1Mby1M Incubation Radar 2010: Phitch

By guest author Praveen Kumar

ePhiphony Incorporated develops and publishes the inventory investment optimization solution suite Phitch, which provides software add-ons to existing accounting enterprise resource planning (ERP) and accounting packages that make it easier to optimize inventory. Phitch is designed to boost the performance of ERP platforms by determining inventory alerts, reorder points, safety stocks, and order quantities at a level to maximize economic profit. The program uses color-coded business alerts that can be accessed from any device and integrates with QuickBooks to improve the financial performance of small and medium businesses. >>>

Rolling Up E-mail Security SaaS: Gary Steele, CEO Of Proofpoint (Part 7)

SM: Your Series A investors are reaching the seven-year point and are probably looking for an exit.

GS: They are long-term, patient investors. They are not looking for a short-term returns in order to raise their next fund. We are in a very different spot from what other folks could be. >>>

World Cup Diary: Latin America Out

Great game, Uruguay vs. Holland. All-European final coming up. While we wait for the much-anticipated Germany vs. Spain game tomorrow, here is a video that one of my readers, Nagendra Shetty, sent me on the European debt crisis. It is at once funny, disturbing, and scary! >>>

Rolling Up E-mail Security SaaS: Gary Steele, CEO Of Proofpoint (Part 6)

SM: I have known other companies that have acquired venture-owned companies, and they did it via an all-cash transaction. The CEO worked out a valuation with the acquisition company, then went back to his investors and presented the deal and raised the cash to make the acquisition happen.

GS: Cash is easier, but those deals have their own complexity. You have to believe that at the end of the day that you will get that cash. >>>

1M/1M Strategy Roundtable For Entrepreneurs On Thursday, July 8

The next free, online 1M/1M Strategy Roundtable for Entrepreneurs will be held this Thursday, July 8, 2010, starting at 11 a.m. EDT/8 a.m. PDT/8:30 p.m. IST.  We hope you will join us and let other entrepreneurs know.  You can find more details and register here.

Rolling Up E-mail Security SaaS: Gary Steele, CEO Of Proofpoint (Part 5)

SM: How did you accomplish the financial engineering of the company ramp and product development?

GS: Series A was $8 million, which the company had in place before I arrived. That was enough to build the security product. >>>

Catching Up On Readings: World Cup Diary

Happy Fourth of July to all readers in the United States. Readers around the world can enjoy my World Cup diary. Next match: Uruguay vs. the Netherlands on July 6. >>>

Rolling Up E-mail Security SaaS: Gary Steele, CEO Of Proofpoint (Part 4)

SM: When you were flying out to your 25 potential customers and converting three of them into very large customers, what was the competitive landscape?

GS: There were a lot of existing vendors. CipherTrust was a player; it turned into Secure Computing and was then bought by McAfee. >>>