Hi there,

Over the last 3 decades, the FAMGA tech giants — Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Apple — have gobbled up more than 800 cos.  

The pandemic didn’t stop these tech giants from cutting big checks, either. 

Apple and Microsoft have been the most active acquirers since the beginning of Covid, notching 9 deals each. Microsoft’s $1.4B purchase of Affirmed Networks in March 2020 made the ranks of its top 10 most valuable acquisitions. 

We highlight every single billion-dollar acquisition made by FAMGA here.

Pay attention in bio class

A new FDA analysis released today said that Johnson & Johnson's one-shot Covid vaccine is effective. But while the J&J vaccine leverages adenoviruses, Pfizer’s and Moderna’s vaccines utilize mRNA.

We dig into how mRNA vaccines work in this explainer.

The Multivac?
 

Quantum computing remains a nascent technology, but its potential is already being felt across many sectors. 

From healthcare to finance to artificial intelligence, we look at the industries poised to be reshaped by quantum computers.

The more things change...

In the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak, everything from doctors appointments to schooling to workouts went online. 

We look at which of the pandemic-induced trends are here to stay in the post-Covid world.

All I really wanna see is the money

Wealth tech startups have attracted customers with low fees and convenient, mobile-optimized platforms — an area where incumbents have historically fallen short. 
 

See how incumbents are addressing the threat by partnering with startups here.

Business Insider. Patricia Kelly Yeo (@patkyeo) covers health startup Color and quotes CB Insights intelligence analyst Kedar Karkare (@kedarkarkare).

Sifted. Karam Filfilan (@karamfilfilan) discusses startup founder challenges and cites CB Insights data.

Bloomberg. Jordyn Holman (@JordynJournals) and Matthew Townsend (@matt_townsend) report on Allbirds’ IPO potential and cite CB Insights funding data. 

P.P.S. We’re looking for an associate editor to help us polish our research and think of fun newsletter headings. Check out the job here. 

The Blurb
 

Off-brand Teslas. Cheap, tiny electric cars have found millions of buyers in China. 

Rest of World

Mic drop. An LA musician helped design the microphone on NASA’s Perseverance rover that captured the first audio recording of Mars.

WIRED 

Humpty Dumpty. More shipping containers are falling into the ocean as ships get bigger and containers are stacked higher. 

WSJ

Blowout. Researchers believe methane gas escaping from thawing permafrost is behind the giant craters emerging in Siberia.

CNN 

Role model. A Canadian fashion model aims to help aspiring models navigate an industry upended by the pandemic.

Bloomberg