Vid! app makes looping videos social and viral
Noyan Ayan | April 17, 2014 | No Comment
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Vid!, an iOS app that allows user to partially edit and share looping videos, has been launched today with backing from a notable group of angel investors contributing nearly $1.2 million of seed funding.
Angel investors include Masao Tejima, president of OpenTable Japan, Sharmila Mulligan, Silicon Valley veteran hailing from HP and Netscape, David Kellogg, Daniel Terry, CEO, Pocket Gems, among others. The angel round also includes investment from Storm Ventures, Tenex Capital Fund, DBO Capital and the Orrick Venture Fund.
Read MoreKing partners with Tencent to release Chinese version of Candy Crush
Noyan Ayan | April 17, 2014 | No Comment
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Swedish-British mobile gaming giant King has announced an exclusive deal with Tencent Holdings Limited, the leader in Chinese internet sector, to introduce Chinese version of its all-time hit product Candy Crush Saga. The game will be available this summer to Tencent’s almost 1 billion Mobile QQ and Weixin (or WeChat) Game Centers users combined.
The deal followed successful launches of Candy Crush in South Korea and Japan in 2013, and a recent IPO at NYSE. Riccardo Zacconi, the CEO of King, said in a statement that Tencent has the largest mobile social network in China and is a great partner to work with.
Read MoreLifesum raises $6.7 million to bring its health guidance apps to burger-loving markets
Kaan Çalışkan | April 15, 2014 | No Comment
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Samsung may have been showing off with its smart health apps on its new flagship device Galaxy S5, and with chic new add-ons like Galaxy Fit, both urging Europeans to move their butts more often. However, when it comes to gauging the food we stuff our stomachs with, it’s the Lifesum (former ShapeUpClub) that apparently claims a leadership position in the continent for the very near future.
Stockholm-based company has grown tremendously across Europe since its foundations in 2008, reaching more than 4 million registered so far, with over 500,00 active users a month according to a press release announcing the closure of the first external funding round. It has earned a very useful Series A money of $6.7 million yesterday from German media giant Bauer Media Group and SparkLabs Global Ventures.
Read MoreMunich attracts most venture capital in tech, EU atlas reveals
Noyan Ayan | April 14, 2014 | No Comment
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A new EU study lists Europe’s top ICT hubs in different categories, represented on an Atlas of EU areas where digital technologies thrive, and details what drives this success. The report reveals that Munich is the number one EU city with regard to venture capital activities in the technology sector, followed by Paris and London. Germany also ranks first in the EU for research and patenting activities.
According to the report, most of Europe’s ICT activity is concentrated in 34 regions across 12 countries. Key causes of a high ranking on the list included relatively easier access to top universities and research centres, as well as greater funding opportunities.
Read MoreRocket Internet’s real estate marketplace Lamudi gets $7M to expand Asian operations
Noyan Ayan | April 14, 2014 | No Comment
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Rocket Internet‘s real estate classifieds platform Lamudi has raised $7 million of funding to expand operations further across Asia. The new round of funding for the regional power player comes from a range of investors including Tengelmann Ventures, the investment arm of German retailer Tengelmann Group.
The company hinted the new funding will be used to expand Asian operations, beefing up the existing ones in Pakistan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Myanmar and Bangladesh, as well as additional new markets. Currently it operates in 21 countries across Asia, Africa, the Middle East and South America.
Read MoreZendesk files for $150 million IPO, buys chat software startup Zopim
Noyan Ayan | April 10, 2014 | No Comment
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Zendesk, the provider of cloud-based customer services softwares and solutions, announced today that it has filed for an IPO on New York Stock Exchange. In a separate press release came a few minutes later, the company said it acquired Singapore-based Zopim, a software developer for chat-based customer contact.
Zendesk said in an official press release that the price range – neither the amount of shares to be sold – at the proposed offering has not been determined yet. But according to the standard S1 doc submitted to SEC, the company will seek to collect up to $150 million funding through the sales at NYSE.
Read MoreNaspers applies to Turkish Competition Authority, expected to become the sole owner of markafoni
Merve Kara | April 9, 2014 | No Comment
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South Africa based multinational media company Naspers is to become the sole owner of markafoni, a Turkish private shopping club, through its subsidiary Allegra BV. Naspers, which already owns more than 70% of markafoni, applied to the Turkish Competition Authority for approval to acquire the remaining 28.8%.
If the application is granted by the Authority, Tolga Tatari , Ahmet Sarı and Sina Afra, and other co-founders of markafoni, will transfer all of their shares to Naspers which currently operates in 129 countries with a 23 billion dollar market value.
Read MoreJordanian incubator Oasis500 announces urban tech startup competition Omraan
Noyan Ayan | April 7, 2014 | No Comment
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The Amman-based early stage and seed investment company, Oasis500, launched a global competition for tech startups who focus on solving urban problems. Named ‘Omraan‘, the competition will award the successful startups with $30,000 worth of investment each, $17,000 of which consists of in-kind services like incubation in partner cities for 6 to 9 months.
Organized in cooperation with New Cities Foundation and the Greater Amman Municipality, the Omraan competition is open to all startups from round the world with new technology ideas that tackle urban challenges. The intention is then to incubate them in Middle Eastern cities.
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