The $99 Kid’s Computer Kit Kano Is About to Hit $1M on Kickstarter

With nearly $1 million from Kickstarter and nearly $1 million from backers including Index Ventures, Kano is set to make cheap computer kits for kids.

Silicon Valley Big-Data Startup Bought for $1B by … Monsanto?

The deal is one of the best and most lucrative examples so far of applying a Google-style data-science mindset to an existing industry.

News Byte

Android Keyboard App SwiftKey Raises $17.5 Million Series B

SwiftKey, the company behind a popular Android keyboard app of the same name, has raised $17.5 million in a Series B investment round led by Index Ventures. In addition to offering its app on Google Play and Amazon’s Android app store, SwiftKey licenses its keyboard technology to several OEMs, including Samsung. AllThingsD’s Bonnie Cha reviewed an older version of SwiftKey in July 2012.

News Byte

Brit + Co. Nabs $6.3 Million Series A as Oak Investment Partners Bets on Content + Commerce

Brit + Co., the content and commerce startup for the DIY set, has raised a $6.3 million Series A round, led by Oak Investment Partners, with participation from Index Ventures, Lerer Ventures and Cowboy Ventures. Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer also invested, after first investing in the company’s seed round. Oak’s Fred Harman, who has led investments in Bleacher Report, Huffington Post and Thrillist Media Group, will join the board, as will iVillage co-founder and former BabyCenter chairman Tina Sharkey. CEO Brit Morin said in an interview that the company would use funds to invest heavily in creating digital video series, as well as build out the commerce side of the business over the next 12 months.

Cisco’s Prashant Gandhi Bolts to Upstart Big Switch Networks

A big executive move in the fast-moving world of software-defined networks.

Everybody’s a Curator: Flipboard’s Mike McCue Talks About New Version of Social Magazine (Video)

I made a magazine about Pop-Tarts. Anyone have a problem with that?

Intel Capital Joins Big Switch Funding Round

Intel likes the idea of software-defined networks.

OpenX Raises $22.5 Million in Round Led by Samsung Venture Unit

More funding for the Los Angeles-based online advertising technology upstart.

Voices

Antiques Try Out New Home Online

If there’s anything that’s hard to sell on the Web, Jean-Michel Frank armchairs from the 1930s and George III mahogany sofas from the 18th century might seem to be near the top of the list. But some prominent venture capitalists are betting they have the answer for high-end antiques.