Hola,
 

I love acronyms. Have you heard of the ANTMAN strategy? This refers to taking big bets on Amazon, Netflix, Tesla, Microsoft, Apple, and Nvidia stock. A selection of the big tech darlings, as it were. This strategy would have returned 76% to date since the global health crisis was declared by the WHO on January 30, 2020. 

There are other baskets like it: FAMGA (which includes the ad-driven Google and Facebook and ditches the smaller Tesla, Netflix, and Nvidia), FANG, etc.

And all have enjoyed a huge run-up in valuations. Let’s put aside the tricky fact that the US Congress seems to want to dismember parts of the ANTMAN and related acronyms. Covid-19 has clearly tilted value and business clout toward tech and software. 

The crisis has also put into focus how the FAMGA companies have set their sights on the $3.6T US healthcare market.

From battling Covid-19, to AWS' wins in medicine, to Microsoft’s healthcare partnerships, these companies have covered a lot of ground. Get the report here.

Jack of all trades
 

Apple and Google's contact tracing app debuted in Virginia this week. 

From managing healthcare data to offering drug marketplaces, we take a look at how big tech is pushing ahead with its healthcare initiatives here.

Get schooled

Parents nationwide have begun setting up “education pods,” as questions over returning to school in the fall remain.

We dive into what education may look like in a post-Covid world in this report. 

All the trends that are fit to discuss
 

Our managing healthcare analyst, Ja Lee, will be covering how healthcare funding bounced back in Q2'20 on August 13. She'll highlight:  

• Where global healthcare deals and dollars went
• Which sector dominated top healthcare AI rounds 
• Why the medical devices sector saw a record number of exits

Save your spot here. Even if you can't make it, sign up and we'll send you all the materials after.

Traveling? In this economy?
 

Travel tech startups are still garnering dollars and deals despite the ongoing pandemic.

Clients can check out the industry's investment activity, notable deals, emerging trends, and more in this interactive Story.

In June, we partnered with Fast Company to publish our list of 50 future unicorns — high-momentum companies we expect to hit the $1B+ valuation mark. Among our picks was HR tech startup Rippling, which offers a platform to automatically manage processes like payroll, benefits, and software access for employees.

On Tuesday, Rippling raised a $145M Series B, boosting its valuation to $1.4B — a 5x increase from its last valuation in April 2019 — and earning a place in the unicorn club. 

Financing activity in the HR tech space  rose to new highs in 2019 but took a hit in Q1’20 as investors pulled back amid Covid-19. In Q2’20, funding and deal volume rebounded with  75% and 35% quarter-over-quarter growth, respectively.

As businesses look to welcome employees back, more accessible and personalized HR tools could help improve employee wellness. For more, read about how HR tech and 7 other technologies are helping companies reopen.

Have a great rest of the week.

Marcelo