E-Stamp Corp, the internet-based postage company has announced its latest round of financing, bringing in new investors including Compaq Computer Corp. As well as the new money, E-Stamp has entered into strategic agreements with Compaq and Francotyp- Postalia and extended its beta program to the west coast. The new round totals $16m and, in addition to Compaq, existing investors Microsoft Corp and AT&T Corp’s AT&T Ventures have gone round again, and are joined by newcomers Canaan Partners (the lead investor and new board member) and Francotyp-Postalia AG. The stake of the new investors were not disclosed, but AT&T and Microsoft, already had 10% of the company before yesterday’s announcement and a seat each on E-Stamp’s board. The strategic agreements with Compaq involves E-Stamp providing its online.postage service through Compaq Online Services, a set of internet services Compaq will include as standard features on its future Compaq SMB (small- to medium-sized business) desktop and laptop personal computers. The deal with Francotyp-Postalia is for the Berlin-headquartered company to include E-Stamp to its range of mail processing products and services. Francotyp- Postalia already works with the US Postal Service through its postage meter business. E-Stamp has developed software to print postage stamps from personal computers using a standard printer. The stamps are in the form of a two-dimensional barcode called an Information-Based Indicia. The Palo Alto-based company has fulfilled the requirements set down by the US Postal Service and is now extending its existing beta test program to San Francisco and other parts of northern California following the completion of its first phase of testing in Washington DC and northern Virginia. Existing beta customers will join those in northern California to make a total of 500. The national roll-out is expected before the end of this year.
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