VENTURE CAPITAL POST

Apple will be offering a no-contract iPhone 5s for $1,169 when it debuts its first store in Latin America, marking the most expensive price for its iPhones, Bloomberg reported.

Amazon Inc. started selling its Kindle online in Brazil on Friday, expanding from ebooks into retail for the first time in Latin America's biggest and most challenging ecommerce market.

Hackers responsible for the data breach on Target stores over the holiday season gained access using log-on credentials for heating, refrigeration, and air conditioning, according to a post on Krebs on Security written by former Washington Post reporter Brian Krebs.

Hamburg, Germany-based credit and loans startup Kreditech bagged $15 million in debt funding from Kreos Capital to finance consumer lending and expansion in Europe, Oceania, and Latin America.

China will continue to attract private equity investors of emerging markets, according to Paul Fletcher of Actis and Sev Vettivetpillai of Abraaj in their talk with Peter Vanham of Financial Times blog beyondbrics.

World Bank Group member International Finance Corporation (IFC) invested an undisclosed amount in US-based submarine fiber optic cable system developer and operator Seaborn Network Holdings LLC.

Argentina-based investment group Corporacion America reached an agreement to buy the stake of entrepreneur Eike Batista in SIX Semicondutores, a Brazil-based billion-dollar semiconductor project, for an undisclosed sum.

In an attempt to get their money back faster, creditors of Brazil-based Banco Cruzeiro do Sul, are looking for a debt-to-equity swap on an unsecured debt valued at 2.3 billion, Bloomberg reported.

Norway-based newsprint and magazine paper manufacturer Norske Skog inked an agreement to exit its remaining stake in its Brazilian operations to Papeles Bio Bio SA for $37 million.

Sao Paulo-based investment bank and asset wealth manager Grupo BTG Pactual said Brazil's presidential elections scheduled in October 2014 will curtail the mergers and acquisitions activity this year, Bloomberg reported.

Private equity funds Carlyle Group LP and KKR & Co are in discussion to purchase troubled Brazil-based medical services provider Fleury SA in a deal worth BRL2.9 billion ($1.2 billion), according to three sources familiar with the matter.

Brazil-based fixed-phone company Embratel Participacoes will pour in BRL2.2 billion ($944 million) into Mexico-based mobile phone company Claro as part of a plan to merge the group's fixed and mobile divisions.

India-based integrated components manufacturer Amtek Auto agreed to acquire significant business interests in Germany-based integrated machine manufacturer Kuepper group in a deal reportedly valued at €200 million.

Brazil-based iron ore mining giant Vale said it will sell its stake in Brazilian logistics firm Log-in Logistica International and auction its capital in phosphoric acid firm Fosbrasil.

Tech investment in Brazil is set to grow by 6% and investments for IT training will almost double in 2014, according to a recent survey among 1,000 decision makers in large and medium enterprises.