investment

Foursquare raises $41M in debt deal with Silver Lake, others

Foursquare has been able to raise a whopping $41 million, but the funding hasn't come in the form you might expect.

The company announced the news today, saying the cash came from a host of well-known Silicon Valley investors, including Andreessen Horowitz, Union Square Ventures, and others. However, rather than give those firms equity, Foursquare raised the $41 million through a combination of tapping into the Silver Lake Waterman growth debt fund, as well as asking for convertible debt from the aforementioned investors, among others.

The cash raised helps Foursquare fund its growth and also aids the company in … Read more

Venture capital funding for Q1 slowest since 2003

If the first quarter is any gauge for U.S. venture capital funding, there's not a lot to look forward to for the rest of the year.

The number of funds that raised money for venture capital in the first quarter of 2013 was fewer than any other quarter in the last 10 years, according to a new report by Thomson Reuters and the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA).

Thirty-five funds contributed to venture capital fundraising last quarter, which is a 14 percent decrease in the number of funds from the final quarter of 2012. The slowest quarter in … Read more

Amazon's Bezos leads $5M investment in Business Insider

Amazon Chief Executive Jeff Bezos led an investment group that pumped $5 million in news Web site Business Insider.

In a press release, the news site's co-founder, Henry Blodget, said that Bezos Expeditions, the executive's investment company, led the new round of financing that also included existing Business Insider investors Institutional Venture Partners and RRE Ventures.

"On a personal note, I will add that we are totally stoked about this," Blodget wrote.

In a note to staff, Blodget noted that the proceeds will be used to invest in editorial, technology, sales and marketing, subscriptions, and events. … Read more

'Star Trek' inspires BlackBerry founder to launch quantum fund

BlackBerry co-founder and former CEO Mike Lazaridis has veered from mobile devices and set his sights on quantum technology.

This technology is so fascinating to him that he and fellow BlackBerry co-founder Doug Fregin have launched a $100 million investment fund, called Quantum Valley Investments, to work on commercial applications for breakthroughs in quantum science, according to the Wall Street Journal.

But, what exactly are breakthroughs in quantum science?

According to Lazaridis, one need look no further than Star Trek.

"There's this buzz around the world that this quantum information science is starting to bear fruit," Lazaridis … Read more

Sharp to miss investment deadline issued by Qualcomm -- report

After failing to advance far enough toward a manufacturing process goal, Sharp says that it will miss a March 29 deadline to receive the second half of a $120 million investment from chipmaker Qualcomm.

In December, the ailing Japanese electronics maker said it reached a partnership with U.S.-based Qualcomm, which agreed to invest $120 million in a project to jointly develop display panels. However, as reported by Reuters, Qualcomm's conditions included the stipulation that Sharp meet strict deadlines to fabricate power-conserving screens, and as a result, Sharp will not yet be granted the remaining $60 million the … Read more

Samsung invests $111M in Sharp to buoy display business

Samsung has agreed to invest 10.4 billion yen, or about $111.3 million, in Sharp, helping buoy the struggling display maker.

Sharp said it will issue 35.8 million shares to give Samsung's Japanese electronics unit an approximate 3 percent stake in the company. Sharp noted in a press release that the investment "is to build up mutual trust" in the liquid crystal display business and at the same time boost Sharp's capital position.

The new partnership will ensure that Samsung receives a steady supply of large LCD panels for TVs and small and medium … Read more

Samsung said to be eyeing $107 million investment in Sharp

As Sharp works to restructure and stay afloat, word has it that Samsung may come in to help. According to Bloomberg, Samsung is reportedly in talks to invest roughly 10 billion yen, or $107 million, in the ailing Japanese consumer-electronics maker.

People familiar with the situation told Bloomberg that details of the possible partnership could be announced as soon as today, but nothing has been confirmed yet.

Sharp has had a rough go over the past couple of years. The electronics manufacturer saw sales drop 16 percent year-over-year to 1.1 trillion yen, or $13.7 billion, in the six … Read more

NASA launches new space tech and exploration division

NASA has suffered budget cuts and freezes the past several years, but apparently things are looking up for the U.S. space agency. Today, NASA announced that it was creating a new organizational division geared toward investing in space technology, equipment, and exploration.

"A robust technology development program is vital to reaching new heights in space -- and sending American astronauts to new destinations like an asteroid and Mars," NASA administrator Charles Bolden said in a statement. "A top priority of NASA is to invest in cross-cutting, transformational technologies. We focus on collaboration with industry and academia … Read more

YouTube mulling $50 million investment in Vevo -- report

YouTube might soon invest some cash in Vevo, according to a new report.

Google's video site may be investing $50 million in Vevo, a joint-venture music-video site established by Universal Music and Sony Music Entertainment for music videos, according to a Bloomberg report today, citing people who claim to have knowledge of the negotiations. In return for the $50 million, YouTube would acquire less than 10 percent of the company, indicating Vevo might be valued at over $500 million.

Perhaps more importantly for Google, the deal would also ensure that Vevo's music videos stay on YouTube, according to … Read more