23andMe valued at $1.1 billion

Silicon Valley-based genetic testing company 23andMe Inc has raised $115 million in venture capital financing, as it prepares to introduce a new consumer product and expand its drug discovery arm.The Series-E round was led by Fidelity Management and Research. The financing implies a valuation of $1.1 billion for 23andMe, Bloomberg News said.

Symphony raises $100 million  
Google has participated in an investment of about $100 million in US-based Symphony Communication Services in a fund-raising round that saw backers of the messaging start-up expand to include three more investment banks and venture capital firm Lakestar LP. UBS Group AG, Natixis SA and Societe Generale SA also joined the list of Symphony investors, which now comprises 21 financial and venture capital firms, Bloomberg News said.

Twitter investor backs BioWink  
BioWink, a Berlin start-up that helps women track their menstrual and fertility cycles, has secured funding from investors, including an early backer of Twitter and SoundCloud. New York-based Union Square Ventures and London’s Mosaic Ventures are leading a $7-million investment round in BioWink. The start-up, according to Bloomberg News report, will use the money to add new product features, hire staff and enter more markets.

BuildZoom raises $10.6 million
Peter Thiel, the Silicon Valley investor who co-founded PayPal and invested in Facebook in 2004, has now invested in BuildZoom, a Y Combinator-backed start-up that helps US customers find contractors for remodelling projects. BuildZoom has raised $10.6 million in a Series-A funding round, led by Joe Lonsdale of venture capital firm Formation 8, with participation from Thiel’s Founder’s Fund and Y Combinator, Reuters said.

Althea plans expansion
Korean e-commerce start-up Althea is taking aim at the Southeast Asian market. The company, which has raised an undisclosed amount of seed funding from Silicon Valley venture capital firm 500 Start-ups, will expand to Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines, according to Tech in Asia.

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