funding

Andreessen Horowitz has invested more than $80 million in Twitter via purchasing stock in private secondary markets.

When called about it by BoomTown, a spokeswoman at the high-profile Silicon Valley venture firm confirmed the purchase.

To be clear, Twitter does not get this money--early investors and employees able to sell their privately held Twitter shares do.

Buying into the secondary markets--which have recently attracted some controversy and regulatory scrutiny--has become a common way for VCs to invest in a hot start-up without a complex and competitive funding bake-off.

The move is an interesting one, since Andreessen Horowitz was not part … Read more

The Federal Communications Commission is planning to overhaul the $8 billion phone subsidy program to include funding for broadband in underserved communities.

The FCC is expected to vote on an order tomorrow that will open comments for revising the Universal Service Fund, or USF. In a speech today at the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation in Washington, D.C., FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski outlined his proposal for revising the fund. And he talked about the importance of taking action to reform USF now.

"While the world has changed around it, USF--in too many ways--has stood still, and even moved … Read more

WASHINGTON--The new Congress has only just started, but its Internet and technology agenda is quickly filling up. Top on the list for Republicans will be efforts to undo the Federal Communication Commission's late-December "Open Internet" Order. After that, expect bipartisan action on efforts to slake the voracious appetite for wireless spectrum of mobile Internet users and possible reform of the $8 billion Universal Service Fund.

That was the message heard today by attendees at the State of the Net conference here, organized by the advisory committee to the Congressional Internet Caucus. Members of Congress, senior staffers, administration … Read more

Tilera, a relatively young chip company, said today it has raised an additional $45 million in financing from tech heavyweights such as Samsung and Cisco Systems.

The San Jose, Calif.-based company, which designs many-core processors, received a new round of financing led by Artis Capital Management that includes new investment from WestSummit Capital Management, Comerica Bank, Cisco Systems, and Samsung Venture Investment. Existing investors include Walden International, Bessemer Venture Partners, Columbia Capital Broadcom, NTT Finance, VentureTech Alliance, and Quanta Computer.

The previous round of financing, announced back in March 2010, raised $25 million.

Founded in 2004, Tilera has made … Read more

The FBI has arrested another person in the ongoing investigation into the sharing of insider information with investors by consultants working for so-called expert firms.

The latest to be arrested is Winifred Jiau, 43, of Fremont, Calif. Like others charged or arrested on December 16, she has ties to Primary Global Research. She's accused of providing inside information to Primary Global clients who were portfolio managers at hedge funds of Nvidia and Marvell Technology during a period from 2006 to 2008. Prosecutors say she collected $200,000 during that time. She's facing charges of conspiracy and securities fraud. … Read more

After record solar-plant approval in 2010, the California Energy Commission believes its "big push" in solar-thermal projects is over.

This past year represented a "sea change" as regulators ended a 20-year dry spell and fast-tracked solar-thermal plant approval, spokesman Adam Gottlieb told Reuters yesterday, helping drive the state's and nation's broader renewable-energy goals.

But because so many developers were rushing to meet a December 31 deadline for federal incentives, CEC staff are expecting a slower year in 2011. In hindsight, the rush was overdone, given that Congress has now extended that deadline for federal … Read more

A financial news and research outlet called VCExperts posted an article today claiming that on December 17, daily-deals broker Groupon "filed a certificate to authorize a $950 million Series G round of preferred stock." The exact amount that the company raised in the monster funding round should be available next week (which means it could be quite a bit less), the report continued, adding that the company's valuation is likely $6.4 billion.

The dollar amount sounds like something out of Dr. Evil's machinations in the "Austin Powers" spoof film series, but Groupon isn'… Read more

If you're looking for a last-minute holiday gift, consider something that never goes out of style. It's called money.

Of course you could just write a check or hand over a wad of bills but, aside from some people considering that tacky, chances are that it will be used right away and long forgotten.

Another option is to give someone a savings bond, a gift certificate for a micro-loan from Kiva or Microplace, or start them out with a mutual fund from Goalmine.

With Goalmine, you go to the site, select "Buy a GoalPack," pick a … Read more

A much-reported funding round for Twitter is finally complete, AllThingsD first reported earlier today. The dollar amount is $200 million at a $3.7 billion valuation, led by investment firm Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers, and along with it Twitter has brought Mike McCue, CEO of buzzy iPad app start-up Flipboard, and David Rosenblatt, former CEO of DoubleClick.

The company has confirmed the funding round and additions to the board--amusingly calling it a "stocking stuffer"--but isn't releasing any further information about how it will be funneled into product strategy or hiring. Presumably, Twitter will continue … Read more