VENTURE CAPITAL POST

Chicago, US-based artist community and e-commerce site Threadless launched an iOS app for its online T-shirt and hoodie business after existing exclusively on the web for a long time.

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.

Tel Aviv, Israel-based smart calendar app Cal added a new feature called HeadsUp that simplifies meeting and appointment tasks such as taking notes, composing minutes, and assigning tasks to attendees.

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.

Sunnyvale, US-based mobile security solutions provider Good Technology announced its purchase of Columbia, Maryland-based enterprise mobility management software maker Boxtone for an undisclosed amount to boost security in joint products and widen its client base.

Andrew Bocking, the Executive Vice President of BBM, exited Ontario, Canada-based smartphone and enterprise software maker BlackBerry, with the said division to be folded into Global Enterprise Solutions under the leadership of John Sims.

Hanoi, Vietnam-based game developer Don Nguyen of dotGears took down the top-ranking mobile game Flappy Bird from both iOS and Google Play app stores today, reportedly due to the various criticisms he had been receiving in connection with the game.

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.

London, UK-based startup Togethera closed $250,000 in a seed funding round led by European and American angel investors to roll out its private family photo sharing app on Android.

Stockholm, Sweden-based mobile phone community Truecaller grabbed $18.8 million in a Series B financing round led by Sequoia Capital to help identify unknown phone callers and block spam calls.

San Francisco, California-based mobile video advertising startup Vungle snagged $17 million in a Series B funding round led by Thomvest Ventures to build monetization tools for developers of mobile apps.

San Francisco, California-based mobile speaker company Boombotix pocketed $4 million in a funding round led by both new and previous investors to develop its audio products and enhance its marketing strategies.

Rain Rannu, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Fortumo, said in his guest post at VentureBeat that more Android app users would pay if local payment options and not just credit cards would be offered.

Sunnyvale, US-based GPS app maker Telenav acquired Berlin, Germany-based navigation startup Skobbler in a deal valued at approximately $24 million in a combination of cash and common stock.

Flappy Bird, a mobile game created by Hanoi-Vietnam-based developer Dong Nguyen of dotGears Studios, hit the top spot of free mobile apps in the Google Play and iOS app stores, mainly because it is very challenging and frustrating.