VENTURE CAPITAL POST

Online music streaming service Spotify said on Wednesday its global paid subscriber base had swelled to 10 million as speculation mounts the Swedish start-up could be gunning for a share listing.

iZettle, Swedish mobile company, pockets $55.5 million in a series C round led by Zouk Capital with other participants such as Dawn Capital, Intel Capital, Creandum, Greylock, Index, Northzone, and SEB.

Menlo Park, US-based social network giant Facebook announced its plans to build a second Iowa data center right next to its first facility in Altoona which is still being constructed and has yet to start its operations.

Mountain View, US-based business-oriented social networking service LinkedIn already reached the 300-million mark in registered users worldwide, with half of that number coming from countries outside of its home country.

Lund, Sweden-based biometric identification startup Quixter designed a vein scanning device that lets retail customers complete payment transactions by swiping their hands instead of credit cards.

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.

Bathgate, West Lothian-based mobile phone recycling company Redeem Holdings acquired Macclesfield, Chesire-based rival Eazyfone for an undisclosed amount to enhance its processing capability and increase its annual takeover.

Uppsala, Sweden-based program development tool Hansoft pocketed $8.4 million in its first round of funding led by Stockholm-based venture capitalist Spotify Creandum to support its sales and expansion programs.

Russia-based holding company AFK Sistema is considering buying a stake in Latvia-based telecommunications operator Lattelecom SIA to facilitate its expansion outside of Russia, but no decision has been made yet.

Tech giants Microsoft and Samsung are in talks to acquire stakes in a France-based online music startup and a video-sharing website, according to a report by French weekly Le Journal du Dimanche.

UK-based private equity group CVC Capital Partners has exited a 19.4% stake in Denmark-based firm Matas for DKK1.18 billion ($216 million), according to the Danish beauty retailer on Friday.

Finland-based food group HKScan has inked an agreement to divest its 49% stake in Switzerland-based meat company Nyhlens & Hugosons Chark for €2.2 million ($3 million) in cash.

Swedish laboratory Nordic Society for Intervention and Discovery (NSID) has raised funding via Indiegogo to develop No More Woof, a headset prototype that translates dogs' thoughts into English.

Sweden-based online payments company Klarna has bought Germany-based firm SOFORT in an acquisition deal valued at $150 million to become one of Europe's biggest independent payments alternative.

Confectionery retailer Candyking on Friday said it will withdraw its initial public offering at the Stockholm bourse. Candyking in November said that it would sell 18.5 million shares in a deal worth SEK830 million.