Samsung Ventures has invested an undisclosed amount in advanced materials company XG Sciences, for it to progress towards the commercialisation of its large-scale graphene applications.

Curated sports blogging site GiveMeSport raises an undisclosed amount of series B funding from IMG Media.

Intel Capital and Alpine Technology Fund have invested an undisclosed amount in Speaktoit, to push its natural language processing technology from its app into gadgets, cars, robots, and wearable technology.

Bessemer Venture Partners has led a $9.5m financing, backed by Penguin Random House Holdings and Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments, for Flat World Education to expand its platform in partnership with Brandman University and offer BBA degree courses on mobile devices.

Applied Ventures, the corporate venturing unit of Applied Materials, has completed strategic investments in two advanced imaging detection companies Oncoscope, a medical optical imaging technology company, and Passport Systems, a provider of advanced cargo scanning systems to identify dangerous and contraband materials. Financial details of the two investments were not made public.

Nigeria-based, pan-African investment company Heirs Holdings invests in satellite imaging company Planet Labs, already backed by investors including OATV.