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Tokyo, January 11, 2008 – Intel Capital Japan today announced that Intel Capital has led the institutional round and invested in KeelNetworks, Inc., a developer of online services infrastructure such as social networking services (SNS). Financial details of the investment were not disclosed.
KeelNetworks provides value added information and communications technology system development and consulting services for businesses and universities; its flagship SNS infrastructure product is ‘nuco.’ The company offers ‘nuco’ social operating system and service via a SaaS (Software as a Service) model, which helps its users to enhance online marketing activities and succeed in online businesses.
By investing in KeelNetworks, Intel Capital intends to accelerate the development of ‘nuco’-based services and enhance adoption of the social operating system and services in the market segment. The investment assists KeelNetworks to further develop ‘nuco’ as an integrated platform that includes SNS, blogging, homepage, groupware and online payment services. KeelNetworks' products add a great value for online activities and promote online services usage enhancing user experience. Intel Japan and KeelNetworks have also agreed to collaborate in creation of an environment allowing senior users to seamlessly enjoy PCs by using KeelNetworks' rich online services.
"With the rapid growth of online business, opportunities for community-based activities and collaboration have increased significantly," said Arvind Sodhani, president of Intel Capital. "By investing in such developers and providers, Intel Capital supports the healthy growth of innovative online services."
"We believe that the next-generation service in the online arena could be boundless service integrating the real and cyber worlds. We have been developing and delivering the ‘nuco’ integrated communications platform," said Tomoaki Sakurai, COO of KeelNetworks, Inc. "The investment from Intel Capital will enable us to supplement and further strengthen our management team and helps us to expand and enrich our ‘nuco’ service that targets a wide range of market segments including consumers and businesses, reaching all demographics irrespective of their age and occupation."
"Intel is always seeking applications that support the PC ecosystem and enhance the user experience," said Sudheer Kuppam, managing director for Intel Capital for India, Japan, Australasia and South-East Asia. "With this investment, we hope to capitalize on the ubiquitous broadband connectivity in Japan and enhance online community based collaboration and commerce."
About Intel Capital
Intel Capital, Intel's global investment organization, makes equity investments in innovative technology start-ups and companies worldwide. Intel Capital invests in a broad range of companies offering hardware, software and services targeting enterprise, home, mobility, health, consumer Internet, semiconductor manufacturing, and cleantech. Since 1991, Intel Capital has invested more than US$6 billion in approximately 1,000 companies in more than 40 countries. In that timeframe, about 157 portfolio companies have gone public on various exchanges around the world and another 187 have been acquired by other companies. In 2007, Intel Capital invested about US$639 million in 166 deals with approximately 37 percent of funds invested outside the United States. For more information on Intel Capital and its differentiated advantages, visit www.intel.com/capital.
About KeelNetworks
KeelNetworks, established in 1998, provides value added information and communications technology system development and consulting services for businesses and universities as represented by its ‘nuco’ SNS infrastructure. For more information on KeelNetworks is available at www.keel.net.
Intel and the Intel logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.
* Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
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