VENTURE CAPITAL POST

A Mannheim court dismissed the $2.2 billion lawsuit filed against it by patent holding firm IPCom in Germany on one of the "100" series patents the latter acquired from Robert Bosch GmBH, Bloomberg reported.

Helsinki, Finalnd-based chemical industry group Kemira announced that it will acquire the alkyl ketene dimer (AKD) emulsion unit of Ludwigshafen, Germany-based chemical giant for an undisclosed sum.

Unterfoehring, Germany-based production and distribution firm Red Arrow Entertainment Group picked up a majority stake in Bethesda, US-based entertainment firm Half Yard Productions in a deal estimated to be valued at more than $40 million.

Paris, France-based event planning mobile app WePopp paired up with San Francisco, US-based restaurant booking app OpenTable to integrate restaurant booking service into the steps required to plan for a given event.

Berlin, Germany-based solar energy startup Changers closed $1.5 million in a Series A funding round led by state-backed fund BFB Frühphasenfonds Brandenburg to turn solar power creation into a rewarding game.

Within just 24 hours, Zurich, Switzerland-based encrypted messaging startup Threema soared to the top of Germany's paid App Store chart due to a 200,000 subscriber addition, 80% of which are in Germany.

Seattle, US-based e-commerce and digital media giant Amazon will rename its London-based streaming video service LoveFilm as Prime Instant Video in Germany and the UK starting February 26.

Singapore-based data analytics firm Crayon Data secured INR7.3 crore in a venture round from Jungle Ventures and Spring Seeds Capital for its expansion into the US, UK, Middle East, and China.

In a bid to attract more startups, Walldorf, Germany-based sofware giant SAP planned to open a cafe in Palo Alto, California, where startups companies can hang out, collaborate, and connect to over 1,000 companies worldwide.

Munich, Germany-based firm Bragi launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter to build wireless smart earphones called The Dash, which has sensors that can track fitness activity and vital signs.

The Central Bank of Russia echoed its statement that the Ruble is the country's official currency, and being a money substitute, Bitcoin is now banned because it is reportedly used in illegal activities.

Saudi Arabia-based development and investment firm Technology Development & Investment Co (TAQNIA) picked up a 50% stake in Sun & Life, the solar energy unit of power and water company Acwa.

Sunnyvale, US-based GPS app maker Telenav acquired Berlin, Germany-based navigation startup Skobbler in a deal valued at approximately $24 million in a combination of cash and common stock.

Munich, Germany-based secondhand clothes marketplace Vinted landed $27 million in a Series B funding round led by Insight Venture Partners and Accel Partners for its expansion to the US.

Starting February 27, London-based co-working space Rainmaking Loft will be opening 80 desks within a 1,000-square-meter office space in Berlin to provide startups with links between the Berlin and London tech markets.