Nanosys

"Palo Alto, Calif. -- Nanosys Inc., a manufacturer of ultra-small technology that can make devices sleeker and more efficient, said it has raised a $40 million Series D round of financing, led by El Dorado Ventures.

The announcement comes more than one year after the company filed for an initial public offering of its shares, then changed its mind.

New investors in the latest round include Masters Capital, Medtronic Inc. and Wasatch Advisors. The financing also includes a portion from new investor In-Q-Tel, the venture group of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. "

Founded in 2001, Palo Alto, Calif.-based Nanosys has taken in some $95 million in funding to date. In July 2004, riding a wave of interest in nanotechnology companies, it filed an IPO of 6.25 million shares of its stock, with an estimated price range of $15 to $17 per share.

Garcia said Nanosys subsequently withdrew the IPO because "the market conditions were really poor, and the company decided to pull back and focus on the business." Roberts added that the company, thanks to a downbeat tech earnings season at the time, simply "could not get the pricing on the IPO we thought was reasonable."