New Enterprise Associates, the venture capital firm, has launched NEA Studio, a new, New York-based 12-week program program for designers who found mobile and Web startups and who will work alongside NEA investors and design experts, including IDEO founder David Kelly. According to NEA, designers best suited for the program will be able to “take a side project to a full company with the three-month period.”

Big data means big business for venture investors. Venture capital going to startups with big-data-related business plans came close to $1.4 billion last year and accounted for more than 5% of all venture dollars placed with young companies.

42Floors announced in a blog post this morning that it has raised a $12.3 million Series B round of funding that was led by New Enterprise Associates and includes Bessemer Venture Partners and Thrive Capital, two of the company’s Series A investors, and new investor Columbus Nova Technology Partners.

Venture investors pulled back during the fourth quarter with dollars going to startups falling 9% and seed investors becoming more cautious. The quarter saw renewed interest in health care investing and a dip in funding for Internet startups.

Venture investors put $6.46 billion to work during the year, down from $9.61 billion in 2011, the Cleantech Group reports. The number of deals came in at 704, which was down 15% from a year earlier…

More U.S.-based VCs and acquirers came up to Canada in 2012, looking for good deal flow, rational valuations and inexpensive buys.

IFTTT said it raised a $7 million Series A round led by Andreessen Horowitz and joined by New Enterprise Associates and Lerer Ventures. Andreessen’s John O’Farrell joins the board.

Pluribus Networks said it raised a $23 million Series C round funding led by Menlo Ventures and joined by existing investors New Enterprise Associates, Mohr Davidow Ventures and others. Pluribus Networks previously closed a $17.5 million Series B round in April of 2011.

23andMe, Inc. said it raised more than $50 million in a Series D financing with new investor Yuri Milner joined by existing investors Google co-founder Sergey Brin, 23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki, New Enterprise Associates, Google Ventures and MPM Capital. The company said the Series D investment, along with rapidly decreasing costs, allowed it to lower the price of its Personal Genome Service to $99,

Lattice Engines said Monday it has raised $20 million in Series C funding led by New Enterprise Associates. Sequoia Capital, an existing investor, also participated. San Mateo, Calif.-based Lattice Engines provides cloud-based Big Data applications for sales and marketing.