VENTURE CAPITAL POST

BioPen uses 3D bioprinting technology to enable surgeons draw viable human stem cells in order to reconstruct bones of damaged joints. The product is still at the R&D stage and is still being actively tested and improved.

Israeli fintech hub initiative is receiving $2 million investments from Chinese venture capital firm Pando Group. The partnership is expected to build the bridge between Israel companies and the Asian markets.

Europe recession looks enduring, warns the IPPR report. It said the severe unemployment and underemployment in Europe are signals of an alarming situation about the deepening recession.

Missouri agrichemical giant Monsanto announced Monday that it will close down three research and development centers in 2016, cutting about 90 jobs. Reuters reported that the move is done to cut costs on its restructuring operations that are necessary for the dwindling agricultural commodity market.

With an objective of bagging a major chunk of market share in the world's biggest automobile market, the US automobile giant Ford Motor Corp has decided to invest Yuan 11.4billion ($1.8billion) in China. Ford will invest the amount in research and development (R&D) over next five years. Ford has been able to perform better in China market by eating into Japanese rivals' market share. Ford is planning to introduce new models in the China market soon. The new models include hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles. Ford is also planning to roll out new generation smart cars shortly in China.

As part of its restructuring plan to reduce costs, Monsanto Co has decided to cut 2,600 jobs. The slashing of jobs accounts for 11.6 percent of total employees at Monsanto. With an objective of boosting confidence for investors, Monsanto has taken up share buyback exercise.

Japanese automobile major Toyota Motor Corp is planning to launch driverless cars in the market by 2020. Toyota will launch three models in semi-automatic range this year in Japan market. The semi-automatic cars equipped with Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) are technology-driven vehicles that change lanes, merge with traffic or even overtake other vehicles. The fourth generation Prius hybrid car is one among the three semi-automatic models is scheduled for launch in Japan market in 2015.

With gross margins decreasing, Motorola Solutions Inc, a US provider of data communications and telecommunications equipment, has taken up cost-cutting measures to boost its profit growth. The cost optimizing and restructuring exercise have been helping the company significantly in cost control. The sluggish sales, cut-throat market competition and adverse sales tax are putting more pressure on Motorola. The gross margins fell from 51 percent in 2012 to 48 percent in 2014. In a similar way, operating margins also down from 14.8 percent to 16.4 percent during the period.

Apple Inc. is preparing the electric car code-named Titan to be shipped in 2019. In fact, the company had already hired 1800 experts to its development team. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Project Titan had been tripled its team to 1800 members by now. Apple is pushing the project as it targets 2019 for the shipment of the electric car. The report said the company has no plans to make the car fully autonomous on its initial launch, though the driverless car is still part of the plan.

With an objective of taking additive manufacturing (3-D printing) to further advance level, America Makes has drawn up plans to support research and development (R&D) with financial funding of up to $8 million.

Google's Life Sciences is now a standalone entity that will be a wholly owned subsidiary of Alphabet after being under Google X.

Foxconn, an electronic company in Taiwan with trade name Hon Hai Precision Co. Ltd., signed a memorandum of understanding with the government of India to invest $5B in manufacturing, research and development and a smart city.

Agrochemicals firm Syngenta on Friday rejected a $45 billion takeover offer from Monsanto, saying the offer undervalued the Swiss firm and did not fully take into account regulatory risks.

Finland's Nokia denied reports in Chinese media that it planned to return to manufacturing phones. "Nokia notes recent news reports claiming the company communicated an intention to manufacture consumer handsets out of a R&D facility in China. These reports are false," Nokia said in a statement posted on its website.

Foreigners are set to take over several French blue chip firms this year and will largely do what they want with their prizes - showing the limits of new laws passed in the name of "economic patriotism".