VENTURE CAPITAL POST

While the search for the next CEO of Microsoft Corp intensifies. lead contender Satya Nadella took the time to mingle with Paris startups in a conference, Bloomberg reported.

A Reuters report said 3M Co revealed its plans to purchase its shares back worth up to $22 billion, making it the biggest so far in terms of percentage among US companies who have announced similar plans this year.

Car pricing information website TrueCar.com has received a $30 million investment from Vulcan Capital. Vulcan Capital is controlled by Microsoft Corp. co-founder Paul Allen and has been investing in Internet and technology firms.

The board of directors at Ford Motor Co is keen to know the immediate career plans of its chief executive officer, Alan Mulally, as speculation about the latter being the next head of Microsoft intensifies.

The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals were reported on Wednesday, including Fortum, National Vision, Saipem, CTT, MTS, Southern Pacific, Warrnambool, Verbund, Bakkafrost, Popular and Marathon Oil.

The Luxembourg-based General Court declared on Wednesday that Cisco's antitrust concerns regarding Microsoft Corp's takeover of the largest Internet video and voice messaging provider Skype was unfounded.

Sources noted that Nokia Oyj is in danger of finding a new buyer for its mobile handset business if it failed to lift the freeze on its Indian assets to be able to transfer them to Microsoft as part of its acquisition agreement.

Private equity firm Thoma Bravo is considering to put up for sale two software companies in its portfolio, Hyland and LANDesk. This week, Thoma Bravo sold Digital Insight to NCR Corp. for USD1.6 billion.

European Union antitrust regulators have approved Microsoft's $7.3 bln acquisition of Nokia's mobile device business without conditions, the European Commission said on Wednesday.

Washington-based tech company Microsoft Corp sold a record offering of USD8 billion of bonds in dollars and euros to fund general corporate purposes, according to regulatory filings today.

The Federal Trade Commission in a statement said the US government approved Microsoft Corp.'s acquisition of Nokia's mobile phone business on November 29. The European Union is set to decide on the matter on December 4.

Sources interviewed by Bloomberg said the Microsoft Board had favored Ford CEO Alan Mulally and internal executive Satya Nadella as the front runners to lead Microsoft.

A new survey by Nielsen said 33% of active gamers intend to buy Sony's PlayStation 4, while 22% of those surveyed said that they will buy Microsoft's Xbox One. PS4 was released two weeks ago, while Xbox hit the stores last week.

An Apple Inc. spokeswoman has confirmed that the Cupertino-based tech giant will acquire Israel's PrimeSense Ltd. for USD350 million. The PrimeSense deal is the latest in Apple's acquisition of less well-known companies.

Microsoft Corp. is set to secure a European Union (EU) approval for its proposed USD7.3 billion takeover of Nokia's mobile phone business. Regulators from various countries had already given the green light to the deal.