Topix.net Weblog

May 26, 2005

Terms of the Deal Were Not Disclosed -- June 14th

by tolles at 4:03 PM

The folks over at IBD Network have put together a talk for all you people who keep speculating on the recent spate of investments and acquisitions that have been happening recently -- They've been putting on cool talks, and even have a new blog on Silicon Valley Business

Our own Mike Markson will be on the panel, and he'll be discussing everything around the Topix.net investment from Tribune, Knight Ridder and Gannett (with a couple of things off the agenda like valuation, terms -- you know..the little stuff). Other folks, from different parts of the tech sector, round out the panel.

Here are the details:

STRATEGY SERIES | Terms of the Deal Were Not Disclosed!

We've all seen the latest headlines of the M&A activity in the technology industry, but when public companies buy privates, we don't get to know the 'financial dirt.' Meanwhile, there are plenty of non-financial questions surrounding deals that entrepreneurs would like to ask, but don't have the opportunity or the forum.

IBDNetwork has assembled a panel of three top executives from recently acquired companies to NOT discuss the 'Terms of the Deal' - but they can dish on the behind-the-scenes deal-making that occurred. Don't count on these executives to bend any SEC disclosure laws, but they will offer insight that will help executives become better prepared for M&A activity - the most probable exit for a startup company.

Topics to be discussed:

* How did the acquisition or investment happen - did they approach you or vice versa?
* What were the expectations behind it, and have they been met?
* How were you approaching investment prior to the deal?
* How is the integration going - is it what you expected?
* Are you having any internal issues due to the acquisition/investment? How are you handling them?
* At what point will you know if the acquisition/investment was a success? How will this be measured?

Executive Panel

- Ken Sims from Oblix, bought by Oracle. He was the VP of Business Development at Oblix
- Mike Markson, VP of Business Development at Topix.net, bought by Knight Ridder/Gannet
- Jalil Shaikh, CEO from Zeevo, bought by Broadcom

Cost:
$60 for general admission, $40 for IBD Network members

Where and When:
June 14, 2005 - 6:30PM - 8:30PM

Perkins Coie, Menlo Park, CA

101 Jefferson Drive
Menlo Park, CA 94025-1114

Register Now