and private companies with enterprise value between $100 million and $1500 million through open-market purchases and privately negotiated transactions. The firm makes debt investments between $10 million and $125 million in companies with enterprise values between $100 million and $1500 million. It can be an active control investor or a supportive financial partner. It takes minority stakes. Tennenbaum Capital Partners, LLC was founded in 1996 and is based in Santa Monica, California with additional offices in San Francisco, California; Atlanta, Georgia and New York, New York.

YFM Equity Partners LLP is a venture capital and private equity firm specializing in investments in growth capital, recapitalization, development, expansion, management buy outs, and management buyins. The firm seeks to invest in mid and late venture, mature, and emerging growth companies. It seeks to invest in firms which are not involved in primary industries. The firm invests in small and medium sized entrepreneurs (SMEs) and companies across a range of sectors and has a particular interest in energy, materials, manufacturing, consumer staples, consumer electronics, healthcare, financials, business services, information technology, telecommunications, utility, software and services, internet, computer hardware, computers and peripherals, electronic equipments, instruments and components, retail roll-outs, utilities, consumer brands, and companies with proprietary technology. It seeks to invest in companies based in United Kingdom including; South-West, Yorkshire with a focus on North Yorkshire; South Yorkshire; West Yorkshire, Somerset, Wiltshire, Humberside, and North Lincolnshire. The firm also seeks to invest in North West region with a focus on England including Cheshire, Cornwall, Cumbria, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Greater London, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, and Merseyside. It also invests in the United States. It seeks to invest between £0.1 million ($0.19 million) and £10 million ($14.51 million) of equity in companies with sales value between £5 million ($0.19 million) and €50 million ($71.36 million). The firm seeks to provide £10 million ($16.13 million) for late stage and buyout investments. It seeks to take Board membership in its portfolio company. The firm prefers to hold majority stake. It seeks to exit its investments within five years through sale or listing. YFM Equity Partners Limited was founded in 1982 and is based in Leeds, United Kingdom with additional offices in London, Birmingham, Manchester, and Sheffield in United Kingdom.

Founded in 1948, CDC Group is a Development Finance Institution and is wholly owned by the UK government. CDC's mission is to support the building of businesses throughout Africa and South Asia, to create jobs and to make a lasting difference in the lives of people who live in some of the world's poorest areas.

Intel Capital, Intel's strategic investment program, is one of the largest worldwide corporate venture programs investing in the technology segment. With an overall strategy to stimulate advances in computing and communications, the Intel Capital team seeks out, and invests in, promising companies worldwide, working together to establish new and innovative technologies, develop industry standard solutions, drive Internet growth, and advance the computing platform. Since 1991, Intel Capital has invested more than $11.6 billion in approximately 1,437 companies in 57 countries. In that timeframe, 212 portfolio companies have gone public on various exchanges around the world and 377 were acquired or participated in a merger.

Founded in 1992, Advantage Capital Partners is a venture capital firm specialised in equity and debt investments. The firm has worked with state and federal economic organisations to invest in small businesses and in low income areas.

Capital Midwest Fund is a Wisconsin-based private equity firm that specialises in early-stage investments in manufacturing, life sciences, consumer goods, healthcare, business services and technology companies across the Central United States.