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Putting the “big” in big tech

Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Apple (FAMGA) upped their investments to record levels in 2020, participating in equity funding rounds that totaled $12.4B.

We dug into FAMGA’s acquisition and investment activity — highlighting key trends, top deals, and more — since the start of 2020 through Q1’21 here. 

Stonks

Dogecoin is up 14,000% this year, making it the fourth-largest cryptocurrency by market value.  

While cryptocurrencies like Dogecoin can fluctuate wildly, stablecoins are designed to be much more fixed. Learn about what stablecoins are and their potential here.

Outsourced innovation in insurance
 

Incumbents can innovate through a few different ways: investments, acquisitions, or partnerships. 
 

Partnership data, however, is terribly difficult to find — usually.

Using our business relationships data, we dug into the partnerships being struck with insurtech companies, and we see everyone from automakers to insurers to big tech is working closely with insurtech companies. In fact, 650+ partnerships were inked in 2020 between these players and insurtech companies.

We look at why companies across industries are partnering up with insurtechs here.

In the driver’s seat
 

At CB Insights Tech Market: Digitizing P&C Insurance (May 13-14), we’ll feature 25 demos from tech companies driving automation, digitization, and operational efficiencies for insurers.

Here's a sneak peek of one of our demos, so you can get a flavor for what to expect. Check out the demo from Cambridge Mobile Telematics here.

Each company presenting has been hand-picked by our very own analysts, and through demos stacked with CB Insights market intelligence and pilot results, you’ll have the info necessary to make important tech decisions for your firm.

This insurance event is a perfect opportunity and investment of your time to spur your company’s digital transformation. 

Save $50 by registering with code DemoVideos.

It’s a team sport

Biopharmaceutical companies are teaming up with startups amid rising R&D costs to bring drugs to market.

From vaccine development to AI-powered drug discovery, we dig into pharma partnership trends in this client-only brief.

Wall Street Journal. Betsy Morris (@BetsyMorris2) covers the growing traction around continuous glucose monitors and quotes CB Insights senior analyst Marissa Schlueter (@mschlueter13).

Healthcare Dive. Rebecca Pifer (@RebeccaMPifer) looks at telehealth usage and cites CB Insights data.

Bloomberg. Matthew Leising (@mattleising) covers crypto co Coin Metrics’ funding raise and cites CB Insights data.
 

P.S. Follow where CVC funding is going in our live webinar on May 12. Sign up here.

In with the new. Google is reinventing its office space for the post-pandemic era, including new meeting rooms and outdoor work areas.

NYT 

Pressure is on. The jeweller Pandora will no longer sell mined diamonds as it switches to only lab-made versions.

BBC News 

Changing focus. The CEO of Zoom said even he has Zoom fatigue, as the company plans its return to the office.

WSJ

Lit. Smoke causes cell signals to travel in odd patterns — data that could help scientists predict and track wildfire smoke.

WIRED