The shopping app company, which raised $50m last Friday, is just one of several companies using personalisation and curation to drive increased use and monetisation.

Nokia Growth Partners backed UCWeb in 2010 because it believed UCWeb was a strong company, yet this required the unit to invest in a company potentially competitive to a goal of its sponsor and sole limited partner.

Uber's $1.2bn series D round has demonstrated again the excitement surrounding the mobility sector at present, and the ride sharing market in particular.

The female-focused social retailer has closed an IDG-backed series D round at $200m, indicating the current rapid growth of the sector outside of Europe and the US.

Alibaba's $1.5bn acquisition of digital navigation service AutoNavi shows that diversification is as important for China-based internet companies as their western counterparts.

The solar installer's $70m round, which featured GE and E.ON, indicates the entry of large corporate venture capitalists into the rooftop sector.

This is promising for other groups, such as Canada and South Africa-based energy groups Cenovus and Sasol, which have decided against continuing or forming a formal corporate venturing programme, senior executives at both companies said.

Notably many large deals this year are now happening in China rather than in the US, as a potential reflection of its larger market for internet users and competitive ecosystem.