Airbnb Raises $112 Million for Vacation Rental Business

Airbnb — which lets you rent everything from spare rooms in apartments to tree houses and parking spaces — has raised a significant sum of money to rival major online travel sites.
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News Byte

Another Mobile Payments Provider Raises Venture Capital

Boston-based Paydiant has raised $7.6 million ahead of launching its mobile payment services later this year. The first round was led by North Bridge Venture Partners and General Catalyst Partners. It’s unclear what part of the value chain the company will play in, but the co-founders Chris Gardner, Kevin Laracey and Joe Paratore, have all worked at payment companies before, including edocs and m-Qube.

General Catalyst Heads West, to Find Some Young Men and Women to Fund

Go West, East Coast VC? In fact, the 10-year-old venture capital firm General Catalyst Partners is moving out two of its partners from Cambridge, Mass., to Palo Alto, Calif.–just in time to avoid the Boston winter.

Boxee Goes Hunting for Big Bucks

Boxee hits a big milestone this week, when its very own Boxee Box hits the market. But that won’t help the start-up pay its growing staff, which is why Avner Ronen is out raising a big round.

Three Reasons Why Venture Capitalists Are Investing in New York Startups

One criticism leveled at New York City’s fledgling tech scene is that it’s hard for entrepreneurs to find investors in their backyard. But increasingly that argument doesn’t hold water.

Web Video Darling Boxee Gets Another $6 Million: Are Zero Revenue and Big Plans Worth $25 Million?

Yet another sign that revenue-free start-ups can still attract investors, given the right pitch: Boxee, the software company that makes it easy to get Web video onto your TV, has raised a $6 million B round led by General Catalyst. I’m told the new round pegs the company’s value in the $25 million to $30 million range. What’s the appeal? The chance that the company could play a role in the disruption of the $70 billion TV business.
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