DN Capital, a regular supporter of The NextWomen and member of the investment panel at our January pitching competition, last week announced the completion of the sale of portfolio company Datanomic to Oracle Corporation.

Founded in 2001, Datanomic specialises in developing data profiling and enhancement solutions.  The company is led by a female chairman, Tina Rogers, who has held multiple chairmanships specializing in growth, both organically and by acquisition, with companies varying in turnover from £1m to £150m.

DN Capital, the international early stage and growth equity investor and backer of leading global digital media companies such as Shazam, Digital Chocolate, OLX and Endeca, was a significant shareholder in Datanomic and the only institutional investor. Following this transaction, DN Capital?s second fund (DN Capital GVC II), which made its first investments in 2008, has already paid back the vast majority of invested capital and is showing clear top quartile returns to investors.

DN Capital Managing Partner and Datanomic Board Member, Nenad Marovac, commented:

"We are very proud to have been associated with Datanomic, a great example of a global technology leader coming out of the UK. We have supported the company for several years and the Datanomic management team have been a pleasure to work with.

The fact that Oracle as a leading multinational corporation has now become a major shareholder is a confirmation on the quality of the product and team. We wish them every success in the future."

Following the sale of OLX to Naspers in August 2010, the sale of Datanomic to Oracle is the fifth exit for DN Capital GVC II. This is also the seventh exit for the DN Capital Group in the last 14 months. In addition, DN Capital has made six new investments in the last twelve months and added key operating executives to its advisory team, including Maria Molland as Venture Partner in May 2011.

Maria is a veteran executive from the digital media space with fifteen years of experience. Most recently she was the Global Managing Director of Lipper and Digital Ventures for Thomson Reuters. Prior to that, she was the SVP and Global Head of Strategy and Business Development for Reuters Media. Prior to Thomson Reuters, Ms. Molland was the General Manager of Marketwatch and Barron's Online for Dow Jones as well as the Head of Strategy and Business Development at Yahoo Finance.

DN Capital are known for having one of the most gender balanced VC teams in London with some of the best investor female talent from Europe and US.

To view the full press release on Oracle's website, please click here.

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Day three of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge?s North American tour brought them to the Maison Dauphine in Quebec City, a center for at-risk youth.  Wearing a striking Erdem Moralioglu dress with lace detail and her signature LK Bennett pumps, Catherine took the appropriate steps to come out of her husband?s shadow.  She and William listened to stories, play foosball with members of the organization and checked out art projects.  Marie Pier, who showed the couple around the center, told People that TRH ?have an aura. There?s a purple light around them?it puts you at ease.?  She added, ?They made us feel [that we are] important; forget about everything else going on around.?

William, taking a page from his late mother?s charitable book, gave his listeners some words of encouragement.  ?The kids were all sitting at a table, and they were a little intimidated,? Marie-Pier told the magazine. ?[William] told them at one point, ?Don?t ever let people put you down ? because a prince looks up to you.? ?

PHOTOS: Another Commoner Marries Her Prince

Kate?s presence was very uplifting to the youths, according to Marie-Pier.  She explained, ?People told Kate that she would never be married to William because she wasn?t of royalty, but they fought for their love and are strong.  A lot of the youngsters here are told the same thing ? that you?ll never do anything with your life. Here at Maison Dauphine, we tell people to fight for dreams and fight for yourself.?

Check out the video of Prince William greeting Canada in French during a speech Friday after the jump.

If the subtextual homoerotic love affair between Magneto (Michael Fassbender) and Professor X (James McAvoy) in the X-Men saga wasn't established canon before X-Men: First Class, well...it is now.

For anyone remotely paying attention, it's pretty clear that the primary story arc of the summer blockbuster is how much Erik and Charles are madly in love, and how it all goes horribly wrong due to a combination of external forces and internal character flaws.

Our own E! Online reviewer appeared to have no idea this all went down, so are we just seeing things because we want to? And what does this turn of romantic events mean for the future of the franchise? Let's discuss:

READ MORE: What were the five biggest movie letdowns of the summer?

Xavier's X-Men and Magneto's Brotherhood of Mutants have long represented conflicting approaches to race relations in America, with Xavier standing for a conciliatory integrationist Martin Luther King Jr. approach, and Magneto taking a more militant or separatist Malcolm X approach.

But circa 2011, cultural divisions over race have been supplanted in the popular American consciousness by a debate over gay rights, and the latest X-Men film has updated Professor X and Magneto's adversarial relationship thusly. Sure, a lot of stuff blows up, so it's partly just a summer popcorn movie. But the film can also be easily read as a gay pride allegory, as well as a story of true love gone horribly wrong. (Among other things, by the end of First Class, Professor X affirmatively chooses to stay in the closet and not frighten the straights, while "mutant and proud" Magneto embraces the "drag" of a flamboyant costume.) 

Now, about that sexual business in the storyline of the film. Don't fight it, folks. It's there, and it's real, and even James McAvoy is in on it. He told the Daily Telegraph, "It is a little bit of a mini-tragedy that him and Magneto don't, you know, have sex and become married and become best friends."

To double-check our level of crazy fangirling on this topic, we turned to William Earnest, an assistant professor of communication at St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas, who contributed a chapter called "Making Gay Sense of the X-Men" to the textbook Uncovering Hidden Rhetorics: Social Issues in Disguise edited by Barry S. Brummett. He says, "I think the movie would be less interesting, and much less fun, without [the romantic throughline]. I'm not sure, however, that the majority of moviegoers necessarily recognize the gay love affair, coded as it is, but I do think they'd notice its absence. The late, great Vito Russo (The Celluloid Closet) would probably agree with this assertion, seeing as he found these kinds of coded gay relationships informing so many mainstream films over the decades."

So, if you are inclined to read the film this way (and we so are), what is there to see?

The two leads of X-Men: First Class meet cute when Charles Xavier saves Erik Lehnsherr from drowning during a revengey assault on a evil overlord's yacht, and in their first exchange Erik confesses, "I thought I was alone," while Charles reassures, "No, you're not?I'm like you." Sure, they're officially talking about the whole mutant thing, but the language also transfers perfectly to what two closeted males in the 1960s might say to each other as they experienced the gaydar ping of their lives.

Shortly thereafter, Erik and Charles set off to adopt a brood of X-babies they can raise at Xavier's mansion, during which Hugh Jackman's Wolverine makes a brief cameo appearance and encourages the future superhero and supervillain to "go f--k yourselves." Sure, you could say that the line is simply Wolverine being his usual bitchy self, but we say the line was planted to hint that Charles and Erik then quite literally go f--k each other.

Throughout the second act of the film, not only do the two share a bed in a strip club, share a mind meld so powerful they're both brought to tears, and co-parent the X-babies in preparation for the battle against Shaw (Kevin Bacon), they somehow find time to loll around together on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial while "playing chess" and gazing at the oh-so-phallic Washington Monument. No, seriously, "playing chess" is obviously PG-13 movie code for "And then Magneto and Professor X did it...again."

Professor Earnest also notes, "With this not-always-subtle subtext established, finding ways to play with it is easy?a task made even easier by the fact that it's homoerotic, not homosexual in the literal sense, so it's about desire, tension, and, above all, unrequited love. No clothes have to come off, and so far as we know, they don't. But there are looks, body language, conversations, and above all, intimacy...The chess scene aside, from the standpoint of sexual imagery, I think the 'satellite dish' [scene] is the film's richest. Charles even asks Erik's permission to penetrate him! So polite. And then they meld each other's brains out."

Of course, in the tradition of all the best romantic tragedies, by the third act our heroes end up facing off in the climactic final battle, and their fundamental divisions ruin the whole beautiful thing. Bullets are taken, brain-slicings are suffered, and hearts are broken all over the place.

PHOTOS: See our gallery of flick pics from X-Men: First Class

Say that it's mere "brotherhood" or "friendship" if you will. But when the Bad Thing (sob) happens at the end of X-Men: First Class, Erik doesn't respond exactly like a buddy. He passionately drops 500 missiles, clutches Charles to his chest, homicidally freaks out at everyone else on the beach and then basically proposes marriage ("I want you by my side")?all while looking like he wants to kill himself.

They are in love, and that's that.

They should be married and living happily ever after, but Erik's rage issues make him an unsuitable daddy for the X-babies, so Charles divorces him on the beach, and they'll spend the rest of their lives in miserable devotion to each other, facing each other from across the line, instead of living together in Westchester mansion splendor, "playing chess" until they too old and creaky to "move the pieces."

In the end, adding the romantic throughline to the film is a masterstroke. The "X-Men: First Love" approach elevates the otherwise absurd comic-book goings-on. And the narrative heft of the storied mutant war to come elevates the potentially trite romantic arc.

For that matter, the romance somewhat rationalizes the random insertion of the Cuban Missile Crisis plotline. Professor Earnest observes, "It's the decade of the Civil Rights Movement and Stonewall, so the cultural backdrop is custom-ordered to support a burgeoning, forbidden love affair. And certainly their relationship mirrors these struggles.

"The ?60s were also the height of the Cold War, which of course provides the historical template for the storyline. In addition, the Cold War gives us an additional metaphor for star-crossed love. Here are two men who have much in common and, deep down, rather fancy one another. You'd think they'd hit it off famously?and for awhile they do. But eventually political differences drive them apart. Not entirely unlike the United States and the Soviet Union."

Fassbender, McAvoy and Vaughn all deserve special credit for their individual collective contributions to the achievement that is this film. Vaughn deftly centers the story on Erik and Charles' relationship while making sure the fanboys also have plenty to play with. Fassbender absolutely kills it as an emotionally wrecked abuse survivor whose romantic principles are something like "Cruel to be kind, means that I love you." McAvoy, meanwhile, deftly keeps Charles' fluttering (and later broken) heart in his eyes, as the future superhero follows that well-trodden path of falling for a hot bad boy whose powers and flaws are both terribly grand and terribly dangerous.

The smouldering "bromance" in X-Men: First Class is wall-to-wall coded passion?and sometimes not so coded?and if you think they're not having sweaty mutant sex during the entire movie, you just weren't paying attention. To clear up any confusion, we recommend you go see it again...and again...and again, just to catch the finer points. (Not least because higher box-office returns mean increased chances of a sequel.)

So?your thoughts on Charles-Erik? Are we crazy or is this canon now? Hit us back in the comments.

VIDEO: The X-Men junket interviewer from our sister site G4 totally gets it

NEW ORLEANS --- From harmonious Boyz at the beginning to heavenly Jennifer Hudson in prime time to hot and heavy Usher in the midnight hour, the 17th Essence Music Festival rocked the Super Dome with six decades worth of prime R&B and urban pop. Friday night's kick-off to the three-day run drew a dressed-to-the-nines crowd that paid as much as $125 to hear 15 acts in four intimate "super lounges'' and on the vast main stage. Gospel- and soul-inflected sounds from the 1960s, via Irma Thomas and Mavis Staples, mingled with the tough contemporary R&B of Fantasia, the older-school approach of Charlie Wilson and the hard-edge funk of the local Soul Rebels Brass Band. USA TODAY's Jerry Shriver surveyed the scene from the steamy Big Easy.

Sweet start: Opening the festival in the 6:45 p.m. main stage slot is a daunting task - the Super Dome is vast, the crowds are slow to arrive, and when they do they're picky. But Boyz II Men gamely met the challenge and thrilled their loyalists with an upbeat greatest-hits set. The trio, with two decades of their career and some 60 million in album sales behind them, are dressing middle-aged these days -- gray sweater vest over a tie and white shirt - but their vocal harmonizing still sounded relatively youthful on hits such as On Bended Knee, I'll Make Love To You and A Song for Mama. At one point, Wanya Morris commented that "there must be some Boyz II Men babies in the house,'' noting that while they were recording two decades ago, future parents were otherwise occupied. A wistful End of the Road drove home the point.

Hard charger: American Idol season three winner Fantasia will portray New Orleans' famed gospel pioneer Mahalia Jackson in a biopic later this year, but for her dynamic set she seemed to draw her inspiration more from Tina Turner and James Brown. Hers is not the prettiest of voices, and she's not an all-star dancer. But she projects strength, fierce energy and confidence as she drives home her songs. And she knows how to vary the pace to keep an audience's attention: Upbeat opening number It's All Good gave way to the old-school sounding recent single Collard Greens and Cornbread, and they were followed by a sexy take on Prince's Kiss and an intense, if truncated, version of Bob Marley's No Woman, No Cry. Her empowerment-themed I'm Doin' Me won the biggest ovation.

Soft engagement: Curiously, Jennifer Hudson, who appears to possess the most innate talent of any performer on the bill, had the most difficulty holding the audience's attention. Her voice is a thing of beauty, and she used it to fine effect on numbers such as Where You At? and Angel. But she sang against a neutral-colored curtain, her dancers wore mostly black and white outfits as they flitted in and out, a Weight Watchers plug seemed slightly out of place, and the progression of songs lacked cohesion. Given the lack of production values (especially compared to the Charlie Wilson and Usher extravaganzas that immediately followed), it took all Hudson had to hold the stage. A duet with fellow American Idol alum George Huff on the Jackson 5's I'll Be There and a poignant reading of her own I Remember Me helped immeasurably.

Good-time Charlie: For the third year in a row, former Gap Band leader Charlie Wilson showed that he is perhaps the best true song-and-dance man in R&B today. He may be a 58-year-old recovering crack addict and prostate cancer survivor, but when he half squats with his hands on his knees and does the slow grind with a wicked grin under his pastel-colored hat, hearts tend to melt. His shows are true productions: the energy never lags, the music hardly ever stops, the dancers move with precision and purpose and Charlie projects non-stop cool and satisfaction. Jazz-tinged funk and non-stop party jams like There Goes My Baby, You Dropped a Bomb on Me, Party Train and Charlie, Last Name Wilson kept the crowd on its feet throughout.

Space man: Usher played a well-received show in the city about six months ago but that didn't stop him from reprising many of the sci-fi trappings for the Essence crowd, many of whom come from outside the region. So jaws dropped once again as black curtains dropped from around an area in the center of the Super Dome, smoke billowed and Usher ascended on a crane-driven platform that bore him at least 25 feet above the crowd and slowly delivered him to the stage. Once that stunt was accomplished (he repeated it toward the end of the show during Burn) the sexy, silky singer treated the crowd to a feverish, stylish performance that mixed sci-fi imagery, upscale urban dreamscapes, smart choreography, and edgy but not raunchy sexual fantasies. His shirt came off at the end of Confessions Part II, but only briefly; at other times the wardrobe borrowed from Michael Jackson, Stanley Kowalski, Barry White and those guys in GQ every month. Though the backing music was bombastic at times, Usher's agile vocals held their own on burners such Love in This Club, Lil Freak, U Got It Bad and There Goes My Baby. And in a touching and novel gesture, he didn't sing during his tribute to Michael Jackson, who died two years ago on the eve of Essence. Instead, Usher showcased brilliant dance moves as the band played instrumental versions of Wanna Be Startin' Something, Rock with You and Billie Jean.

Actor Andrew Keegan was tasered and handcuffed Saturday night after he got into a little incident with police.

Eyewitnesses stated that actor Andrew Keegan, who has been seen on movies such as ?10 Things I Hate about You? and television show ?7th Heaven?, was having a little party in Marina Del Rey when police stopped by to ask him to turn down his music.

Sources said Keegan refused to cooperate, even becoming ?very aggressive.?

Police threw Keegan to the ground and even tasered the actor. An eyewitness said Keegan was yelling a cops to let him go.

Keegan was released but never actually placed under arrest.

A pal said, ?he was very shaken up? by the whole incident.

Click thumbnails for larger pictures

Images: wenn.com

03 July 2011

Elizabeth Hurley is happy to try new things and doesn't worry about what other people think of her.

Elizabeth Hurley no longer cares what people think.

The 46-year-old beauty - who revealed earlier this year her marriage to Arun Nayar was over after it emerged she had been secretly dating former cricketer Shane Warne - finds getting older "liberating" because she is more open to new things.

She said: "It helps to be open to new things. Some close off and become more insular as they grow older, for me it's the other way. I care less what people think. It's liberating."

It helps to be open to new things. Some close off and become more insular as they grow older, for me it's the other way. I care less what people think. It's liberating.

Elizabeth - who has a nine-year-old son Damian with former boyfriend Steve Bing - believes it is more important to take care of her appearance now she is getting older as she doesn't want to look like a "bag lady".

She added in an interview with Grazia magazine: "As you get older it's the grooming - unkempt doesn't work.

"At 19 you can have buttons hanging off and stringy hair, but as we get older we look like bag ladies if we let things slide."