Specific Media snares $100 million in online advertising free-for-all

Over the past couple weeks, there have been some mega private fundings of dot-coms. Of course, there was Microsoft's $240 million investment in Facebook. And now, we have another blockbuster: Francisco Partners has invested $100 million in Specific Media, a top online advertising network that reaches over 130 million unique users.

With Google's (NASDAQ: GOOG) buyout of DoubleClick and Microsoft's (NASDAQ: MSFT) deal for aQuantive, it's hard not to be excited about Specific Media's space. "I think there will be more consolidation," said Tim Vanderhook, CEO and co-founder of Specific Media, in a BloggingStocks.com interview. "So with the $100 million, we can also be a consolidator."

For example, he sees lots of opportunities in Europe. Specific Media is also looking at advertising types beyond banners. So does this mean moving into video? Perhaps. Although, Vanderhook is somewhat tempered. "It's still a small market and there are issues to work out," he said. "I think there could be a shake-out in the sector. So, we could see a lot of assets for sale."

Visit DealProfiles.com to check out more information on recent VC deals.

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook and The Edgar Online Guide to Decoding Financial Statements.