Hola,
 

Europe may have fewer unicorns than the US or China, but it is in no way a VC backwater — especially when it comes to fintech. 

This week, we published the  Fintech Funding Trends In Europe report, which is chock-full of data on where fintech stands across categories from challenger banks and insurance tech to payments, and much more. 

Some highlights, among many: 

• Funding to Europe-based fintech cos has grown for 4 consecutive years and at an impressive CAGR of 51% from 2016 - 2020
• UK-based fintech cos consistently lead in funding and deal activity among countries
• The payments and banking sectors raised the most funding in Q4'20, although the insurtech sector has seen the largest increase in deal activity among sectors since 2016

Although travel between the Americas and Europe is a dribble of what it was pre-pandemic, it’s clear that the divide has not necessarily slowed down investors and founders over there.

We are who we are

Deploying emotion AI — or AI that can recognize and respond to human emotion — is becoming an increasing priority for businesses looking to connect with consumers.

Read more on how advertisers, automakers, and more are leveraging the tech to increase their gains here.

It’s goin’ down, I’m yellin’ food waste

Over 30% of the US food supply is wasted, and 31% of that waste comes from stores and consumers’ homes.

From waste management to grocery retail, we look at how executives across industries are discussing food waste in this client-only brief.

Bringing home the data

Just last week, we launched the CB Insights API and data feeds.

You can now get access to our data on everything from startup financings to valuations to exits. Sign up here. 

The party don't stop

At CB Insights Tech Market: Digitizing P&C Insurance (May 13-14), you'll get access to 1:1 networking, workshops such as The Covid-19 Pivot: How Tech Partners Adjust Their Pitch to Insurers, and roundtables on topics like data-driven customer engagement in insurance.

You’ll also hear from speakers from Google, Travelers, Hippo, Metromile, and more.

Don’t miss out. Save $50 with code knowledge.

+20%: Performance management platform Lattice, health data company Evidation, and real estate tech company Side are the latest to join the global unicorn club, breaking the $1B+ valuation threshold. Since December 2020, the unicorn club has grown in size by a whopping 20%. Check out the 610+ billion-dollar companies on our unicorn market map here.

35 days: Crypto wallet service Blockchain.com raised $300M in fresh funding at a $5.2B valuation — a 73% increase over the reported valuation it received in a mega-round just 35 days prior. Retail and institutional investors have flocked to cryptocurrencies this year, helping send bitcoin’s price above $50K. To learn more about how blockchains work, dig into our explainer here.
 

$1.2B: Digital convenience store goPuff closed a $1.2B funding deal at an $8.9B valuation — a 128% increase since its last round in October 2020. The platform uses local micro-fulfillment centers with the aim of delivering goods in minutes. Learn about how goPuff and other e-commerce players are building competitive advantages to protect themselves from Amazon here.

37 states: Uber announced a partnership with delivery platform ScriptDrop to allow Uber drivers to deliver prescription medication. The service will be available through select pharmacies in 37 US states. See how ride-hailing players like Uber and Lyft are aiming to grab share of the healthcare market in this client-only report.

$10B+: Microsoft is reportedly in talks to buy Discord, a communication platform popular with gamers, for more than $10B. If the deal goes through it would be Microsoft’s second-largest purchase after its $26B deal to buy LinkedIn in 2016. See how the Discord acquisition would stack up against big tech’s other $1B+ splurges in this infographic.

Relocating endangered rhinos is no easy task. 

In remote locations inaccessible by road, conservationists must use helicopters to move the animals away from poaching hotspots. 

According to a new study, hanging rhinos upside down during the airlift process, rather than placing them on their sides on stretchers, is actually better for their health. Upside down, the rhinos can breathe better.

Have a great rest of the week.

Marcelo

P.S. We're looking for a DevOps manager who can pave the path for the future of our systems. Sound like you? Apply here.