Palm nabs another $100m from Elevation Partners, takes it to the bridge

According to reports today, Palm has managed to snag another $100 million from Elevation Partners (the private equity team co-owned by Bono). The new figure gets tacked onto Palm's existing $325 million buy-in from the firm. The previous sum was put towards the struggling handset / software-maker's "strategic recapitalization," and we can only assume this latest infusion is being used for the home stretch into that New OS and those New devices we're expecting see come CES. It's not completely surprising you'd want to juice your previous large investment, but if Palm's numbers keep shifting downward, it seems unlikely this will be anything other than a Hail Mary. Even if Bono loses $100m in his couch cushions, it doesn't mean Elevation Partners is in for the long haul.

[Freakin Ijit @ Dec 22nd 2008 11:21AM]

Unfortunately, we don't yet know what they got for that $100,000,000.

No SEC filing yet.

[why not the LS2LS7? @ Dec 22nd 2008 2:04PM]

Well, the market cap of the company was about $250M. So I doubt they asked for less than 25% ownership when they put in $100M. Probably closer to 1/3rd.

[Freakin Ijit @ Dec 22nd 2008 2:25PM]

That suggests they now own more than half the company.

This will be interesting to read the filing.

[loocas @ Dec 22nd 2008 2:54PM]

Man! I wouldn't mind nabbing a hundred mill not having to explain anything to anyone, at all! I say GIMME!

[Freakin Ijit @ Dec 22nd 2008 3:08PM]

The filing has been made; they own 38% of the company now more or less.

[why not the LS2LS7? @ Dec 22nd 2008 7:43PM]

Apparently they took some kind of kicker (options to buy stock at $3.35) instead of huge equity levels. Either way, if this company ever rises to a decent level, those options will kick in and the dilution will be as bad as it first seemed.

[Benson @ Dec 22nd 2008 11:22AM]

I want my new-ness! (OK, I don't yet, but maybe I will after details are out.)

[From My Cube @ Dec 22nd 2008 11:23AM]

I hope for both companies that the "new-ness" will be a big hit

[ProfessorDex @ Dec 22nd 2008 11:26AM]

It's like trying to fix a broken leg with a band-aid.

Palm really needs to pull something out of their ass at CES, otherwise their ship will completely sink!

[crawdad689 @ Dec 22nd 2008 11:32AM]

agreed.

It's just sad to watch their steady decline over the past few years.

[Ryan Trevisol @ Dec 22nd 2008 11:44AM]

I don't know, how about capacitive touch-screens, finger friendliness, and android? That would do it for me. Oh, and 1" thick devices are SO 1999.

[Ian @ Dec 22nd 2008 11:58AM]

Well to get more money out of Elevation Partners, or anybody, Palm probably had to let Bono and friends take a good look at what they have in store. Obviously they felt confident enough to invest another $100m on Palm.

[Ronald Mcdonald @ Dec 22nd 2008 12:17PM]

Stock popped with this announcement. So tempted to short, but a tiny part of me still has faith in this company. Probably just the nostalgia.

[xcrunk @ Dec 22nd 2008 12:21PM]

They must have something special in that mojo bag....why would anybody bother them at this point? 100M is a substantial investment in a company that has nothing going for it.

[pete @ Dec 22nd 2008 12:24PM]

Palm is royally effed. Their hardware just isn't sexy enough to compete (the Centro and new Pro are outsourced), and the software is antiquated junk that has lost all developer support.
So if by some miracle they squeeze out a hot new device, what are the chances that they will introduce a new Palm OS that will attract developers?
I just don't think that developers will flock back to Palm OS in enough numbers to lure people away from their iPhones, Blackberries, Androids, and WinMo's (ok maybe WinMo's :P).

[chefgon_ign @ Dec 22nd 2008 12:45PM]

"Their hardware just isn't sexy enough to compete (the Centro and new Pro are outsourced), and the software is antiquated junk "


Well, next month they are debuting an all new OS on a line of all new hardware, so in theory they could start from a clean slate. Google just released Android not too long ago and they're doing alright, so there isn't any evidence showing that a brand new mobile OS has no hope of attracting developers.

[quag @ Dec 22nd 2008 3:10PM]

@chefgon_ign, re:
"next month they are debuting an all new OS on a line of all new hardware, so in theory they could start from a clean slate. Google just released Android not too long ago and they're doing alright"

I don't think you can compare Google to Palm. Google never had a mobile OS platform so they really started from a clean slate.

Palm, on the other hand, has repeated screwed developers. Palm created an OS ("Cobalt") that not a single vendor licensed for their handheld. Palm has promised a "next generation" device for year. Palm made the idiotic decision to sell their OS to ACCESS and then pay a big fee to license it back. Palm got weeks away from shipping the Foleo and then pulled the plug. At this point no smart developer trusts Palm or believes any of the marketing crap they spew.

The difference between Google and Palm is the difference between your loving, generous parent and the lying, abusive alcoholic parent who treated you really well when you were a little kid.

[qrius @ Dec 22nd 2008 1:45PM]

I wonder if Bono is walking around with a working unit right now of this new Palm, like Jobs did before the iPhone came out.

Also, what's Bono's love with Palm anyways?

[pmup @ Dec 22nd 2008 1:52PM]

A fool and his money are easily....

[GON @ Dec 22nd 2008 4:25PM]

What's your point? Stupid or smart, an individual will always have some use for his money, whether it's paying bills or buying food. I never really understood that idiom. You'll spend your cash regardless.

[b_rolin @ Dec 22nd 2008 2:17PM]

For that kind of money they probably got a stake in that new O.S. ..so they will lose that one and they will have start all over with SUPERNOVA O.S. 3. lmao..

[Logboy @ Dec 22nd 2008 4:54PM]

Sweet. I'm hopeful.