We asked Randall Stevens, Co-founder & CEO of Mersive, about the funding round they just closed and what is in store for the future: You were able to raise a second round of funding during what is considered a difficult time for fundraising.  What were  the keys to getting this done?  We started the process in the spring of 2008.  April and May were spent updating the business plan and preparing the road-show.  We hit the road, regionally and the coasts, in June, July & August.  What a difference a few months can make!  I'm glad we were pitching when we did!  Three or four months later and we might have had a tougher time.  There are always funds looking for great opportunities and I think Mersive presented such an opportunity.  We were well received by all of the potential investors we met.  I credit the work of the team here at Mersive.  We have produced innovative products that are being well received in the market and have spent the time to lay the groundwork for many years of continued growth.  Chris Jaynes, Mersive co-Founder and CTO, and I spent many weeks hashing through many iterations of the business plan and presentation materials.  The Mersive story is compelling and the team we've assembled is complementary to that vision.  The  investor community recognized the potential in that combination. What did Hopewell ventures bring to the table that made them the right partner? I think the most important thing is finding partners that you get along with.  Bill Sutter, Managing Partner, and Matt McCue, Vice President, of Hopewell Ventures have now joined our board and are already contributing to our success.  Besides the funds, we were looking for partners that we thought we could sit across the table with and have rational, constructive conversations about growing the business.  Matt and Bill bring a wealth of knowledge from their previous experiences.

What does the next 18 months look like for Mersive? New technology? New products?

Yes and Yes.  And continuing to build out the team.  We have a great group that we built over the past couple of years but a lot of people have been wearing many hats during that time.  Over the next year we'll continue to build out the core management team to complement the world-class engineering team we've assembled.

Success in the market over the past couple of years is increasing the demands on the team.  This latest round of financing will ensure that we can continue to fulfill the market demand.  We will also continue with the innovative spirit that got us here in the first place and bring innovative new products to market.  We see no end in sight of the possibilities for Mersive.