Hola,
 

Happy Thursday! We all know software is dominant in tech, and hardware is usually playing second fiddle. So we’re happy to mix it up: we have some interesting news for tech hardware fans. 

Today, our patent search engine turned up an Apple application for a new spin on wearable computing: a finger-worn device. More on that below.
 

But first, some research.

A bigger slice of the pie 
 

A record 61% of VC investments went to non-US AI startups last year, showing continued growth in the international AI community. 

We mapped out the global AI landscape in an interactive report. Clients can check it out here.

I'm thrilled to announce...

VCs are spurring hotbeds of innovation in states beyond California, New York, and Massachusetts.

Check out the most active investors in each state here.

Things are getting out of hand
 

Amazon reportedly wants to turn your hand into a credit card, an unsurprising move if you’ve read our research about its work in biometrics payments tech.

Want to stay ahead of the curve? Read our report on everything that Amazon is doing in financial services here.

Got my finger on the pulse

A new Apple patent application was published today for a “computer system with finger devices,” which is an interesting variation on wearables and potentially important for AR/VR.
 

The patent contemplates Band Aid and fingernail-sized devices. Sensors in the device would detect electrical and optical signals, allowing for the manipulation of objects in virtual or mixed reality.

The fingers would then receive “associated haptic output.” In other words, this tech would bring a potentially realistic sense of touch to virtual interfaces and experiences: VR volleyball anyone?

We dig in further in a research brief here. 

Have a great rest of the week.

• +2 unicorns: Cybersecurity startup Snyk and marketing data analytics platform AppsFlyer became unicorns this week after raising funding at $1B+ valuations. The total number of unicorns now stands at 442, worth a combined total of over $1.3T. See them all in our real-time unicorn tracker.  
   
• $161M: Memphis Meats, a startup that is developing meat products grown from animal cells in a lab, raised $161M in a funding round led by SoftBank, Temasek Holdings, and Norwest Venture Partners. Unlike plant-based alternative protein products, cell-cultured meat promises to almost exactly replicate the meat obtained directly from animals. We dig into the alternative protein space in our Meatless Future report.

• +20%: Funding to AI startups reached a record $26.6B in 2019 — a 20% increase compared to the year prior. Clients can dig into all the emerging AI funding trends, including VC bets and M&A deals, in our latest AI In Numbers report.  
   
• 95%+: A study published in Nature found a type of immune system cell that can be made to combat a broad range of cancers without affecting healthy parts of the body. The paper states that in one test, over 95% of cancer cells taken from various organs were killed without affecting normal tissue. Though the approach is in its early stages of development, the researchers stated that it may one day contribute to a universal cancer treatment. 

• -8 companies: Telecom giant Vodafone became the 8th company to leave Facebook’s Libra consortium, following the departure of companies like Mastercard and Visa. Libra envisions using blockchain tech to offer a global digital currency, but the project has been hit with numerous hurdles since being announced last year. We look at the recent decline in funding to blockchain startups here. 
  

• 200M+ tons: China announced plans to reduce the use of single-use plastic. The country is aiming to decrease the waste it generates, which, for household waste, is thought to be 200M+ tons per year. Companies around the world are also looking to reduce plastic use; this week, fashion co Hermès announced refillable lipstick. Clients can check out our analysis of  what the move means for the beauty industry here. 
   

• $87M: UK-based Tokamak Energy raised $87M to attempt development of a new fusion energy reactor — a next-gen energy source that proponents say could produce near unlimited amounts of clean energy. We highlight fellow fusion company Commonwealth Fusion Systems in our latest report on game changing startups — see all 36 game changers for 2020, and the tech they’re working on, here.  

• 400M cameras: A city in China was found to be using facial recognition tech to help enforce a ban on wearing pajamas in public. Facial recognition tech is widely used in China — where 400M CCTV cameras are estimated to be installed by the end of this year, according to the BBC — including to buy consumer goods and check into hotels. From banking to law enforcement, we look at the industries facial recognition tech is already disrupting.      

Saturday marks the beginning of the Lunar New Year and the dawn of the Year of the Rat. 

Luxury brands looking to haul in some of the $150B in Chinese consumer holiday spending have begun to sell annual zodiac-themed collections, which raises the question: can rats be luxury?

Fashion houses are making valiant attempts to make the rodent more glamorous in their campaigns. For one, Burberry created “Ratberry,” a cartoon rat who dons a pearl necklace and is featured in a special online game as well as WeChat stickers, while Marc Jacobs took a more true-to-life approach by inviting live rats to the photo shoots.