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Venture Capital News: New Era Portfolio Closes $4M Series A

2012-01-17
AUSTIN, TX, Fully integrated art company serving both the design industry and consumers announced a $4 million Series A investment from SSM Partners.
New Era Portfolio, a fully integrated art company serving both the design industry and consumers, is excited to announce a $4 million Series A investment from SSM Partners. This represents the first round of outside investment for New Era Portfolio, a company founded in 2000 and comprised of three branded, wholly owned subsidiaries: GalleryDirect.com, New Era HD and New Era Walls. The investment will support accelerated growth opportunities requiring infrastructure build-out and an expanded management team.

"New Era Portfolio has become the destination site for art enthusiasts because of its unparalleled selection of fine art reproductions and limited-edition prints. The incredible range of art-from modern to vintage-paired with our advanced, highly customized printing provides our clients with an incredible experience," said Joe Garcia, CEO and founder of New Era Portfolio. "The investment from SSM Partners, a leading growth investor with a history of backing innovative technology companies, enables us to advance our development efforts and provide our clients with an even larger array of fine art offerings."

New Era Portfolio is one of the largest limited-edition fine art publishers, printmakers and artisan framers in the world. The company has sold 3.2 million prints and optimized over 200,000 images which are used by blue-chip retailers, top design firms and individual consumers. These images can be found in five-star hotels, businesses and homes all over the world. With exceptional service and 24-hour processing time, New Era Portfolio brings the art gallery to its customers' doorstep. The company has grown consistently since 2000 and has made the Inc. 500|5000 list four times since 2006.

"New Era Portfolio is a significant player in e-commerce and the art industry; we are excited to be part of this unfolding story," said Wilson Orr of SSM Partners. "The exclusive, one-of-a-kind artwork and proprietary printing technology at New Era Portfolio create a new way to produce and consume art, making this an opportunity not only for art enthusiasts, but investors like SSM Partners."

New Era Portfolio

A fully integrated art company, New Era Portfolio, and its three wholly owned subsidiaries GalleryDirect.com, New Era HD and New Era Wall, are changing the way designers and consumers look at art. With over 12 million images from numerous genres of art, including abstract, contemporary, vintage and photography, the company works with more than 100 exclusive artists-including photographers, painters and mixed-media artists. New Era Portfolio allows designers and consumers to create one-of-a-kind artwork with the exclusive ability to print art on exceptional and unique materials, such as high-quality paper, canvas, birch wood, aluminum, wall murals and mirrors. Please visit www.newerahd.com, www.gallerydirect.com and www.newerawalls.com for more information.

About SSM Partners

SSM has been partnering with talented entrepreneurs for more than 20 years. The firm invests in rapidly growing, technology-enabled companies in the business, consumer and healthcare services industries. Portfolio companies have differentiated and proven business models, large market opportunities, and the ability to generate high returns on invested capital. Starting with a relationship built on trust, SSM offers its entrepreneur-partners a thorough understanding of the growth company lifecycle and a patient approach to building great businesses.
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