IPP of America (“IPP’), a leading provider of electronic payment services, today announced that it has closed a $20.5 million round of venture capital investment led by Old Lane, LP. Also participating in the round were Hamilton Investment Partners, LLC and existing investor Edison Venture Fund. Launched in 1993, IPP of America, Inc. operates the largest national network of independent neighborhood-based payment centers in the United States. This investment will be used to enhance IPP’s array of electronic payment services while accelerating its growth and advancing its operating platform.
With over 8,000 IPP payment centers located in every major metropolitan area hundreds of thousands of people rely on IPP’s reliable, safe electronic payment services. The company is successfully establishing authorized payment relationships with billers across a variety of industries and provides payment processing for a network of non-contracted billers. IPP is the only walk-in payment provider that supports real time payment processing for most major wireless carriers and satellite television companies. The firm has also amassed an impressive list of integration and distribution partners that use IPP’s technology to provide bill payment services.
“We see tremendous opportunity in the electronic payments industry. IPP has built a solid foundation in the walk-in payments market and has created many differentiators that we want to share with a wider audience. Now we have the ability to leverage our technology, our payment and distribution networks, and take the company to the next level” said Ron Averett, CEO, IPP. A veteran of electronic payments, Averett was until the summer of 2006 chief executive of Princeton eCom Corp.
“Providing financial services to the under-banked market continues to present exciting possibilities. Principal’s at Old Lane have worked with Ron Averett and members of IPP’s executive team in the past and we look forward to supporting the company in its growth. We expect IPP to generate impressive growth and emerge as one of the top players in the broader electronic bill payments marketplace.” said Manu Rana, Managing Director, Old Lane, LP and member of IPP’s board of directors.
With this round of funding, Marc Cole, Partner Hamilton Investment Partners, LLC has joined the IPP board of directors. Principals at Old Lane, LP, Hamilton Investment Partners, and Edison Venture Fund have invested together previously, including investments in Mr. Averett’s previous company, Princeton eCom, a leader in electronic bill payment.
About IPP
IPP of America Inc. ("IPP") a leading provider of electronic payment services operates the largest national network of independent neighborhood-based payment centers, providing reliable and safe electronic payment services to cash paying customers. Through their Payment Settlement Network, IPP authorized payment centers offer a wide array of alternative financial services including electronic bill payment, prepaid long distance, prepaid wireless epins, and prepaid home phone. The company’s payment center network currently extends to over 8,000 locations nationwide. For more information visit us at www.ipppays.com.
About Old Lane, LP
Old Lane, LP is a global investment firm with offices in the United States, the United Kingdom and India. Old Lane's 125 professionals invest over $4 billion in capital across asset classes on, a global basis. Among our negotiated investments, Old Lane seeks to be a significant investor in public or private businesses, led by exceptional management teams, where the Firm's capital, relationships and capital management experience can catalyze or accelerate the creation of durable value. Public and private financial investments, including transaction-based companies such as IPP and risk-based investments are the single largest sector of focus for the firm. Old Lane, LP’s ultimate parent is Citigroup, among the largest and most international financial institutions globally.
About Hamilton Investments, LLC
Hamilton Investment Partners, LLC (HIP, LLC) is an opportunistic private investment firm that makes equity and subordinated debt investments in partnership with superior management teams, focusing primarily on small and middle market buyouts, growth capital financings and bridge financings. Together, the firm's partners have completed more than 50 financings over the past 25 years.
Edison Venture Fund
Established in 1986, Edison partners with entrepreneurs, service providers and other financing sources to build successful companies. Edison provides capital and value-added services to expansion stage ($5 to 20 million revenue), information technology businesses. Initial investments range from $5 to 8 million. Edison typically serves as a sole or lead investor in financings up to $10 million. In addition to providing growth capital, Edison funds management buyouts, recapitalizations, spinouts and secondary stock purchases.
Edison’s investment professionals are based in Lawrenceville, NJ, New York, NY, West Chester, PA, and McLean, VA. Industry specialties include application software, communications, financial technology, interactive marketing, healthcare & pharmaceutical IT. Edison’s successes include Axent, Dendrite, E-Transport, Gain Capital, Mathsoft, Princeton Financial, Virtual Edge, Visual Networks, Vocus and many other information technology leaders, which have a combined market value exceeding $5 billion