Equidity Launches First Investor Relationship Management Platform

Woodside, Calif.-based Equidity Inc. launches today as it unveils a new platform to help institutional investors hook up with pre-IPO and newly public companies. The organization plans to hold its inaugural investor forum in November. Equidity was founded by CEO Mona DeFrawi, who previously was CEO of Menlo Park, Calif.-based InsideVenture, which she founded in 2008 and was similarly tasked with helping late stage companies achieve liquidity. New York-based SecondMarket, which operates an online marketplace and auction platform for alternative assets, bought InsideVenture for an undisclosed price in 2009.

PRESS RELEASE:

Equidity Launches First Investor Relationship Management™ Platform Connecting Long-Term Growth Investors with Top Pre-IPO Companies

Inaugural Investor Forum from Nov. 8-10, 2011 at the Rosewood Sand Hill, Menlo Park, Calif.

Partners with Box.net and Objectiva Software Solutions to Deliver Proprietary Technology Platform

WOODSIDE, Calif. – May 4, 2011 – Equidity, the first Investor Relationship Management (IRM™) platform, officially launches today. Using a proprietary technology platform, the company connects an exclusive network of qualified institutional investors with carefully selected, top pre-IPO companies. In private stage investing, where there is a lack of information transparency, Equidity provides highly effective and time- and cost-efficient tools for late-stage investing and IPO success. Equidity empowers companies in meeting their best long-term growth financing goals while protecting the confidentiality of their private data. Through Equidity, the highest quality investors gain early exposure to the best private companies and their detailed information so they can determine valuations based on business fundamentals, not market speculation.

“The last decade has been characterized by a lack of liquidity for long-term growth investors and companies that has blocked economic growth in the U.S. and globally,” said Mona DeFrawi, CEO and founder of Equidity. “Having served the capital market needs of many organizations over two decades, I’ve helped high-growth companies overcome challenges as they ramp up for an IPO or acquisition. Equidity’s goal is to remedy the liquidity and IPO crises by supporting the direct relationships and information exchange needs of the highest quality investors and companies.”

Traditional financial marketing can be expensive, time consuming and not scalable. The permanent, structural changes in the capital markets this past decade make it even more challenging. Equidity has designed tools and solutions to support companies and also serve as a utility to their investment banking and investor relations partnerships for a more effective way to achieve growth and optimize shareholder value.

“What companies don’t realize is that in today’s markets, they must build relationships with the right investors years in advance for a successful offering,” added DeFrawi. “Behind the top five to ten recognizable fast-growing companies, there are hundreds more creating millions of jobs and profits, but have not gained visibility for their accomplishments or inclusion in the public company economic indices that measure national economic growth.”

Equidity allows companies and investors to easily and securely develop relationships and permission for the sharing of data – through a format similar to easy-to-use social networking profiles. The matching technology, combined with relationship-building events and activities, provides companies a process focused on their growth objectives. The platform is also designed to save months of fundraising efforts and hundreds of thousands, or even millions, in expenses.

Both Box and Objectiva Software Solutions are Platinum Sponsors of Equidity and key partners, enabling Equidity to deliver its proprietary IRM platform, which will be used by members beginning this summer in preparation for the inaugural “Economic Growth Stars Investors Forum” in November. Box’s cloud content management platform will enable investors and companies to securely access, share and collaborate on content through Equidity’s Virtual Data Room from anywhere, on any device.

“At Box, we’re focused on helping businesses of all sizes collaborate on content easily and securely, both within their organization and with external partners,” said Whitney Tidmarsh Bouck, enterprise general manager at Box. “We’re excited to bring Box’s cloud content management solution to Equidity’s IRM platform, making it easy for high-growth companies and their investors to share highly sensitive financial information online and from mobile devices.”

“As Equidity’s software engineering partner, we’re excited to be part of developing the enterprise web platform supporting their primary liquidity and IPO solutions for our shared client companies,” said John Hitchcock, vice president of sales and marketing at Objectiva Software Solutions.  “As a former client, I’ve seen first-hand the passion and dedication that Mona has to capital formation success. Objectiva’s software engineering service for the cloud enables Equidity to meet an important market need.”

In addition to the online platform’s “do-it-yourself” support tools, Equidity also offers “white glove” IRM and Pre-IPO Advisory for companies requesting customized levels of support, and is now ready to sign its first IRM clients.

To further support companies in developing key relationships with investors, Equidity will host Investor Forums and smaller regional roadshow forums. Equidity is now accepting company nominations for its inaugural Economic Growth Stars Investor Forum, scheduled for November 8-10, 2011 at the Rosewood Sand Hill in Silicon Valley. Fifty of the hottest late-stage and up-and-coming companies will be hand selected to enjoy one-on-one meetings with the world’s best investors, and up to 50 more may be invited to participate on Equidity’s platform. The Forum will also host leading industry speakers and panels, think tanks and additional relationship and information opportunities.

Equidity already enjoys investor members from many of the highest quality firms representing over $1 trillion of assets under management and welcomes more.  Interested Qualified Institutional Investors (QIBs) may now apply for a complementary membership to participate in Equidity’s events and platform.

To apply for investor membership, nominate a company for Equidity’s network, or register for events, visit http://www.equidity.com.

About Equidity
Equidity is the first Investor Relationship Management (IRM) and information platform that directly connects the top pre-IPO companies with the highest quality long-term growth investors. Through a combination of its proprietary IRM platform, pre-IPO Advisory Services and Investor Forums, Equidity delivers solutions for today’s liquidity and IPO challenges. Based in Woodside, California, Equidity is dedicated to serving the capital markets success and primary liquidity needs of high growth small- and mid-cap companies and the venture and private equity industries. For more information, visit http://www.equidity.com.