VENTURE CAPITAL POST

New York, US-based investment management firm Blackrock raised its stake in UK-based Internet media firm Blinkx to 13% amid allegations that the latter was using adware to boost its revenues.

New York, US-based travel management firm Rocketrip bagged $2.6 million in a Series A funding round led by Canaan Partners to accelerate its product development and to beef up its sales and customer services.

New York, US-based hedge fund Libra Advisors will pick up a $7.2% stake in Auckland, New Zealand-based business developer Rubicon to support that latter's future forestry biotech project.

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.

New York City, US-based smart flight finding mobile app Hit List exited the beta phase and is currently raising around $500,000 in its seed funding round.

New York, US-based startup Docurated nabbed $3.75 million in its first major funding round led by Rogers Venture Partners to help companies index and search for their files on local servers and cloud storage services.

New York, US-based lending platform Fundera raised $3.4 million in funding from a recent venture round to help connect small businesses to a network of certified lending alternatives to banks.

New York, US-based social intelligence startup 4C snagged $4 million in funding from venture capital firm Jump Capital for its expansion, and sales and product development.

New York, US-based independent software corporation CA Tech invested an undisclosed amount with venture capital group IDG Ventures India in India-based enterprise software startups from October to December 2013.

San Francisco, US-based social media giant Twitter decided to buy more than 900 patents from American multinational tech firm IBM to settle patent infringement claims against it, with the two companies forming a patent cross-licensing agreement.

New York, US-based analytics firm Implisit raised $3.3 million in funding from Gemini Israel Ventures for its self-learning platform that mines CRM data to help improve sales efficiency.

New York, US-based social TV startup Viggle snapped up San Francisco, California-based rival Dijit Media for an undisclosed sum to acquire and incorporate the latter's NextGuide and reminder button features into its own offerings.

Missouri, US-based biotech startup Modern Meadow is the process of opening a facility in New York to promote lab-grown leather and in-vitro meat to fashion firms and restaurants in the area.

New York-based television agency Peleton Entertainment bought Todd Berger's consulting firm Creative Media for an undisclosed amount to expand into animation, branded entertainment, and feature film.

Chicago, Illinois-based tutoring marketplace WyzAnt acquired New York-based Tutorspree, a fellow marketplace competitor, that has been closed down since September 2013, for an undisclosed amount.