$400 million. While that’s a big sum even in the world of venture investing, peHUB’s Dan Primack pointed out that Highland’s previous fund was twice the size of its most recent one.
—Last week technology legend Bob Metcalfe provided an insider’s perspective of Hewlett-Packard’s $2.7 billion buyout of 3Com, the Marlborough, MA-based firm that he founded in 1979. Very few people get to reflect on their role in a deal of this magnitude, so it’s definitely worth reading what Bob had to say.
—From the bad news department, Bob reported last week that autumn brought a decline in Massachusetts venture deal activity. Investors bet a total of $169 million in 19 venture deals in the Bay State last month, down from the $228 million pumped into 25 deals in the state in September.
—Newton, MA-based Powerhouse Dynamics is raising $2 million in venture funding to develop software that tells consumers how much energy they are consuming. This could be just the information that people need to remind them to turn off the lights before they leave a room or lower the thermostat before heading to work for the day.
—It seems like there’s consolidation in every business nowadays. The Renewable Energy Business Network (REBN), a group of cleantech professionals in the Boston area, merged operations with the Clean Economy Network Foundation of Washington, DC. The REBN name will be phased out in favor of the Clean Economy Network name.
