Hi there, 

Here is this week in charts.

Stop, drop, scroll. TikTok has been downloaded nearly 4B times since 2018, as of November, reinforcing its position as the most-downloaded social media app. Its addictive nature is compelling Android users to spend a great deal of time watching its short-form videos — nearly 100 minutes per day. Despite TikTok having a strong hold on young consumers and content creators, a wide range of tech companies focused on content distribution, video tech, and more are rising up to challenge the social media titan. Clients can learn more about them here.

We need to talk. AI is top of mind for retail banks. Among leading players, RBC and TD Bank have mentioned AI and related tech on the most earnings calls since 2017. But what exactly are bank executives discussing when it comes to AI? TD is actually looking to leverage AI capabilities to expand into healthcare. Discover how other banks are putting AI to work in this report.

Sunsational. Solar photovoltaic tech (which converts sunlight to electricity) is set to surpass coal and natural gas in cumulative power capacity share by 2027. In fact, renewables more broadly are on track to become the world’s largest source of electricity generation by 2025. The shift toward renewable energy is being embraced by companies small and large, including Google, which plans to power its operations exclusively with renewable energy by 2030.

Star power. Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Neymar are the most popular soccer players across the globe. However, their popularity fluctuates across countries in different regions. For example, while fan sentiment in the United States and Japan aligns with the broader global opinion, this does not hold true in the United Kingdom — Neymar didn’t even make it into the UK’s top 10 most popular players.

Taste the rainbow. WTF?!

I love you. 

Anand

@asanwal

P.S. To avoid severe FOMO next year, apply for inclusion in our Retail Tech 100 report today.

BNPL coming for PayPal

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