Hi there,
 

ICYMI, we launched a new format for the Thursday newsletter last week. 

We’re calling it 5+1 — or 5 useful/interesting data viz and 1 ugly data viz. 

It got a good response so we’ll keep it going. 

But please let us know what you think, and send any interesting (or ugly) data viz our way. 

And now, here is this week in charts.

Vroom vroom. Europe and China far outpace the US in sales of electric vehicles (EVs). But this week, US President Joe Biden set an aggressive target for EVs to make up 50% of new US car sales by 2030. As auto companies prepare for the transition to EVs, EV tech funding is on pace for a new high this year. Top investors in the space span the US, China, Germany, and South Korea, focusing on battery tech, EV charging, and more.

Pacemaker. Tiger Global is on pace to do even more deals in Q3’21 than in Q2’21, potentially eclipsing 100 deals for the quarter. Last quarter, the firm inked 1.3 deals per business day.

Blockchain is in. The rise of cryptocurrencies has led to a boom in funding for the tech behind it. Investment to the blockchain space hit a record high in H1’21, with crypto-focused startups seeing major dollar signs.

Speaking of unicorns. Do we need a new name? The global herd has grown to 780+ (check them all out on our real-time tracker). Q2’21 marked a new record for unicorn births, with 136 being born during the quarter.

Brewtal. Tighten your belts — coffee prices are heading up and to the right. Prices for arabica beans shot up 50% in the last 12 months after adverse weather conditions damaged crops in Brazil, the world’s largest coffee producer. Amid heightened demand for coffee around the world, prices are expected to remain elevated. 

We are where. This graph appeared in a book by Thomas Friedman. Matt Novak of Gizmodo offered perhaps the best description of this or any graph, describing it as "the kind of thing you might see scrawled in feces in Ted Kaczynski’s prison cell.”

I love you.

Anand

@asanwal

P.S. Join us for our live webinars next week, where you can ask CB Insights analysts your questions about Big Tech In Healthcare (August 18) and the State Of Fintech (August 19).