Angry Birds creators feather their nest with billion-dollar funding

The Finnish creators of Angry Birds, the game that's been downloaded more than 300 million times, are set to land an investment worth $1.2 billion.

A game that involves firing peeved birds at pigs who've stolen their eggs may not immediately sound like the most compelling way to create a worldwide entertainment phenomenon.

But with Angry Birds, tiny Finnish company Rovio Entertainment have created just that.

And in the process it has made the company's owners very very rich.

Angry Birds has been around for less than two years but has become a staple on hand-held devices such as smart phones.

Initially is was an app for the iPhone, with subsequent versions released for Android and Nokia smartphones and for PC.

According to financial news service Bloomberg, Rovio are set to get the backing of a major entertainment company in a deal that will see the game originators $1.2 billion (€0.8 billion) better off.

The company has already made a nice little nest egg thanks to merchandising and from an earlier deal they struck with Twentieth Century Fox to create a bespoke game and promotional material for the  film Rio.

Last month Rovio opened offices in China and is developing games particularly targeted at the Chinese market.

The company may now use any new funds in order to help its future expansions take flight.