Portfolio Profiles Atlas Venture –

BOSTON – Atlas Venture invests in early- to late-stage information technology and life sciences companies in the United States and abroad. The firm tends to select companies that are a short distance from its offices in Boston, Menlo Park, Calif., London, Paris, Munich and Amsterdam.

Founded in 1980, the firm has raised four funds, the latest of which closed in February. Atlas began investing the $400 million Atlas Venture Fund IV in March and has invested the vehicle at a quicker pace than expected, with half of its capital already committed, said Michael Feinstein, a principal at Atlas.

Atlas Venture Fund III, which closed on $232 million in 1997, is fully invested with 48 investments, some of which led to more than one round of financing in a portfolio company.

The latest fund’s average deal size will range between $8 million and $10 million each and will back approximately 40 companies. Atlas is the lead investor in most of its deals, which can extend over several rounds of financing.

The firm’s most recent limited partners are U.S. pension funds and universities, and a small portion of the fund is reserved for entrepreneurs.

Atlas has more than $850 million under management, and 39 of its portfolio companies have gone public, while 76 were acquired.

The firm’s domestic general partners include Eric Archambeau, Ron Nordin, Barry Fidelman, Axel Bichara and Jean-Francois Formela. Michael Feinstein is a partner.

The following is a list of Atlas’ most recent portfolio companies:

Black Star (Belfast, Northern Ireland) is an on-line provider of books, movies and DVD’s.

Tarrant Venture Partners is a co-investor.

Element 14 (Cambridge, England) is a developer of digital signal processor chips.

Co-investors include Bessemer Venture Partners, Amadeus Capital Partners, TTP Ventures, Nippon Investment & Finance Co. and Sofinnova Venture Partners.

FireClick Inc. (Los Altos, Calif.) is an Internet software company that makes server-based software to speed access for consumers.

Moreover.com (London) is a business information search engine that generates custom news feeds from a wide range of sources.

Walleye Investments is a co-investor.

Quantum Bridge Communications Inc. (North Andover, Mass.) is a developer of optical access networking equipment.

Co-investors include New Enterprise Associates VIII, New Enterprise Associates President’s Fund and Lazard Technology Investors.

Salu.net (Portland, Oregon) is a developer and marketer of technologies for medical professionals and pharmaceutical marketers.

El Dorado is a co-investor.

SkillsVillage Inc. (Santa Clara, Calif.) created the first eMarketplace to address the emerging market of contingent workforce management.

Systemonic AG (Dresden, Germany) is a company focused on the growth-oriented market of digital signal-processors for communications technology.

Atlas Venture is located at 222 Berkeley Street, Boston, Mass. 02116, tel. (617) 859-9290, fax. (617) 859-9292; and 2420 Sand Hill Road, Suite 102, Menlo Park, Calif. 94025, tel. (650) 926-0575, fax. (650) 854-6907.