Investors pump $20M into Action Engine

On-device portal developer Action Engine Corp. picked up $20 million in a funding round led by Baker Capital.
On-device portals, or ODPs, are middleware applications that can store a limited amount of cached information on a handset. The technology allows carriers and other content providers to offer a stripped-down storefront with a limited number of offerings on the device itself; users can drill down for more content by launching a wireless Web session from within the application.
The technology is quickly gaining ground as a way to simplify cumbersome carrier decks and minimize the number of clicks required to browse for ringtones, games, news headlines and other mobile content. While SurfKitchen, UIEvolution and other ODP developers are targeting operators with their technology, Action Engine is striking deals with media companies looking to bring their content to wireless. The company’s customers include TiVo, MSNBC.com and TV Guide.
Northwest Venture Associates and The Spangler Group also participated in the recent round of funding. Action Engine has raised $65 million since its founding in 2000, and said it will use the latest haul to boost sales and marketing efforts as well as “customer-implementation functions.”
“We look forward to closing and successfully launching additional top-tier media companies, which will reinforce Action Engine’s position as the industry’s dominant ODP software supplier,” said CEO Scott Silk. “This is an exciting time to be leading the ODP revolution, and we are pleased that our investors have expressed such confidence in our future.”