With the spotlight suddenly turned on messaging apps after Facebook acquired WhatsApp, Chinese app WeChat released a major upgrade for the iOS and Android versions with new features such as real-time location sharing and chat history search.
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Northwest Biotherapeutics set its sights on developing treatment for brain cancer
Northwest Biotherapeutics, a company backed by venture capitalist Linda Powers, seeks to develop therapies for brain cancer and other tumors after nearly closing its doors a decade ago, Reuters reported.
Iowa-based app Bawte helps people organize and create inventory of belongings
Iowa, US-based iOS app Bawte helps its users organize and keep track of all their belongings by creating a catalog that sends reminders about warranty expiry and helps them take care of broken items through its free in-app live customer support service.
Japanese messaging app Line to launch open sticker marketplace and Skype rival
Japan-based mobile messaging app Line will launch an open sticker marketplace called Line Creators Market in April and will also release a Skype-like service in five countries.
US federal court dismisses IPO-linked lawsuit against Zynga
U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White dismissed the lawsuit filed against San Francisco, California-based social game maker Zynga in which shareholders accused the company of lying about its financial status before it went public.
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Bayside Capital, an affiliate of private equity firm H.I.G. Capital, has bought the Hilton Hotel in London Docklands from Pandox AB for an undisclosed price.
An undisclosed investment amount was given to Germany-based Sunfire from Electranova Capital, the clean technology venture capital fund of Idinvest Partners sponsored by EDF, and Total's venture capital arm Total Energy Ventures.
A high profile global wealth and asset management firm in Western Europe spent $4 million to acquire the licenses and related services for Kofax TotalAgility 7.0 and Kofax Analytics, which are products created by California, US-based business software firm Kofax Ltd.
If You Can Company, a startup that created a game that teaches social and emotional learning to children, has raised $6.5 million for its Series A round ed by Greylock Partners, TechCrunch reported.
Cambridge, Massachusetts-based database firm NuoDB landed $14.2 million in a Series C funding round led by European software firm Dassault Systemes to beef up its sales and marketing teams.
Texas-based medical imaging firm Seno Medical Instruments Inc secured $34.6 million of its $39 million Series C equity funding round led by MedCare Investment Funds.
Piazza, a social Q&A platform that connects students, teaching assistants and professors, has rolled out a new recruiting tool with the help of an additional $8 million from Khosla Ventures and Bessemer Ventures in a Series B round which quietly closed last year, TechCrunch reported.
Opternative, a Chicago-based startup, bagged $1 million in seed funding from Tribeca Venture Partners and Chicago Ventures does away with the need to have an in-person eye exam, TechCrunch reported.
Lerer Ventures led the first institutional funding round for tuxedo rental business The Black Tux which raised $2.6 million to offer clients cheaper yet higher quality suit and tie, TechCrunch reported.
