Comverge, Inc. Closes on $13 Million
Private Equity Financing
FLORHAM PARK, NJ, April 9, 2003–Comverge, Inc. (formerly Comverge
Technologies, Inc.), a leading company in the Energy Intelligence industry announced
today the completion of its previously announced private equity financing in
the amount of $13 million. The syndicate of investors includes leading venture
capital firms from the United States and Europe. The financing round was led by Nth Power and includes
E.ON Venture Partners GmbH, an affiliate of E.ON AG (NYSE: EON), EnerTech Capital, Shell
Internet Ventures, an affiliate of the Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies
(NYSE: RD) and Easton Hunt Capital Partners, L.P. in the syndicate as new shareholders. Data Systems & Software Inc. (NASDAQ:
DSSI) also participated in the round and remains Comverge, Inc.’s largest
shareholder.
Tim Woodward,
a Managing Director at Nth Power said: "We have followed Comverge's
progress for several years and feel they are very well positioned to lead the
electric utility industry's movement to more advanced load management solutions
and price-responsive programs. All of the investors in the syndicate can
help to accelerate the company's market penetration through a combination of
capital and strategic connections."
In addition,
Comverge announced that it finalized terms for new credit arrangements totaling
$6.5 million with a leading financial institution. This transaction allows
Comverge to consolidate its long-term debt at attractive rates and to access a
larger line of credit for working capital needs.
Proceeds from
the equity and debt financings will be used to fund Comverge’s internal growth
opportunities, including the installation of a major Virtual Peaking Capacity™
system for a large electric utility and the advanced development of the
company’s Maingate® and Direct Load Control product lines.
Robert M.
Chiste, Chief Executive Officer of Comverge, stated: “We are very pleased to
have received funding from such a prominent group of international energy
investors. The financial and strategic
relationships that these investors bring will afford Comverge the opportunity
to demonstrate significant growth. The
investors include premier energy-related venture capitalists whose limited
partners include a large number of utility companies who may be potential
customers for Comverge. Additionally,
the parent company of E.ON Ventures is the largest utility in the world, and the
parent company of Shell Internet Ventures is one of the largest energy
companies in the world. These
relationships provide Comverge significant strategic advantage. With our solid base of business and
customers, enhanced by the marquee investor group, Comverge is clearly
positioned to become a premier player in the industry.”
In commenting
on the financing, George Morgenstern, President and CEO of DSSI stated:
"We are pleased to welcome the new investors in Comverge. This financing
from premier energy venture investors ratifies the confidence which we have
expressed over the years in Comverge's business and its solid leadership team,
led by Bob Chiste. This investment will allow Comverge to advance to the next
level towards its goal of becoming the preeminent company in the energy
intelligence industry."
About Comverge, Inc.
Comverge, Inc., The Power in Power Technology™ has more
than 500 energy supplier clients worldwide. Comverge has offices, research
facilities, representatives and agents located in Florham Park, New Jersey,
Atlanta, Georgia, Pensacola, Florida, Fremont, California, and Tel Aviv,
Israel. The Company’s PowerCAMP™ Group provides End-to-End Energy Intelligence™ software solutions. Comverge’s
Technologies Group provides integrated solutions for direct or voluntary load
control programs, remote meter reading, price-responsive programs, time-of-use
billing, distributed generation monitoring, and more. Comverge’s Enterprise
Group provides pioneering business solutions including owned and operated
systems, Virtual Peaking Capacity™ negawatt contracts, and joint ventures. For
more information visit www.comverge.com.
About Data Systems &
Software Inc.
Data Systems
& Software Inc. is a provider of software consulting and development
services, and is an authorized direct seller and value added reseller of
computer hardware. For more information visit www.dssiinc.com.
About Easton Hunt Capital Partners, L.P.
Easton Hunt Capital
Partners, L.P. (EHCP) is a venture capital/private equity fund investing in
early and late stage venture capital transactions, PIPEs (Private Investment in
Public Equity) and management buyouts. In the venture and private equity
area, the Fund has focused on Life Sciences, Industrial Manufacturing and
Distribution, Software, and Energy. In the buyout arena, the Fund's focus
has been much broader, because of the wide range of operational and
transactional experience of its Principals.
For more information visit www.eastoncapital.com.
About EnerTech Capital
EnerTech Capital is a $290 million
specialty venture capital firm focused on early- to expansion-stage venture
investments in software, technology, and services businesses that serve the
energy and communications industries.
About E.ON Venture Partners
GmbH
E.ON Venture
Partners GmbH (www.eon-venturepartners.com) is a corporate venture capital group
established by E.ON AG, the largest private utility provider in Europe, to make
minority investments in early stage companies with energy related technologies
and services.
About Nth Power
Nth Power began
investing in 1996, focusing on the high-growth opportunities arising from the
continuing restructuring of the nearly trillion-dollar global energy utility
marketplace. Nth Power has over $250
million under management, with investments in distributed generation and
storage, communications and control technology, transmission system automation,
outsourcing services, power quality and efficiency devices. Nth Power’s limited partners include many of
the world’s leading electric and gas utilities and equipment
manufacturers. Nth Power’s web site can
be found at www.nthpower.com.
About Shell Internet Ventures
Shell
Internet Ventures is a corporate venture capital fund established by the Royal
Dutch/Shell Group of Companies (Shell) to make minority equity investments in
early stage companies in technology areas relevant to Shell's current and
future operations. The fund has
invested in high growth, early and expansion-stage companies in the software,
internet and business communications services sectors.
THE SECURITIES TO BE ISSUED TO
THE INVESTORS IDENTIFIED IN THIS PRESS RELEASE WILL NOT BE AND HAVE NOT BEEN
REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, OR APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES
LAWS, AND, UNLESS SO REGISTERED, SUCH SECURITIES MAY NOT BE SOLD IN THE UNITED
STATES ABSENT A REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 AND APPLICABLE
STATE SECURITIES LAWS, OR AN EXEMPTION FROM SUCH REGISTRATION. THIS PRESS
RELEASE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL SECURITIES NOR A SOLICITATION OF
AN OFFER TO BUY SECURITIES.
Data Systems & Software Inc. Safe Harbor Statement
This release contains forward-looking statements as
defined in Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which are
subject to risks and uncertainties, including risks associated with (i) the
advanced development and marketing of Comverge’s product lines, (ii) the
installation of the Virtual Peaking Capacity™ system for a large electric
utility referenced in this release (iii) conditions in the market for energy
intelligence solutions, (iii) the marketing of Comverge's hardware and software
to utility customers, (iv) the ability to generate new business from Comverge’s
relationship with its investors and (v) the pace and consequences of deregulation.
Actual results may vary from those projected or implied by such forward-looking
statements. There can be no assurances
that equity financing by Comverge announced in this release will be adequate to
finance all of Comverge’s business plans.
If Comverge is required to raise additional capital, there can be no
assurances that such financing will be available on a timely basis or on
reasonable terms. A more complete
discussion of risks and uncertainties which may affect the accuracy of these
statements and Comverge’s business generally is included in ``Business-Factors
Which May Affect Future Results'' in DSSI's most recent Annual Report on Form
10-K as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
For more information,
contact:
At Comverge, Sky Filippi, Director of Marketing, (973)
360-2220, x267, filippi@comverge.com.