PE Week Wire — 8/1/06

Willis Stein & Partners has retained Evercore Partners and Lehman Brothers to help evaluate a possible sale of Ziff Davis Holdings, a New York-based publisher of titles like PC Magazine, eWeek and CIO Insight. Ziff Davis reported $5.7 million in EBITDA for Q2 2006, on revenue of $45.2 million. Willis Stein acquired the company in 1999 for $780 million from Softbank. www.ziffdavis.com

VeraLight Inc., an Albuquerque, N.M.-based developer of a diabetes screening system, has raised $17.5 million in Series B funding. Psilos Group led the deal, and was joined by CMEA Ventures and return backers vSpring Capital, Wasatch Venture Fund, The Dow Chemical Co. and the Southern Ute Growth Fund. www.veralight.com

The Carlyle Group reportedly is planning to raise a $1 billion private equity fund focused on the Middle East. It has retained Korn Ferry to recruit a senior fund manager. In other Carlyle news, the firm is close to hiring Ralph Reynolds, head of proprietary trading at Deutsche Bank. He would oversee the creation of Carlyle's inaugural hedge fund. www.carlyle.com

Digital Domain, a Venice, Calif.-based digital studio and production company, has raised $31 million from Falcon Investment Advisors and GunnAllen Financial. www.digitaldomain.com

Freedom Fuels LLC, a Hampton Iowa-based biodiesel production company, has secured over $17 million of a $22 million funding round, according to a regulatory filing. No institutional backers were listed. www.freedomfuelsllc.com

EnterpriseDB Corp., an Edison, N.J.-based enterprise open-source database company, has raised $16.5 million in Series B funding. Fidelity Ventures led the deal, and was joined by return backers Charles River Ventures and Valhalla Partners. EnterpriseDB also secured a $3.5 million line of credit from Comerica Bank. www.enterprisedb.com

Oakley Networks Inc., a Salt Lake City-based provider of information leakage detection and prevention, has raised $12 million in Series B funding from Duff Ackerman & Goodrich Ventures. www.oakleynetworks.com

PayEase Inc., a Santa Clara, Calif.-based payment services platform provider, has secured $9.11 million of a $12.5 million Series E round, according to a regulatory filing. Backers include TechAlliance Corp., CapInfo, Plainfield Special Situations, Maxima Ventures and WI Harper Group, www.payeasenet.com

Netcordia Inc., an Annapolis, Md.-based provider of network analysis tools, has raised $10 million in Series B funding. Trinity Ventures led the deal, and was joined by return backer Novak Biddle Venture Partners. www.netcordia.com

SnagAJob.com Inc., a Richmond, Va.-based online employment site, has raised $9 million in its first round of institutional funding. Adams Street Partners led the deal, and was joined by Baird Venture Partners and C&B Capital. www.snagajob.com

AutoQuake Ltd., a UK-based seller of cars on eBay, has raised $6 million in Series A funding led by Accel Partners. www.autoquake.com

PixFusion Inc. (a.k.a. Kideo.com), a New York-based provider of personalized audio and video products, has raised $4.2 million in VC funding. Mercury Capital Partners led the deal, and was joined by Stonehenge Capital Co. www.kideo.com

Vue Technology Inc., an Aliso Viejo, Calif.