Twilio acts as universal translator between the arcane language of telecom networks and the new speak of the developer world. Apparently VCs are buying into the power of its APIs, and they’re investing accordingly. Read more »
The mobile explosion has meant an exponential growth in data use – and punishing traffic to our cellular networks. In the eyes of VCs, that mobile misfortune spells opportunity. Read more »
Every VC firm has its own way of evaluating potential investments. Remmy Oxley, an anonymous VC, says that Moneyball-style methods are the next step, and reveals his firm’s algorithm for screening candidates. Read more »
The Danish firm has been building a platform for consumers to review independent online retailers. Now it wants to break America. But does Trustpilot need to work hard on improving its own visibility, or just syndicate its reviews to Google? Read more at paidContent »
Another vendor hoping to provide a paid content mechanism to online publishers is raising money from backers including Apple’s former overseas lieutenant. Read more at paidContent »
In an Asian video market that’s growing fast and dominated by Vietnam, online software vendor Kaltura will open up efforts with a $25 million investment. Read more at paidContent »
Online video is hot. So the media vehicle run by News Corp’s former COO is now investing in Base 79, a company that populates online video channels and apps for content owners. Read more at paidContent »
The fund, backed by Microsoft and Nokia, invests in products rather than startups. Early takeup is promising, with Vision+ putting money into three new top-level domains and a fistful of games. Read more »
Scandinavian newspaper publisher Schibsted is keeping up its efforts to diversify and attract user payments by investing in a regional ebook service. Read more at paidContent »
The exclusive provider of ad services to a host of Italian online publishers is taking on money to fund development of new ad formats. Read more at paidContent »
Where’s the best place for cloud investment in Europe? Day One of Structure Europe concluded with an interesting discussion on cloud opportunities for startup companies. Read more »
As TV and telco operators mull their mobile and tablet options, another software vendor is hoping to get their attention, funding itself for a larger worldwide push. Read more at paidContent »
Fresh from raising €100 million, French music service Deezer’s CEO Axel Dauchez tells paidContent he wants to tip-toe around the US and Spotify while using funds to go global. Read more at paidContent »
UK mobile ad spending is more than doubling year-on-year, according to new figures, as two more vendors in the space take on new financing to exploit the sector’s growth opportunity. Read more at paidContent »
Deezer now stands a much greater chance of challenging powerful Spotify in the race to sign unlimited-music subscription customers, after reportedly taking a €100 million funding. But can any of their ilk be a success? Read more at paidContent »
Duck Duck Moose, a San Mateo, Calif.-based company that makes educational smartphone apps for kids, has raised $7 million in Series A funding from Sequoia Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners and Stanford University. Read more »
Business card printer and east London tech darling Moo.com acquires web personal landing page Flavors.me to bolster its digital profile. Read more »
Publishers increasingly want to know exactly what readers are looking for. Now investment is being given to a start-up that purports not just to tell them – but also to write the content for them. Read more at paidContent »
Russian video aggregator ivi.ru is raising $40 million more. The money will be used to license TV and movie content, as investors hope decreasing piracy and willingness to pay for content can make for success. Read more at paidContent »
The veteran venture capital firm is raising another $250 million fund to invest in early-stage and growth-stage tech companies working in Israel and around the world. Read more »
Tech start-up buzz is bringing Berlin to the attention of suits who broker company investments and sales. That means many more German outfits are likely to see money sloshing around, just like SoundCloud did. Read more »
Struggling to finance its core TV channel amid funding cutbacks, Welsh-language broadcaster S4C is re-committing up to £1 million per year to producers it hopes can give an overdue lift to its online ambitions. Read more at paidContent »
Crowdfunding has grown from a $33 million market to a $128 million market in the past two years and is expected to reach $500 million in 2012. While it won’t completely replace more traditional fund-raising methods, it’s nonetheless an important space to watch, with plenty of opportunities. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Somewhere over the rainbow for Phorm is a land where it gets to target brands’ ads to users based on their every web browsing habit. After UK controversy, the latest emerging market in its sights is Turkey. Read more at paidContent »
The web publishing services startup founded by ex Google, DoubleClick, Brightcove and Lycos execs is raising €1.2 million from Arts Alliance and others. Read more at paidContent »
Allen & Co. is tapping Facebook, Yahoo, Amazon, Apple and Google to raise up to $150 million in funding for music video distributor Vevo, according to a weekend Wall Street Journal report. Read more at paidContent »
Plexxi Systems, a stealthy networking startup that wants to bring fiber into the data center at a cost the comprable to existing Ethernet technologies, has scored a $20.1 million third round of financing from Lightspeed Venture Partners, Matrix Partners and Northbridge Venture Partners. Read more »
Why did one early investor in apparently thriving Berlin startup 6wunderkinder sell up? We’ve solved the mystery: it looks like the German public-private HTGF venture capital firm hit the limits of what it was allowed to do and decided to cash out. Read more »
Skype and Lovefilm backer Index Ventures has just added a new €350 million early stage fund to its arsenal, and now plans to use it to back dozens of companies across Europe, America and Israel over the next three years. Read more »
Heard this one before? Controversial ISP-level web ads targeter Phorm is taking on more money to seek riches in another new country. But can it succeed in Asia where it has failed before? Read more at paidContent »
Paul Graham of Y Combinator has warned startups they have to be more cautious in the wake of the lackluster Facebook IPO. But did Facebook really pop a venture-financing bubble, or did it just allow some of the steam to escape from an overheated market? Read more »
An interactive education and books crossover started by some of the founders of Zynga’s main social gaming rival is taking on $4 million in venture funding. Read more at paidContent »
Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten wants to plug Pinterest in to purchasing, after leading a $100 million investment in the social pinboard curator. Read more at paidContent »
Fotolia is taking a $150 million private investment as Shutterstock goes public to raise $115 million. Coincidence? Crowdsourced-photo rivals are bulking up to challenge microstock’s market-leading iStockPhoto. Read more at paidContent »
Technology investment funds operated by several national and regional governments have largely survived the chop. Here are their latest investments. Read more »
Ask a VC about big data and she will probably tell you about visualization of the user interface. We’re talking about intuitive UIs that let users visually work with data using charts and tools, not algorithms. It’s hard to do right, but the payoff could be huge. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
A year into its life, Passion Capital has established itself as one of London’s premier seed investors. Here’s what the trio behind the business have learned since making the change from entrepreneurs into serious investors. Read more »
A Madrid-based mobile advertising network is taking investment to challenge big U.S. competitors. Read more at paidContent »
Payments are big up north. A Square competitor and an online payments facilitator are named the Nordic region’s most promising digital outfits. Read more at paidContent »
It’s powering paid online bundles of rival news publishers in eastern Europe. Now Piano Media is taking on €2 million from VCs to try taking the idea overseas. Read more at paidContent »
