Hola,

We just released our 2020 State of Fintech report – 80 pages of fintech goodness. 

While dollars grab the headlines, those in the know re: private tech companies realize it’s deal activity that matters. That turned around in the final quarter of 2020 after a lengthy slump.

Here’s a peek at major fintech trends: 

• The final three months of last year reversed a 4-quarter consecutive decline in deals — thanks to bumps in early- and mid-stage deal activity

• Fintech activity has surged in South America: funding to South America-based fintech companies grew at a 64% CAGR between 2016 and 2020

• “Buy now, pay later” accelerated in popularity, with funding growing at a 93% CAGR between 2016 and 2020 

To see big tech's major fintech moves, key funding and deal trends across sectors, and more, download the report for free here.

New insurtech report just dropped  

Covid-19 is the second-largest paid loss event the insurance industry has experienced, second only to Hurricane Katrina.

But insurtech funding finished 2020 at a record high. Take a look how the insurance industry fared in 2020 in our quarterly insurtech report made in conjuction with WillisTowersWatson.

Just polycule things

An array of healthcare stakeholders — from payers to providers to drug developers — are increasingly joining forces with telehealth cos to expand access to “socially distant” care. 

Clients can take a look at the breadth of partnerships that have formed — and what they say about the future of telehealth — here.

Suga, how you get so fly?

Artificial intelligence, autonomous flight, and quantum computing tech could make the resource-intensive aerospace industry greener and more efficient.

Read more about the cutting-edge tech shaping sustainability in aerospace in this client-only brief. 

$111B: Apple reported revenue of $111B for the last 3 months of 2020 — a new record for the company and a 21% year-over-year increase. The jump in sales was driven in part by consumers upgrading to 5G-compatible iPhones. See why the new wireless communication standard is drawing attention in this explainer.
 

+1,700%: Video game retailer GameStop’s share price was up more than 1,700% since the start of the year this week. The spike in the company’s stock price — which has since partially subsided — has been mostly attributed to retail investors using Reddit to coordinate mass stock buys on apps like Robinhood. We break down how Robinhood makes money in this report.   

$25B: Brazil-based challenger bank Nubank raised $400M at a $25B valuation — more than double its last disclosed valuation given in 2019. Challenger banks are gaining momentum across the world. We look at how these digital-first banks are taking on incumbents in this report. 
 

42%: About 42% of retailers operating in the US are planning to restructure this year, according to a new BDO survey, as the industry looks to rebound from challenges caused by the pandemic. From supply chains to e-commerce, we look at where VCs are placing their bets on the future of retail in our latest State Of Retail Tech report.    

645,000 vehicles: The Biden administration said that it would make the entire US federal vehicle fleet electric — a commitment that could eventually affect more than 645,000 vehicles. Expert Intelligence clients can see 70+ startups working across the electric vehicle value chain in this market map.
 

23,000 years: Humans living in Siberia 23,000 years ago may have been the first to domesticate dogs, according to a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The team analyzed human and dog DNA to show that the occurrence of some genetic splits coincided with each other — hinting that these ancient humans were traveling with dogs as they moved across the world.  

Health workers trapped in an Oregon snowstorm Tuesday were faced with an urgent problem: their vaccines would expire in 6 hours, but with a car accident ahead, it could take several hours to get out. So the workers decided to administer the vaccines to drivers who were stranded with them. 

“It was a strange conversation,” said Michael Weber, the public health director in Josephine County. “Imagine yourself stranded on the side of the road in a snowstorm and having someone walk up and say: ‘Hey. Would you like a shot in the arm?’”

Per Weber, one person was so happy that he "took his shirt off and jumped out of the car.”

Have a great rest of the week.

Marcelo