GAMING

Angry Birds Video Game Raises $42M

From investors to expand brand.

The smartphone game Angry Birds has raised $42 million from investors, including Facebook, Groupon, and Skype, who believe the game has room to grow. The game started on the iPhone at a cost of 99 cents, but soon expanded to Android and iPad; now it has more than 40 million players a month. Rovio said it recently sold more than two million $12 to $15 Angry Birds stuffed animals. The game has even been parodied in the Mideast on YouTube by an Israeli comedy troupe. The parody, in which pigs and birds represent hostile opposition forces in peace negotiations, has received more than 5 million hits. One of Rovio's new investors and soon-to-be board members is Niklas Zennstrom, co-founder of Skype. Zennstrom says Rovio is growing at a faster speed than his Internet phone company.