Cisco’s Prashant Gandhi Bolts to Upstart Big Switch Networks

A big executive move in the fast-moving world of software-defined networks.
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Former Homestead Founder Returns to SV Curious — And With $7.5 Million in Funding

Justin Kitch is back with Curious, a lifelong learning startup aimed at connecting teachers and students on “subjects as varied as salsa dancing, integral solving, pipe soldering … and knife sharpening.”
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News Byte

Predictive Data Startup Infer Raises $10M From Redpoint

Infer, a Palo Alto, Calif., startup that makes data-focused business apps to help companies target their best potential customers, said it has raised $10 million in a Series A funding led by Redpoint Ventures. Andreessen Horowitz, Social+Capital Partnership, Sutter Hill Ventures and angel investors also participated in the round. Infer, which is profitable, mines a range of data to determine those with the highest propensity to buy. Along with the funding for its “predictive customer scoring model,” Satish Dharmaraj of Redpoint Ventures will join the company’s board.

Demand Media Vets Launch Tastemade, a Machinima for Food Videos

There are plenty of food and recipe videos on YouTube. But these guys, backed by $5 million in venture money, think there’s room for more.
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Pop Culture Web Publisher BuzzMedia Lays Off 20 Percent of Staff, Restructures

The company behind sites like Spin and Idolator lets go of 50 people, plans to hire 25 others.
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Intel Capital Joins Big Switch Funding Round

Intel likes the idea of software-defined networks.
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News Byte

Redpoint Ventures Raises Another $400M Fund

Redpoint Ventures said today that it has closed a $400 million venture capital fund to invest in early stage startups, a direct parallel to the fund of the same amount it raised three years ago. Some of the Sand Hill Road firm’s recent investments include Path, Electric Imp, Pure Storage, Zendesk, Stripe, Sonos and Kabam.

Meet Big Switch, the Company That Wants to Help You Rebuild Your Network

Expect a lot more talk about software-defined networking in the coming year.
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Having Swapped Out Its Original Plan, ThredUp Gets $14.5M for Used-Clothing Sales

ThredUp’s new centralized model beat out its original peer-to-peer clothing exchange.
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Familiar Raises $1.3M for Social Screen Savers and Slideshows

Familiar automatically shares photos between multiple generations within a family.
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