Hi there,
 

Investments to embedded insurance companies have accelerated, with 2021 funding already hitting an all-time high of $380M. 

Meanwhile, media mentions of “embedded lending” or “embedded finance” have jumped in the last year as big tech and retailers look to offer more financial products.

Is “embedded” the AI of 2021? 

I know you want me, you know I want cha

While AI acquisitions dropped in 2020, the space continues to attract attention — with 90+ acquisitions in 2021 so far. 

See which players are leading the race for AI here. 

There’s always money in the banana stand

Successful startup exits may stand out, but the flameouts also offer their own lessons. 

Check out 200+ of the biggest, costliest startup failures here.

The news biz
 

The 2021 Reuters Institute Digital News Report is a very interesting and detailed report on how journalism is consumed across the world.

One data point that jumped out was on the trust deficit of the news. In the US, more people distrust the news than trust it. On the flip side, places like Denmark have a trust surplus with people mostly trusting the news.

For those familiar with Scandinavian countries, what is it about the news there that makes it more trustworthy?

Get the link for the full report in The Blurb below.

Race to the finish

E-commerce giants like Amazon, Alibaba, and Walmart are focused on last-mile automation, as the last mile can comprise up to 28% of an item’s shipping cost.

To cap it off

Optimizing medication treatment plans and improving patient adherence rates could reduce healthcare spend by $528B per year, or nearly 16% of total US healthcare expenditure.

Which vendors are leading the way in the medication adherence market? Clients can find out in this report. 

Payments Dive. Vaidik Trivedi (@imVaidikTrivedi) discusses the CB Insights Big Tech In Fintech report with CBI analyst Elif Yayla.

Wall Street Journal. Vinod Sreeharsha (@VinodSreeharsha) looks at the Latin American banking sector and cites CB Insights data.

Fast Company. Ruth Reader (@RuthReader) covers social audio startups and references CB Insights research.
 

P.S. We’re hiring a senior recruiter as we grow our team from 300 to 425+ this year. Apply here.

The Blurb

Hot off the press. The Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2021 digs into how news is consumed around the world. 
Reuters Institute

Riding easy. Trip data from bike-share programs shows that the share of e-bike usage in the US tripled over the last year. 

NBC
 

Show biz. NFTs have hit Hollywood as studios and producers look to leverage their IP to develop new revenue streams. 

Fast Company

Speculative warehousing. The “golden triangle” — an area of land within a 4-hour drive of 90% of the UK’s population —  is home to an estimated 5000 acres of warehouse space.

WIRED 

Digital gold. A growing number of adults in India are investing in crypto over gold, with investments hitting almost $40B in the past year.

Bloomberg