Healthline Networks News

April 27, 2010
Healthline Networks, Inc.
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Healthline Raises $14 Million to Accelerate Growth of Its Industry Leading Medically Guided Search™ and Consumer Health Advertising Platform

Third Round of Financing Led by Investor Growth Capital, includes GE/NBC Peacock Fund and Reed Elsevier Ventures; Phil Dur Joins Healthline Networks Board of Directors

SAN FRANCISCO—April 27, 2010—Healthline Networks, the leading provider of intelligent health information services, today announced that it has raised $14 million in a third round of financing led by Investor Growth Capital (IGC), the wholly owned venture capital arm of Investor AB (Investor). The round also includes strategic financing from GE/NBC Universal's Peacock Equity Fund, a joint venture between GE Capital's Media, Communications & Entertainment business and NBC Universal, and Reed Elsevier Ventures.

Healthline will use proceeds from the third round to expand research and development, engineering, sales and network services to meet the growing demand from a broad spectrum of consumer-focused media and healthcare businesses looking to improve the way consumers find, understand and manage health-related information. The company will also work to expand its advertising platform and services.

"Consumers have become increasingly engaged in their own healthcare, and smart organizations are looking to capitalize on this trend," said Phil Dur, Managing Director, IGC, who has also joined Healthline's board of directors. "IGC’s investment in Healthline, given its innovative search and advertising technology, is consistent with our track record of partnering with industry-leading companies. We're looking forward to assisting Healthline with its efforts to continue to provide products that not only help consumers, but media and healthcare partners as well."

Since its launch in late 2005, Healthline Networks has built a consumer-health destination Web site, www.healthline.com, which is a Top 10 health information site, as measured by comScore MediaMetrix. Healthline has also developed proprietary medical search technology and a health advertising platform. Additionally, Healthline has entered into over 40 technology, content and advertising network partnerships with leading publishers, health plans and online media companies including AARP, ABCNews.com, Aetna, AOL, Elsevier, GE, Health.com, Ingenix, iVillage, Medhelp, United Health Group, U.S. News and World Report and Yahoo!, among others.

"This financing round is an important milestone for Healthline as we continue our journey to become the global leader in health information services," said West Shell III, chairman and chief executive officer of Healthline. "We doubled the business and achieved profitability last year, reaching almost 100M consumers a month across our network. This latest financing, led by IGC with continued support from existing investors, will accelerate Healthline's growth and scalability, and allow us invest more heavily in our innovative technology solutions that transform the way consumers interact with health information."

About Healthline Networks

Healthline Networks Networks is the leading provider of intelligent health information services, enabling almost 100 million consumers a month to make more confident, informed healthcare decisions. The company's proprietary consumer healthcare taxonomy, the largest of its kind, powers a suite of intelligent health search, content and advertising services. Combining advanced search technology with deep medical expertise, Healthline partners with a network of over 40 trusted destination sites that include publishers, portals, search engines, employers and health plans. Headquartered in San Francisco, Healthline is backed by Aetna, GE/NBC Peacock Fund, Investor Growth Capital, Kaiser Permanente, Reed Elsevier, U.S. News & World Report, and VantagePoint Venture Partners. For more information visit http://www.healthline.com.

About IGC Investor Growth Capital

Investor Growth Capital (IGC) (www.investorgrowthcapital.com) is the wholly-owned venture capital arm of Investor AB, a publicly traded investment company. IGC was formed in the mid-1990s to invest in high quality, growth oriented companies, primarily in the IT and Healthcare industries. Today its 30 investment professionals are developing a portfolio whose value exceeds $1 billion from offices located in New York, Menlo Park, Stockholm, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Beijing. Investor AB is a leading shareholder in a number of European multinational corporations, including Astra Zeneca, Ericsson, Atlas Copco and SEB. For almost a century Investor AB's business philosophy has been to build best-in-class companies insectors where the group has strong knowledge and a networking advantage. IGC shares that approach and benefits from Investor AB's extensive global network of companies and senior managers.

About Peacock Equity

Peacock Equity (www.PeacockEquity.com) is a $250 million equity capital fund founded by GE Capital's Media, Communications & Entertainment business (www.geMCE.com) and NBC Universal (www.nbcuniversal.com). Introduced in April 2007, the joint venture focuses on companies developing technologies, platforms or business models that are a strategic fit for NBC Universal and have high growth potential. Peacock Equity's capital investments, which include advertising services, digital content and communities, wireless, health and international platforms, range from $3 to $15 million each.

About Reed Elsevier Ventures

Reed Elsevier Ventures is the venture arm of Reed Elsevier Group Plc and was established in 2000. The Venture team is responsible for making investments in innovative companies that have the potential to provide the Group with new technologies, products, services or customers. Reed Elsevier's trusted brands, customer reach and ever increasing digital delivery make the Group an ideal commercial partner for emerging best-of-breed companies seeking market acceleration and a strong relationship with a leading global publisher. The team is comprised of experienced investors in the US and European venture capital markets. Reed Elsevier Group Plc is a world-leading publisher and information provider.

Media Contact for Healthline:
Jenny Davis, Dotted Line Communications
jenny@dottedlinecomm.com
925-935-2558

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