Although there are worries about the shortfall of funding for the venture capital industry, venture capitalists are optimistic that this will continue to be a good year for firms looking to raise money, the U-T San Diego news site reported.

Smile Mom, the app that allows moms to share baby photos and family updates with moms living nearby, has raised $1.5 million in seed funds from angel and institutional investors, TechCrunch reported.

InterWest Partners led the Series C funding round for content marketing platform NewsCred which raised $25 million. NewsCred's existing backers also participated in the round.

Mercom Capital Group data revealed that venture capital funding for firms in the wind energy industry increased 44.4% to 455 million around the world last year, the Business Started reported.

Startupbootcamp, the pan-European accelerator, has launched in Istanbul, as investors continue to show interest in Turkey. The accelerator has already began accepting applications for its program.

Medical and recreational marijuana dispensaries in Las Vegas, US are increasingly turning to venture capitalists for seed money due to lack of loan sources, as the drug is deemed illegal by the federal government.

Venture capital group Nexus Venture Partners will pour INR30 crore into Pune, India-based cybersecurity company Uniken to fund its expansion into Israel and the US.

US venture capital investment hardly moved last year but was already trending upwards as investments in the fourth quarter increased, The Wall Street Journal blog Venture Capital Dispatch reported.

Boston, US-based startup Change Collective raised $1.4 million in seed funding from local investors to develop a self-improvement mobile website and native app and to expand its workforce.

Boston, US-based alcohol delivery mobile app Drizly pocketed $2.25 million in a seed funding round led by Atlas Ventures to expand its liquor delivery services beyond New York City.