Autodesk, Inc. announced the private placements of three equity investments, totaling $3 million, in startup businesses: Alchemedia, Facility Information Systems (FIS), and IZOIC, Inc. Funding comes from Autodesk Ventures, the strategic investment and business development arm of Autodesk. All three companies use the Internet to extend and enhance the value of design information created by Autodesk customers and provide opportunity for Autodesk in these early stage businesses and industries.
Alchemedia, based in San Francisco, is an e-commerce solutions provider developing tools to help content creators, owners, developers, and publishers protect against unauthorized use of digital images. Alchemedia will not only protect the rights of content creators but also help companies manage commercial transactions for the use of images through embedded commerce applications. Founded in 1998 in Israel, the company also has offices in Dallas and San Francisco. Carlyle Venture Partners and Hollinger Capital participated with Autodesk Ventures in this funding round.
Facility Information System (FIS) tools help businesses improve the management of their real estate and physical assets. The company’s facility management systems provide web-based instruments to manage space and physical company assets. Products and services from FIS help extend the value and use of building design information created by Autodesk customers throughout an entire building life cycle. FIS products incorporate database technologies from Oracle and design technologies from Autodesk. The company, based in Camarillo, California, boasts an impressive list of customers, including Intel, Cisco, Sprint, Verizon, the United States Navy, and the General Services Administration (GSA).
IZOIC, Inc., provides Internet-based software to optimize the planning, design, construction, and maintenance life cycle of subsurface infrastructure. This $139 billion industry helps maintain core underground infrastructure assets, including pipelines, utilities and telecom systems in the US. This infrastructure segment is highly fragmented, requiring multiple organizations to collaborate extensively. Key customers for the Englewood, Colorado-based firm include Palmetto Utility Protection Services and Digger’s Hotline. Insight Capital Partners and Bechtel Ventures participated with Autodesk Ventures in this funding round.
Autodesk Ventures’ goal is to maximize the benefits of the Internet for designers, engineers, architects, and digital content creation professionals since it feels the Internet will be increasingly used to leverage design information. It considers that each of the three companies plays a role in that trend.
