By Igor Sill* Venture capital investing is in the midst of a revival and change. It is certainly creating a different story from its past based on Wall Street’s new-found appetite for…
US, European Commission Clear Google’s Motorola Acquisition
Both the US Department of Justice and the European Commission have approved Google’s acquisition of Motorola, dismissing concerns that the search engine’s ownership of the mobile phone company would violate antitrust issues…
Groupon Buys Adku, the Ecommerce Big Data Startup
In an effort to provide a more personalized ecommerce experience, Groupon has acquired Adku, the ecommerce big data startup, the company recently announced. Though officially undisclosed, the price has been rumored to…
LanzaTech Lands $55.8 M Series C to Make Ethanol from Smoke Stack Emissions
Imagine fuel converted from the emissions of a smoke stack, thanks to a bacteria originally discovered in the intestinal tracks of rabbits. Thanks to a recently landed $55.8 million in Series C…
Leads360 Raises $15 M to Save Telemarketing with Lead Generation Tool
Telemarketers don’t have many friends, but some of them still do have jobs and families to feed, which has become increasingly difficult in the modern era. Leads360 provides a consumer sales and…
Little Black Bag Pockets $2.75M for New Approach to Social Commerce
Recently launched startup Little Black Bag strives to take social commerce to the next level. The company bases its approach on the fukubukuro, or “lucky bag sale,” in which shoppers buy a…
Facebook Files IPO for $5 B
Eight years after Mark Zuckerberg launched the world’s largest social media site from his Harvard dorm room, Facebook has finally decided to go public, aspiring to fetch $5 billion for its recent…
Bessemer Leads $6 Million Investment in Piazza’s Q&A Educational Forum
Piazza, a question and answer sharing platform for students and professors, recently landed $6 million in Series A funding, led by Bessemer Venture Partners with participation from Kapor Capital and Felice Ventures.…
Venture Firms Raised $5.6 Billion, but Fewer Funds
While venture funds raised $5.6 billion in the fourth quarter of 2011, a 162 percent increase over the third quarter, there was a 41 percent drop in the number of funds, with…
Paypal’s Mobile Payments Hit $4 B in 2011, Predicts $7 B in 2012
Ebay’s Paypal hit $4 billion in mobile payments in 2011, surpassing the company’s original predictions of $1.5 billion, and a significant increase from the $750 million in mobile payments the company processed…