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Ideal Image purchased by Steiner Leisure

Tom — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:35:51 +0000

Ideal Image agreed to be purchased by Steiner Leisure (NASDAQ:STNR) for $175 million dollars this week. With 71 centers in 22 states, Ideal Image is the nation’s largest dedicated laser hair removal provider. Ideal Image has focused on delivering the highest quality laser hair removal services, providing a unique combination of a quality medical experience and an upscale retail setting.

Fountain Partners is delighted for founders Joe Acebal, Rick Mikles and Craig Burson and the extended H.I.G. Growth Partners team that backed Joe and Rick along the way. Fountain is proud to have been a small part of Ideal Image’s success having financed the capital equipment and furnishings for numerous laser hair removal locations.

ELFA Celebrates 50th Annual Conference

Tom — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 23:33:26 +0000

The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association hosts its 50th annual conference in San Antonio starting October 23. Here is a link to the conference http://www.elfaonline.org/pub/events/2011/AC/ This note is to thank the many conference participants that have welcomed Fountain Partners to the association. During 2009 conference attendance was down along with the economy. At the time Fountain Partners was very eager to absorb risk but things were so slow there was not a lot of business to be had. The combination of economic thawing and the personal relationships in the leasing industry have made 2010 and 2011 much more interesting and fun. “Thank you” to those ELFA members who have worked with us in recent years; we look forward to seeing you in San Antonio.

Innotribe $100K Start-Up Challenge Tom Carter

Tom — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 23:59:06 +0000

Do you know an outstanding startup in the financial services industry? Fountain Partners’ founder and managing partner Tom Carter will be one of several judges and mentors for the 2011 Innotribe $100K Startup Challenge sponsored by SWIFT. The 2011 Innotribe $100K Startup Challenge is an opportunity for startups in banking, payments, securities, trading, social media, big data, security, identity, mobile, small business & IT infrastructure to introduce themselves to over 9,700 banks and corporations, and win one of two $50K prizes. 10 finalists will pitch to an invitation-only audience at Sibos (financial services industry conference) on September 21, 2011 in Toronto. Entrepreneurs should apply by August 14, 2011 on at http://www.innotribestartup.com/

The Monitor profiles Fountain Partners Proposal Engine

Tom — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 17:02:46 +0000

The Monitor asked Fountain Partners’ founder Tom Carter to share both the genesis and the intricacies of the San Francisco-based funding source’s Instant Proposal Service. For Carter and his team, it’s all about giving brokers and lessees what they’ve always wanted…

Fountain Partners was launched in 2006 as a funding source for non-investment grade and high-growth credits. The company invited brokers and other leasing companies to refer deals that were either too complex or too risky for other sources. This rewarded the firm with a growing business, but the challenge was and continues to be that it is inherently difficult to qualify “story,” or non-investment grade credits. When credit profiles range from pre-revenue-stage companies to “big three” automakers (at a time when they are insolvent), it can be especially challenging.

In such cases, we cannot rely solely on past payment records, composite credit scores, or even individual financial statements to make a judgment to either qualify or disqualify an opportunity. With a team of just two executives early on, it did not take long before we ran out of hours in the day to qualify and price all the potential opportunities. We found that we needed to be able to service more brokers and leasing companies simultaneously and do it more efficiently.

Click here to read the full article on The Monitor Daily’s site

Click this link to download the article in pdf form: Monitor Article – Fountain Partners Proposal Engine

Quidsi bought by Amazon

Tom — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 00:44:35 +0000

On November 8, Amazon announced its acquisition of Fountain Partners leasing client Quidsi, the parent company of Diapers.com and Soap.com. Here is the full press release by Amazon:

(NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire Quidsi, Inc., which operates Diapers.com, an online baby care specialty site, and Soap.com, an online site for everyday essentials.

“I’m not sure which is more unpleasant–changing diapers, paying too much for them, or running out of them,” said Jeff Bezos, Founder and CEO of Amazon.com. “This acquisition brings together two companies who are committed to providing great prices and fast delivery to parents, making one of the chores of being a parent a little easier and less expensive.”

“Amazon shares our commitment to the customer,” said Marc Lore, Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Quidsi. “We are excited to be part of a company that will help us to serve an even larger audience, and we will continue delivering unexpectedly great service that makes life a little easier – that is our mission.”

“Amazon is a pioneer,” said Vinit Bharara, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Quidsi. “Amazon is built on a culture of innovation and long-term vision. Quidsi is driven by these same core values, and we look forward to joining forces.”

Following the acquisition, Quidsi will continue to operate independently under its current leadership team.

In addition to Diapers.com and Soap.com, Quidsi recently launched BeautyBar.com, a prestige beauty boutique.

Under the terms of the agreement, which has been approved by Quidsi’s stockholders, Amazon will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Quidsi for approximately $500 million in cash, as adjusted for the assumption of options and warrants, and also assume approximately $45 million in debt and similar obligations. Subject to various closing conditions, the acquisition is expected to close in December 2010.

Fountain Partners Adds Venture Capital Veteran John Van Hooser as Managing Partner

Tom — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 23:01:10 +0000

Fountain Partners today announced the addition of John Van Hooser as Managing Partner. Mr. Van Hooser joins Fountain Partners founder Tom Carter in managing its third fund, Fountain Leasing 2010 LP which is dedicated to equipment leasing needs of venture, growth and expansion stage companies. John Van Hooser brings over 15 years of venture capital and private equity experience most recently as a General Partner at M/C Venture Partners.

“I am very excited to join Fountain and to work with Tom to continue to build on the company’s success,” said John Van Hooser. “In my years as an equity investor, I have had first hand exposure to the challenges growth and venture stage companies face when it comes to financing meaningfully sized capital equipment purchases. In recent years I witnessed Fountain’s ascension as a go-to source of equipment financing for equity sponsors and management teams in the communications sector based on its customer centric culture and ability to customize terms to fit clients’ needs without requiring warrants, covenants or additional security; terms that are complimentary to existing equity and debt partners alike.”

Fountain Partners has successfully invested two equipment leasing funds and is near the end of its fund raising for its third fund. Since 2006 Fountain has been exclusively focused on the needs of businesses that are generating cash losses from operations as they ramp development or expand sales rapidly. Despite the economic chaos of 2008 and 2009, Fountain has had only one surprise lease default.

“John has been a highly regarded investor not only for being astute in his business judgments but for being an individual that CEO’s and other equity managers respect for his integrity, fairness and effectiveness,” said Tom Carter. “The partnership is fortunate and proud to have John as a Managing Partner of its funds.”

In addition to M/C Venture Partners, John Van Hooser was an investment professional at J.P. Morgan Capital and prior to that held positions at The Walt Disney Company and Bain and Company. John is a graduate of Harvard Business School and Dartmouth College. John will work from Fountain Partners’ San Francisco office.

About Fountain Partners

Fountain Partners is a trusted funding source specializing in equipment leasing for venture, growth and expansion stage businesses throughout the United States of America. By focusing on financing fixed assets, the San Francisco-based investment firm can complement any existing debt or equity capital structure and do so without requiring equity enhancements or blanket liens. Fountain Partners considers investments in companies at any stage, from pre-revenue to large publicly traded companies sourced from a broad network of entrepreneurs, angel investors, venture capitalists, interim CFOs, equipment leasing brokers, venture debt funds and other traditional and non-traditional lenders and equipment leasing companies. For additional information, please visit www.fountainpartners.com or contact Stephanie Breslin by e-mail at s.breslin@fountainpartners.com or by phone at 650-248-9590.

CareView, Fountain Partners Announce $5M Lease Line of Credit

Tom — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:28:22 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — February 2, 2010 — Lewisville, TX — CareView Communications, Inc. (“CareView” or the “Company”)(Pink Sheets: CRVW), an information technology provider to the healthcare industry, announced today that it executed a $5 million Lease Line of Credit provided by Fountain Partners of San Francisco (”Fountain”). Under this lease line, CareView will lease installed CareView Systems™ from Fountain and will repay the draws on the lease line over a period of three years.

“CareView has established a valuable risk management system for hospitals and Fountain Partners is pleased to take a leadership position in financing the company’s growth,” said Fountain’s founder and managing partner Tom Carter.

The CareView System™ is a suite of products that brings the information technology of the 21^stcentury directly to patients, families and healthcare providers by connecting them through one easy-to-install and simple-to-use system. This collaboration will allow the hospitals and other healthcare facilities to provide:

The ability to implement audit tools to ensure that quality standards are being adhered to, safety measures are being complied with, as both can be used to further educate caregivers to continually enhance quality and safety for their patients.
Doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers with the ability to efficiently and cost-effectively monitor, treat and visit their patients.
Family members and friends with the ability to use the Internet to monitor, visit, and correspond with their loved ones who are patients.
Patients and their visitors with direct access to on-demand high-speed Internet and first run movies in their rooms.

“With each CareView System™ costing approximately $1,000 per unit, the funding of Fountain’s lease line will provide us with the ability to continue our rapid roll out of the CareView System™ in hospitals throughout the United States,” stated Samuel A. Greco, CareView’s Chief Executive Officer.

Steve Johnson, President of CareView added, “Fountain Partners is providing CareView capital for growth without the degree of dilution our shareholders would incur with an equity placement. We were attracted to Fountain because of their expertise in our industry and knowledge of our product’s potential. We are very pleased that Fountain reached out to us and took the time and effort to understand our Company and the CareView System™.”

About CareView Communications, Inc.

CareView has created a proprietary high-speed data network system that can be deployed throughout a healthcare facility using the existing cable television infrastructure. This network supports CareView’s Room Control Platform (RCP) and complementary suite of software applications designed to streamline workflow and improve value-added services offered to customers. Real-time bedside monitoring and point-of-care video monitoring and recording improve efficiency while limiting liability, and entertainment packages and education enhance quality of stay. This technology may also act as an interface gateway for other software systems and medical devices moving forward. CareView is dedicated to working with all types of hospitals, nursing homes, adult living centers and selected outpatient care facilities domestically and internationally. Corporate offices are located at 405 State Highway 121 Bypass, Suite B-240, Lewisville, Texas, 75067. Questions may be directed to John R. Bailey, Chief Financial Officer at (972) 943-6050. More information about the Company is available on the Company’s website at www.care-view.com.

About Fountain Partners

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy securities of CareView Communications, Inc. Certain statements in this release and other written or oral statements made by or on behalf of the Company are “forward looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Statements regarding future events and developments and our future performance, as well as management’s expectations, beliefs, plans, estimates or projections relating to the future are forward-looking statements within the meaning of these laws. The forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties including market acceptance of the Company’s services and projects and the Company’s continued access to capital and other risks and uncertainties. The actual results the Company achieves may differ materially from any forward-looking statements due to such risks and uncertainties. These statements are based on our current expectations and speak only as of the date of such statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of future events, new information or otherwise.

FOUNTAIN PARTNERS PROVIDES EQUIPMENT LEASE FINANCING TO SUSTAINABLE SPACES INC.

Tom — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:00:47 +0000

FOUNTAIN PARTNERS PROVIDES EQUIPMENT LEASE FINANCING TO SUSTAINABLE SPACES INC.

Innovative funding solution enables fast-growing company to build out infrastructure without depleting capital or diluting equity

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – October 13, 2009 – Fountain Partners, a leader in equipment leasing financing for venture stage and hyper growth companies, announced today that it has partnered with Sustainable Spaces Inc. (SSI), a nationally recognized home energy efficiency and home performance consultancy, to provide them with a round of equipment lease financing. The capital infusion will enable SSI to continue to aggressively invest in its infrastructure and answer the increasing demand for its services.

Prior to working with Fountain Partners, SSI primarily paid cash for its capital equipment needs. Many purchases were small and spread out over time, but in aggregate, they became a significant use of precious equity capital. Through Fountain Partners, SSI was able to take back cash provided from its prior venture capital round of equity financing and match funding of its assets with fixed-rate capital.

“Fountain Partners brought a fresh perspective to how we could finance our business without giving up equity or requiring a blanket lien on all of our assets,” says SSI CEO Pratap Mukherjee. “They closely examined our business and market position and made a decision quickly that provided us with a flexible sale-leaseback option to help recoup the operating cash needed to expand our business and stay ahead of market demand.”

Providing sale and leaseback financing for venture capital-backed companies is one of example of Fountain Partners ability and willingness to continue to fund businesses throughout the recent credit crunch. Acting as a partner committed to its clients’ success, Fountain provides customized equipment leasing solutions including equipment lease lines of credit to companies at all stages of growth from pre-revenue to profitable companies generating hundreds of millions in revenues.

“SSI has established itself as a leader in its field with high caliber management and board. They are a trusted consultancy for homeowners looking for ways to make their homes healthier, greener and more energy efficient,” says Tom Carter, principal, Fountain Partners. “We worked efficiently with SSI to maximize the cash value of their sale leaseback recognizing that the company has built a solid foundation and is well positioned for growth.”

About Fountain Partners

Fountain Partners is a trusted funding source specializing in equipment leasing for venture stage and hyper-growth businesses. By focusing on financing fixed assets, the San Francisco-based investment firm can complement any existing debt or equity capital structure and do so without requiring equity enhancements or blanket liens. Fountain Partners considers investments in companies at any stage, from pre-revenue to large publicly traded companies from a broad network of entrepreneurs, angel investors, venture capitalists, interim CFOs, equipment leasing brokers, venture debt funds and other traditional and non-traditional lenders. For additional information, please visit www.fountainpartners.com or
e-mail capital@fountainpartners.com.

About Sustainable Spaces

Based in San Francisco and founded in 2004, Sustainable Spaces is the leading provider of home performance services, helping homeowners and homebuilders create homes that are comfortable, healthy and energy efficient. A licensed general and solar contractor, the company specializes in home energy audits and green energy remodeling for existing homes. Sustainable Spaces applies building science to quantitatively analyze a home’s performance as a dynamic system, so as to tailor a solution to the client’s goals, budget, and priorities. The company has been recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council as the case study in their REGREEN Green Remodeling Best Practice Guidelines. For more information, please visit www.sustainablespaces.com.

Contact: Stephanie Breslin

Fountain Partners

650.248.9590

s.breslin@fountainpartners.com

SoftLayer Wins Fast Tech Award

Tom — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 18:52:58 +0000

Congratulations to SoftLayer for their recognition by Metroplex Technology Business Council.

Here is the release

SoftLayer™ Wins 2009 One-Year Fast Tech Award
Honored for Having the Fastest Growth in DFW Metroplex

September 4, 2009, Dallas, TX – SoftLayer™ technologies, the innovative on-demand data center services provider, received the 2009 One-Year Fast Tech Award at the 9th Annual Tech Titans Awards and Fast Tech Gala on Friday, August 28, 2009. The award, presented by the Metroplex Technology Business Council (MTBC), recognizes the company with the highest percentage of revenue growth in 2008 over 2007 in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) area. Both private and public companies from any technology industry segment are eligible for the award, as long as they own proprietary technology. SoftLayer received the same award in 2008 for its growth in 2007 over 2006.

“We are very proud to win this prestigious award two years in a row. It is an honor being recognized among DFW’s technology leaders—there are many innovative companies doing great things here,” said George Karidis, Chief Strategy Officer. “Our continuing growth can be directly attributed to our unique approach to hosting and data center services. We’re bringing new ideas and practical advantages to our customers and the market.”

MTBC is the largest technology trade organization in Texas. Its annual Tech Titans Awards and Fast Tech rankings showcase the industry’s most talented individuals and the companies with the most advanced technologies in North Texas. The region is a leading center for technology and innovation in the U.S. and globally. The American Electronics Association Cybercities 2008 report ranked DFW fifth among U.S. cities in high-tech employment, with approximately 176,000 high-tech workers. DFW ranked second nationwide for employment in both the telecommunications services and internet services sectors.

More information about the event and award is available at www.metroplextbc.org/techtitans.

About SoftLayer

Headquartered in Plano, Texas, SoftLayer delivers world-class, on-demand virtual data center services on a global basis from facilities located in Dallas, TX; Seattle, WA; and Washington, DC. SoftLayer integrates all facets of IT to innovate industry-leading solutions that are fully automated. This empowers customers with complete control, security, scalability, and ease-of-management for their IT environment. For more information please visit www.softlayer.com or call 866.398.7638.

Contact:
Nathan Huey
972.755.3206
nathan@belmonticehouse.com

Fountain Partners provides venture leasing to Profectus BioSciences

Tom — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 03:43:15 +0000

World Leasing News covered Fountain Partners $1M lease line of credit for Profectus BioSciences, Inc.

Here is a link to the article: World Leasing News – Fountain Partners…Profectus