VENTURE CAPITAL POST

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia-based conglomerate Sime Darby Bhd, through its subsidiary Haynes Mechanical, picked up a 70% stake in Singleton, Australia-based mining machinery provider TFP Engineering for A$3.2 million (MYR9.5 million).

Illinois, US-based specialist packaging supplier Arpac added New York-based conventional palletiser manufacturer Lambert Material Handling for an undisclosed amount to increase its portfolio of packaging solutions.

Car dealer Manheim bought Lanarkshire, Scotland-based vehicle reseller Shotts Motor Auctions for an undisclosed sum in a bid to expand and beef up its product offering.

Canadian music legend Neil Young launched a crowdfunding campaign via Kickstarter with a funding goal of $800,000 for his portable music player called Pono that enhances the quality of digitized music files.

Marseille, France-based last minute hotel booking mobile app VeryLastRoom bagged $2.1 million in a venture round led by APlusFinance and Extend & Sigma Gestion to fuel its expansion in Europe.

San Francisco, US-based event ticketing startup Eventbrite scored $50 million in a funding round from Tiger Global Management and T. Rowe Price to fuel its international expansion plans ahead of a potential initial public offering (IPO) in 2014.

Redwood City, US-based social media startup Banjo landed $16 million in a Series B funding led by Balderton Capital to fund its growth, international expansion, and product development.

South Korean electronics giant Samsung filed a patent on September 2012 for a new method that lets users unlock the screen and activate apps and certain commands using a doodle.

Starting April, United Airlines will roll out a free in-flight entertainment service for iOS devices and laptops that has more than 150 movies and 200 TV shows that passengers can stream.

Search giant Google is reportedly venturing into the set top business with its recent acquisition of Santa Clara, US-based mobile game and hardware developer Green Throttle Games for an undisclosed amount.

Austin, Texas-based legal reserve life insurance firm Citizens Inc, through its subsidiary, added Ridgeland, Mississippi-based firm Magnolia Guaranty Life Insurance Co in a deal valued at $5.23 million.

Mountain View, US-based 3D reconstruction firm Matterport is set to release a camera and technology that professional photographers and real estate firms can use to create 3D models of interior and outdoor spaces.

Newport Beach, US-based micro investing app Acorns raised $5.5 million in a Series B funding round led by Jacobs Asset Management to let people invest in index funds using their spare change.

Montreal, Canada-based pension fund manager Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (La Caisse) invested $40 million to support the growth of Quebec-based professional services firm WSP Global, formerly Genivar, despite damaging issues about the company.

Los Angeles, California-based concert and ticketing digital unit LiveNation Labs added San Francisco-based social search startup for an undisclosed amount to deliver improved concert experience for music fans.