VentureBeat

[Update 12/11: Twitter filed regulatory papers saying it had raised $4.8 million in a second round of funding, and that it possibly raise a total of $5.4 million]

Confirming what we first reported earlier this week, the fast-growing Twitter messaging service has raised a new round of funding.

The San Francisco company, which has become popular among people wanting to update online what they are doing at any given point of time, has announced the lead investor on the deal, which we hadn’t known earlier: Union Square Ventures, of New York.

The amount was undisclosed. Other investors include CRV, Marc Andreessen, Dick Costolo, Ron Conway, and Naval Ravikant, among others.

Union Square’s Fred Wilson blogs about it here.

This is an well-timed present for Evan Williams, owner of Obvious, the original parent of Twitter and now large stakeholder, who is getting married tomorrow.

Venture Hacks is a new site launched by two entrepreneurs to help founders of start-ups navigate the hairy world of venture capital.

It aims to provide tips, such as how to negotiate a good deal when raising money, or how to organize a board so you don’t get axed by your investors down the road.

Behind the site are two guys who should know. One is Naval Ravikant, who now runs Vast.com, but who has had a fair share of VC run-ins. He filed a suit against Epinions, for example, when he felt VCs cheated him and other employees when Epinions merged with Dealtime. He took on big venture firms Benchmark and August — see here and here (includes copy of suit) — and won a settlement.

The other is Nivi, the long-haired drum-player who has worked at Bessemer Venture Partners, then at music browser Songbird, and most recently as Entrepreneur in Residence at Atlas Venture. Nivi can also recount some good VC tales.