Rocket Internet-backed Helpling expands in Asia, Mideast

By Eric Auchard FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Helpling, an online marketplace for hiring home cleaners backed by Germany's Rocket Internet, is expanding beyond its base in Europe to set up new operations in the Middle East and Asia, aided by the acquisition of a rival Singapore start-up. Berlin-based Helpling said it was acquiring Singapore-based Spickify for an undisclosed sum. Hoe Yeen Teck, Spickify's co-founder and chief executive, will be Singapore country manager of the company, which will operate under the Helpling brand

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Alibaba ploughs $200 million into Snapchat in latest startup deal: source

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd is investing $200 million in photo-messaging app Snapchat, a source familiar with the deal said, striking its latest Silicon Valley deal as the Chinese ecommerce company builds up mobile services. The investment values the company at around $15 billion, according to Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the situation as saying.

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Norway’s Kuddle plans to raise $7.4 million through crowdfunding

OSLO (Reuters) – Kuddle, a picture sharing app for children, will launch a crowdfunding initiative on Thursday aimed at raising $7.35 million to pay for further growth of its service, Chief Executive Ole Vidar Hestaas said on Wednesday. The Norwegian firm, which bills itself as a child friendly rival to Facebook’s Instagram, is in the process of hiring 40 to 50 people in its newly established Silicon Valley office and has recently hired a country manager for Brazil.

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