Zendesk, a provider of on-demand, help desk, customer services support network, has raised $60 million in new funding including $45 million in equity. Investors include new investors Index Ventures, GGV Capital, Goldman Sachs and existing investors Charles River Ventures, Benchmark Capital and Matrix Partners. The San Francisco-based company also secured $15 million in debt from Silicon Valley Bank. Zendesk has now raised more than $80 million in total funding since it was founded in 2007. CEO Mikkel Svane told peHUB in an email that the conmpany doesn’t have any acquisitions planned. “But we are focusing heavily on attracting the right talent and DNA to the company. We need a bigger pile of chips on the table to continue to execute at the pace we’re executing,” he said.

CouchSurfing said it raised $15 million in a Series B round led by General Catalyst Partners and joined by Menlo Ventures and existing investors Benchmark Capital and Omidyar Network. The company has raised a total of $22.6 million in the past year. PRESS RELEASE CouchSurfing Raises $15 Million in Series B, Led by General Catalyst [...]

In many ways, technology and political campaigns were made for each other, but should startups be public about the campaigns they’re helping to organize?

Cloud-based gaming company Gaikai, which raised $30 million in venture capital about 11 months ago, has put itself on the block with a $500 million price tag, according to a Fortune report.

Gigya, the social infrastructure provider, has secured $15.3 million from investors including Mayfield Fund, Benchmark Capital, and DAG Ventures and strategic partners Adobe and Advance Publications. It was not specified which firm, if applicable, led the round. PRESS RELEASE: Gigya Raises $15.3 Million Investment after Delivering 3x Growth Leader in social infrastructure secures funding from [...]

Clarizen, the San Mateo, Calif.-based project management software firm, completed a $12 million round led by Vintage Partners. In addition Benchmark Capital, Carmel Ventures, DAG Ventures and Opus Capital joined in the round. PRESS RELEASE: Clarizen Secures $12 Million Series E Growth Financing Investment Will Accelerate the Company’s Global Expansion and Product Development SAN MATEO, [...]

Gumroad, a start-up payments company run by 19-year-old entrepreneur Sahil Lavingia, has raised $7 million in a funding round led by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Lavingia said in a blog post, according to Reuters. The funding round marks the first investment for Mike Abbott since he joined Kleiner late last year. Previously, Abbott ran [...]

Although few education startups have swayed the masses, VCs are once again backing tech companies focused on the sector.

Business management solution provider Intuit is to purchase Demandforce, a San Francisco-based company that supports small- and medium-sized businesses. Demandforce’s application is used by small businesses to automate marketing and customer communications, build and maintain online reputation and raise profiles with local consumers. The transaction is valued at approximately $423.5 million. Backers of Demandforce include [...]

Social travel network CouchSurfing has appointed product guru Tony Espinoza as its new CEO. The company, which is headquartered in San Francisco, raised $7.6 million in a Series A funding round from Benchmark Capital and Omidyar Network last year. PRESS RELEASE CouchSurfing, the world’s largest social travel network, announced today that it appointed product guru [...]