Hi there, 

What do Uber, Facebook, and Starbucks have in common?

They all have strong business moats — key competitive advantages that set a company apart and make it hard for competitors to enter.

It’s what drove Amazon to post $96B in revenue in Q3’20. It’s how Google has maintained its hold on over 85% of the search engine market.

Today, the most durable business moats are being built on advantages like network effects, data, and repeat engagement within a product ecosystem.

Dig into high-profile examples of network effects here.

When the banks go marching in
 

Last week, the UK announced plans to create a regulatory framework for stablecoins and to look further into central bank digital currencies (CBDCs).

As regulators start to embrace blockchain technology, major financial players around the globe are making moves.

In collaboration with Blockdata, we look at 60+ financial incumbents pioneering the use of distributed ledger tech (DLT) in capital markets in this market map.

A big year for hold music
 

The travel industry has faced a massive surge in cancellations and general inquiries since the outbreak of the pandemic.

Tech solutions ranging from touchless kiosks to AI-enabled chatbots are aiming to improve customer safety, answer questions faster, and increase sales and satisfaction. Clients can delve into 150+ companies using tech to reshape travel customer service here.

In a webinar this Thursday, CB Insights analyst Conor Witt will walk through the challenges and opportunities for challenger banks heading into 2021.
 

Join to discover:

• What it will take for challenger banks to develop a meaningful share of the banking market
• How challenger banks are expanding beyond the debit card to diversify revenue streams and own more of the digital wallet
• How incumbent banks are responding to the pressure from challenger banks
• A walkthrough of how this information was generated, using data from the CB Insights platform

The webinar is this Thursday at 2 pm ET. Register here.

Chomping at the qubit
 

Quantum tech has the potential to transform healthcare, but most quantum-based products are still in the experimental stages.

From drug discovery and diagnostics to protecting patient privacy, clients can read about the potential impact of quantum tech in healthcare here.

Washington Post. Taylor Telford (@taylormtelford) reports on Ulta Beauty’s mini stores coming to Target and cites the CB Insights retail bankruptcies list.

Business Insider. Dominic Madori (@DominicMadori) looks at industries being disrupted by Gen Z and references CB insights research. 

Bloomberg. Sarah Halzack (@sarahhalzack) cites CB Insights data in her op-ed about the rise of consumer startups.

P.S. We're hiring for a DevOps manager to lead a high-performing team. Sound like you? Apply now.

The Blurb
 

Replication crisis. Some scientists are pushing for more transparency in AI research, as only 15% of AI studies share their code.

MIT Technology Review

I dreamed a dream. Experts weigh in on whether it will ever be possible to share dreams. 

Gizmodo

Loop de loop. Switzerland will close a tax loophole so that bribes paid by companies to private individuals will no longer be tax-deductible. 

BBC

Code red. Some schools are still conducting active-shooter drills — on Zoom. 

The Verge

Lamborghini mercy. Italian police used a Lamborghini Huracán to drive a kidney for transplant 300 miles in 2 hours.

Robb Report