VENTURE CAPITAL POST

Seattle, US-based entrepreneur Liz Havlin is set to launch a crowdfunding campaign via Kickstarter to raise $30,000 to develop a 3D printer called the Legacy that uses recycled colored plastic as ink.

Doha Bank, a Qatar based lender, has entered into a definite acquisition agreement with HSBC Holdings Plc's HSBC Bank Oman to purchase its lending arm in India pending regulatory approvals in India, Jersey, Qatar and Oman.

Mumbai, India-based real estate startup Grabhouse makes realty deals easier by helping young Indians find an apartment or flat for rent that is compatible with their needs without going through a broker.

Gurgaon, India-based online travel agency Yatra.com took home INR140 crore in its fifth funding round led by IDG Ventures India and Vertex Venture Holding to fund future acquisitions.

Pune, India-based tablet and phablet manufacturer Swipe Telecom nabbed a $4.9-million (INR30 crore) investment from Kalaari Capital to widen its market reach across the country.

Indian e-commerce marketplace giant SnapDeal snapped up Noida-based fashion products discovery site Doozton for an undisclosed amount to leverage the latter's personalized shopping technology for its own platform.

Mumbai, India-based decorative and industrial paint manufacturer Asian Paints (International) Ltd picked up a 51% stake in Ethiopia-based paint maker Kadisco Chemical Industry PLC for an undisclosed amount.

Unitus Seed Fund backed Mumbai, India-based dental clinic chain Smile Merchants with an undisclosed investment to develop the latter's hub-and-spoke system and fund its national expansion.

Gurgaon, India-based smartphone maker Micromax Informatics Ltd is eyeing the purchase of an undisclosed stake in Seoul, South Korea-based rival Pantech Co Ltd in a bid to expand internationally, according to unnamed sources.

Microsoft has innovated an Indian hotline for startups to give advice, available during business hours from Monday to Friday, reported Venture Beat.

Samridhi Fund invested INR18 crore in Bhubaneswar-based diabetes care provider Kanungo Institute of Diabetes Specialties (KIDS) to help the latter expand its services in rural India.

Microsoft Ventures in India established the world's first startup hotline in Bangalore to give startups access to real-time professional advice regarding the accounting, taxation, legal, and technical aspects of a business via toll-free number.

Kohlapur, India-based commercial bank Ratnakar Bank Ltd pocketed $54.6 million (INR3.28 billion) from foreign investors CDC Group and Asia Capital and Advisors through the sale of an undisclosed minority stake to fund its rural expansion.

Chennai, India-based education startup Edsix Brain Lab wants to make it easy for children to improve their cognitive skills using their carefully researched and designed online and offline games under the brand Skill Angels.

Santa Clara, US-based low-power SoCs (system on a chip) developer Ineda Systems scored $17 million in a Series B funding round led by Walden-Riverwood Ventures to develop products that can be used in wearable devices and Internet of Things (IoT).