HelloFresh valued at $2.9 bn

German online meal preparation firm HelloFresh has been valued at Euro 2.6 billion ($2.9 billion) in a funding round ahead of a possible stock market listing. British investor Baillie Gifford bought a stake for Euro 75 million. HelloFresh also said it was considering an initial public offering but gave no time frame, according to Reuters.

NextEV seeks $1 billion

NextEV Inc, a Chinese electric car start-up set up with ambitions to challenge Tesla Motors Inc, has raised about half of the $1 billion it is seeking to raise. The firm is roping in investors, including Sequoia Capital and Joy Capital as part of plans to develop affordable, connected green cars. The car maker is targeting to roll out a super car model in 2016 that can match the "Ludicrous" speed mode for Tesla's Model S, a Bloomberg News report said.

Valar backs Breather

Breather, a Montreal-based start-up that rents out work spaces for short periods of time, has raised $20 million in a funding round, led by PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel's Valar Ventures. Breather operates in about 100 locations in Montreal, San Francisco, New York, Boston and Ottawa. People looking for a private space can book a place for a few hours through a mobile application, a Bloomberg News report said.

BlaBlaCar raises $200 mn

French ride-sharing start-up BlaBlaCar has raised $200 million from three venture capital funds. BlablaCar, already present across Europe and launched recently in Russia, India, Mexico and Turkey, was valued at $1.6 billion in the fundraising round. The firm plans to launch in Brazil later this year and aims to expand in Latin America and Asia next year, co-founder and chief operating officer Nicolas Busson told Reuters.

Hyperloop hires CEO

Hyperloop Technologies has named former Cisco Systems' co-president Rob Lloyd as its chief executive officer (CEO). Lloyd joins the 50-people strong start-up as it seeks to raise $75 million to complete a two-mile test track within the next two years. Hyperloop is a concept proposed by Tesla Motors' CEO Elon Musk and Space Exploration Technologies, Bloomberg News said.

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