VENTURE CAPITAL POST

British helicopter airline Bristow Helicopters picked up a 60% stake in UK-based airline Eastern Airways International Ltd, with the two firms to continue operating as entities independent from each other, as part of the strategic investment deal.

France-based cloud storage service HubiC now has an updated product offering that consists of a 25GB free storage, 100GB for $1.35 (€1) every month, and 10TB for a $13.50 (€10) monthly fee.

In its fourth expansion via acquisition, Paris, France-based carpooling site BlaBlaCar added Podorozhniki for an undisclosed sum to tap into the market of Russia and Ukraine.

Germany-based car maker Audi is investing in Paris, France-based bio gasoline startup Global Bioenergies, which makes cheap gasoline from sugar, as part of an effort to decrease greenhouse gas emissions amid stricter regulations.

Dublin, Ireland-based pharmaceutical firm Actavis sold its stake in Chinese subsidiary Actavis (Foshan Pharmaceutical Co) for an undisclosed sum because of its limited presence in the country.

Hugh MacKay, the chief executive of UK-based hydrocarbons exploration and production firm Europa Oil & Gas, now holds a 0.88% stake in the company after it held an open offer for 19.3 million shares.

Hamburg, Germany-based publishing group Spiegel.net has partnered with accelerator XLHealth to acquire a 25% stake in Berlin-based brain-training startup NeuroNation for an unconfirmed seven-figure sum.

The French state divested a 1% stake in Netherlands-based aircraft and defense firm Airbus Group for €451 million ($614 million), according to the French economy minister.

Tech giants Microsoft and Samsung are in talks to acquire stakes in a France-based online music startup and a video-sharing website, according to a report by French weekly Le Journal du Dimanche.

Paris, France-based travel startup Evaneos raised $6 million from a Series B funding round led by XAnge Private Equity for its expansion to other European countries.

Gemany-based eHealth solutions provider CompuGroup Medical AG said it has inked an agreement to acquire France-based software maker Imagine Editions and Imagine Assistance for an undisclosed amount.

Canadian Solar Solutions Inc, a unit of Canadian Solar Inc (CSIQ), has concluded the sale of Mississippi Mills solar power plant in Ontario, Canada for over $57.4 million (C$61 million).

House of Fraser, a 160-year-old department store chain based in UK, expects a floatation by the end of 2014. The British retailer however remains in exclusive talks with French peer Galeries Lafayette on a possible buyout.

French power company GDF Suez has purchased a 74% stake in a 1,000 megawatt coal-based power project owned by India's Meenakshi Energy and Infrastructure Holdings for an undisclosed sum.

French automaker Renault and state-owned Dongfeng Motor Group have finally closed a $1.3 billion partnership agreement after almost a decade. The deal allows Renault to sell locally assembled models in China.