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MEMBER NEWS: Beringea leads InContext Solutions' $12 Million Series D Round

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BERINGEA LEADS INCONTEXT SOLUTIONS’ $12 MILLION SERIES D ROUND
Investment to Support Company’s Rapid Growth, Expansion and R&D

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich.Beringea, LLC, a private equity firm providing growth capital to market-leading businesses, today announced its Fund has made a $5 million investment in InContext Solutions, Inc., a Web-based company providing three dimensional (“3D”) virtual store research, simulations, and software to manufacturers and retailers.  Beringea led the $12 million Series D round, which included a $4 million investment from Beringea’s London affiliate Beringea, LLP, and funding from Mich.-based Plymouth Venture Partners, Ill.-based Hyde Park Venture Partners, as well as other inside investors.  Proceeds will be used to support sales and operational hiring plans and fund further development and functionality of InContext’s ShopperMX platform.

“There is a growing market familiarity with desktop 3D solutions, and we expect demand for the type of solutions InContext offers customers to grow substantially as retailers and manufacturers realize the significant benefit of online visualization tools,” said Mark Donnelly, principal at Beringea. “Making this investment alongside our London office gives InContext valuable resources to utilize as the company expands into the European market.”

With the latest funding efforts, InContext Solutions plans to rapidly grow and expand its virtual simulation and research presence worldwide. Their marquee shopper marketing platform, ShopperMX™, is a SaaS (software-as-a-service) offering that allows manufacturers and retailers to collaborate over the web within a 3D virtual store simulation. The first-of-its-kind technology takes 3D visualization to the next level with endless capabilities for testing store, aisle and category layouts, product packaging, in-store marketing or even shopper flow within a store to determine which concept is the most effective for generating demand. ShopperMX helps clients become faster, smarter and more profitable as they bring shopper and retail concepts to market. In the last year alone, ShopperMX growth increased 168 percent and continues to accelerate.

“We are seeing great interest and investments from current clients as virtual continues to gain traction in the market. With this funding round, we will be able to exponentially boost our growth and offer enhanced virtual solutions for clients,” says InContext Solutions CEO Mark Hardy. “Our plan is to increase our dedicated and knowledgeable staff, invest further in our ShopperMX technology, and support expansion into Europe.”

InContext Solutions was founded in 2009 with a vision to revolutionize 3D virtual simulation technology via Internet streaming and offer unparalleled virtual store research services. To date, InContext Solutions has become a partner for a large roster of companies, including seven of the top 10 global consumer packaged goods companies, six of the top 10 quick serve chain restaurant companies in the United States, three of the top five grocery retailers in the United States and three of the top 10 mass, drug and value chain retailers in the United States.

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Notes to Editors: Videos of InContext’s 3D virtual store simulations can be found on the company’s Vimeo channel at www.vimeo.com/incontext. High resolution images also upon request.

About InContext
InContext Solutions was founded in 2009 with a vision to revolutionize how virtual simulations could be used by leading businesses across the globe to research the placement of products in a retail setting. InContext Solutions provides a unique and in-depth perspective on what consumers see on the shelf, how this drives their purchase behavior and why. InContext Solutions has been recognized in the industry among “America’s Most Promising Companies” by Forbes in 2009, as a Chicago Innovations Up-and-Comer in 2010, and featured as a “Cool Vendor” by Gartner in 2011. Recently named the 9th fastest growing privately held technology company, they continue to grow their team, knowledge and capabilities. Visit www.incontextsolutions.com.

About Beringea
Beringea, LLC provides equity and/or mezzanine debt to small- and-middle market companies. The Firm, which includes Michigan-based Beringea, LLC and its London, UK office Beringea LLP, invests in portfolio companies operating in a range of sectors, including health care, information technology, advanced manufacturing, media and specialized consumer products.

With flexible capital solutions, extensive investing experience and offices in the U.S. and UK, Beringea’s team offers its portfolio companies the resources to grow their businesses and create value for stakeholders. For more information, visit www.beringea.com.

In the United States of America, Beringea operates as an SEC-registered investment advisor, Beringea, LLC. In the United Kingdom, this document is issued by Beringea LLP, a firm authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Beringea LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales with company number OC342919, and its registered office is at 39 Earlham Street, London, WC2H 9LT, UK. This document is intended solely to provide information regarding Beringea’s potential financing capabilities for prospective portfolio companies.

InContext Solutions Contact:
Claudia Maj, Publicist
Empower Public Relations
O:  312.854.8816
C:  312.912.2706
[email protected]
www.empowerpr.com

Beringea Contact:
Kelly O’Donnell, Marketing and Communications Specialist
O: 248.489.9000
[email protected]