From the viewpoint of venture capital, the real victors of the recently-announced acquisition of WhatsApp by Facebook are Sequoia Capital and Partner Jim Goetz, TechCrunch reported.
Sectors
San Francisco compliance service provider Strevus bags $6.5M in first institutional funding
San Francisco, US-based startup software developer Strevus bagged $6.5 million in its first institutional funding led by Blumberg Capital and US Venture Partners for compliance solutions for financial services firms.
Google unveils expansion plans for Google Fiber
Google has rolled out its expansion plans for its high speed fiber Internet service called Google Fiber which could possibly be introduced in 34 cities, VentureBeat reported.
PayPal to open new mobile SDK to developers in 30 countries
California, US-based payments firm PayPal said it will open its new mobile software development kit (SDK) to all mobile developers across 30 countries starting February 24 to make way for a more convenient PayPal checkout in mobile apps.
eBay purchases computer graphics firm PhiSix Fashion Labs to give customers virtual fitting room
PhiSix Fashion Labs, a computer graphics firm in the Bay Area, has been purchased by e-commerce giant eBay to allow online customers to fit clothes virtually before buying them, VentureBeat reported.
Latest News
Canonical, the parent firm of UK-based operating system Ubuntu, partnered with Chinese electronics firm Meizu and Spanish mobile gadget firm Bq to build the first Ubuntu Mobile phones this year.
In a bid to compete with rivals in the search-advertising sector, US-based search giant debuted Gemini, its new platform that lets advertisers combine mobile search and native advertisements.
Facebook will be buying WhatsApp in a cash and stock deal worth $16 billion. The messaging giant will also be retaining its brand and will function as an independent unit, TechCrunch reported.
Tel Aviv, Israel-based bring-your-own-device (BYOD) startup Nativeflow raised $7.5M in funding to date to allow workers to securely browse and share both personal and corporate data, according to an exclusive report by VentureBeat.
China-based Fosun International Ltd is the most likely acquirer of Forbes Media Llc but will be paying less than $250 million for the money management magazine, according to sources interviewed by The Deal Pipeline.
The emergence of cryptocurrencies, especially Bitcoin, has raised many to speculate whether the concept of a global digital currency is inevitable in today's society. Andrew Filipowski, founder and former CEO of PLATINUM technology, inc and current Chairman & CEO of SilkRoad Equity, believes that the value and promise of Bitcoin can completely revolutionize the global economy and has the inevitable potential to bypass banks altogether.
Weight loss app MyFitnessPal has acquired Sessions, a Rock Health-backed startup that has developed an app that connects individuals with fitness experts who encourage accountability in their workouts, VentureBeat reported.
Robocoin will be opening the first Bitcoin ATM in the US at the HandleBar tavern located in Austin, Texas. The machine will be operational starting Thursday, February 20 at 2 PM, TechCrunch reported.
Cloud-based payroll application provider ZenPayroll obtained $20 million from General Catalyst Partners and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers for its Series A round, TechCrunch reported.
