Rovio, maker of the popular Angry Birds game, has secured $42 million in funding from three venture firms, one of which was founded by Skype co-founder Niklas Zennström.
The influx of cash comes on the same day that Rovio also released an update to Angry Birds Seasons in honor of St. Patrick's Day.
Rovio announced a $42 million Series A investment, co-led by Zennström's Atomico Ventures and Accel Partners, which has also worked with Facebook, Groupon, and AdMob. Super angel fund Felicis Ventures also participated, Rovio said.
As part of the deal, Zennström, who also founded Kazaa and Rdio, will join the Rovio board.
Rovio said the funds will help it expand internationally and branch out across other markets, like mobile and social media, as well as produce more merchandise and media production.
"We will strengthen the position of Rovio and continue building our franchises in gaming, merchandising and broadcast media," Rovio co-founder and CEO Mikael Hed said in a statement.
"The proliferation of touchscreen smartphones and tablets has lead to a huge growth in demand for mobile entertainment," said Rich Wong, partner at Accel Partners. "These growth trends are changing the entire media field, and Rovio is perfectly positioned to drive this change. We believe this is just the beginning."
Sales of Angry Birds plush toys recently passed 2 million units, while 40 percent of those playing Angry Birds on iOS have purchased Mighty Eagle downloadable content.
In recent months, Angry Birds has expanded to game consoles and the PC, and Hed said recently that an Angry Birds cartoon is in the works. It is also expected soon on Windows Phone 7, as well as the Nintendo 3DS and Wii.
Continuing that momentum, Rovio on Wednesday also released an update to Angry Birds Seasons, its holiday-themed Angry Birds game, which adds a level in honor of St. Patrick's Day.
"Have the luck of the Irish and Go Green with this episode of Angry Birds Seasons: The St. Patrick's Day Edition," Rovio said in its update. "After the love fest of Valentine's, Angry Birds Seasons is back with the greenest update to date."
The St. Patrick's Day version includes 15 new levels, two new golden eggs, and a St. Paddy's Day surprise, Rovio said.
Those who have already downloaded Angry Birds Seasons will get the St. Patrick's Day episode as a free update. If you have not yet downloaded it, it's available for $0.99 on iOS and for free on the Android Marketplace.
For more details, see the slideshow below.