Hi there, 

We’ll be releasing our quarterly report on how venture capital fared next week. 

Here’s a teaser for the time being.

Despite a sweeping recession, VCs in the US chugged along nicely in Q3’20:  

• Investors infused $36.5B into US private companies — a 7-quarter high and a 22% increase YoY 

• There were 88 quarterly mega-rounds, the most since Q4'18
• 2020 funding is nearing record levels, garnering $92B YTD  

Check out the high-level overview here. Keep an eye out for the full PwC & CB Insights MoneyTree report, which will cover the latest global VC funding, deals, and trends, next week.

VCs can have some good news, as a treat
 

Despite the ongoing pandemic, VC had a good quarter in Q3'20, flooding US companies with $36.5B. 
 

We map out the most active VC firm in each state here. 

Time’s a-ticking
 

The average wait time to see a physician for the first time was 24 days in 2017 — a problem likely to worsen given an aging population and shortage of doctors. 
 

We dive into how telehealth can ensure faster care delivery and more equitable care here.

So cultured 
 

From beef burgers to kangaroo dumplings, lab-grown meat is gaining traction as Covid-19 squeezes traditional supply chains.
 

Read more about the draws of clean meat and what’s next for cultured protein tech in this client-only post.

The reviews are in

Interested in the Future of Fintech but never attended a virtual event?

Here’s what some folks had to say about our most recent fully virtual event, the Future of Health:

• “Great content. Easily understandable. Profound insights.”
• “I loved that I could watch the presentations after the fact and some livestream. Being a working mom, this was SO AMAZING...it was great for me to attend some of the work meetings and spend half a day watching and catching up on presentations from the conference. Thank you so much for this flexibility!
• “Fast paced, dynamic speakers, tons of information, good storytelling and data”
• “Plenty of good content covering many varied relevant topics in short spurts. Good networking opportunities.”
• “The use of innovative technology to support a robust virtual global event was slick.”
• “Networking setups was one of the best aspects. It gave me great 1:1 time with no distractions.”

Can’t touch this
 

Contactless self-checkout has gained significant traction as consumers look to avoid physical contact and crowded lines. 
 

We look at several contactless self-checkout vendors for capabilities, pricing, and more in this report.

San Francisco Business Times. Brian Rinker (@BizRinker) speaks with CB Insights CEO Anand Sanwal (@asanwal) about CB Insights’ unicorn predictions and the algorithm behind them.

Business of Fashion. Cathaleen Chen (@Cathaleen_Chen) looks at new retail tech and quotes CB Insights senior lead retail analyst Laura Kennedy.

Modern Retail. Gabriela Barkho (@gabrielabarkho) covers Affirm’s installment lending strategy, quoting CB Insights fintech analyst Conor Witt (@ckwitt3). 
 

P.S. We’re hiring a business intelligence lead to help us dig into the data and grow our analytics team. Check out the role here. 

Googly eyes. A US Army project is putting AR goggles on military dogs so human handlers can give commands from afar. 
Business Insider

Fast track. Through tech innovations and smarter training, today’s athletes are conquering distance — and reinventing their games.

WSJ

InvestEGGator. Conservationists are placing decoy GPS eggs in endangered sea turtle nests to track the routes of poachers. 

Science Magazine

Stalk market. Some players obsessed with trading turnips on Animal Crossing are now trying their hand on the real stock market. 

Bloomberg

Cold hard cash. To comply with state guidelines that prohibit the public from attending live shows, SNL cast its audience.

New York Times