Hi there,

A few key points and questions:

• What do you think? Are astrology startups fair game or not so much?

• Josh used the word “flapdoodle” above. I have no idea what it means, but I like it (a lot).

• If you are going to respond to this email with your perspective on astrology startups, you must use the word “flapdoodle” in your response.

Alright, that’s enough flapdoodling.

Follow the leader

Amid record growth, big tech aka FAMGA has been pouring money into mobility, cybersecurity, AI, and more. 

Check out all of big tech’s investments and acquisitions since the start of 2020 here. 

Nifty NFTs

As NFTs trend up, CPG companies like Pringles and Taco Bell have already issued and sold some to promote their products.

From authenticating tangible goods to reducing friction in e-commerce, we dig into the opportunities for brands and retailers here.

Flapdoodle: The Sequel

We asked about astrology startups being cool or not on CBI’s Instagram and it’s got 50+ comments and counting.  

My favorite comment so far is below.

BTW, if you’re into enterprise blockchain, check out what the crew at Blockdata is building.

It’s gonna be lit
 

CB Insights Tech Market: Digitizing P&C Insurance (May 13-14) starts tomorrow and the networking activity is heating up 🔥.
 

Register today to get access to our 1:1 video meeting platform and start scheduling convos with buyers, sellers, investors, startup founders, and insurance co executives. 
 

As a special bonus, we are allowing attendees to schedule networking meetings for the full week after the event, through May 21. 
 

Plus hear from our incredible roster of speakers. Save $50 with code finalday.

Plugging leaks
 

Coding errors are costing health systems millions.
 

Want to see which vendors are leading the way in AI-enabled coding solutions? We break down the landscape here.

Healthy, wealthy, and wise

Telehealth. Pharma supply chain. Diagnostics.

Bank Automation News. Loraine Lawson (@LoraineLawson) chats with CB Insights analyst Oliver Yu (@yuo526) about fintech APIs. 

The Economist. The Economist reports on SpaceX’s ambitions and cites CB Insights unicorn data.

Modern Retail. Anna Hensel (@ahhensel) discusses direct-to-consumer startup funding trends with CB Insights senior analyst Jake Matthews and cites CBI data.

I love you my little flapdoodle.

P.S. We’re looking for a lead data platform engineer. Check out the details here.

Doge out. A Goldman Sachs exec has quit after making millions on his Dogecoin investments. 

The Guardian

Data hostages. Ransomware cases are trending up, with a 66% year-over-year increase in cases reported to the FBI in 2020.

WSJ

Voice-over. A voice actor is suing TikTok for using her voice in the platform’s viral text-to-speech tool. 

BBC

Not so smart. Smart TVs in China could be collecting personal data on hundreds of millions of consumers, without their consent.

Protocol

Offer letters. Coinbase has eliminated salary and equity negotiations from its hiring processes.

Business Insider