Hi there, 
 

Given the news that Jack Dorsey has stepped down as CEO of Twitter (he’s also the CEO and co-founder of Square), we’ve got a question for you. 

Who are the best “parallel entrepreneurs”?

Parallel entrepreneurs are those building multiple companies at the same time (vs. the more serial style of company-building).

Noubar Afeyan, the co-founder of Moderna and founder of Flagship Pioneering, is one exceptional parallel entrepreneur.

Who else?

Beat the crowd

Black Friday shopping in stores was up 48% from last year, though store traffic was still down 28% compared to pre-pandemic levels, according to preliminary data. Online sales on Black Friday slipped from 2020’s record $9B to $8.9B. 

As consumers shift more of their purchases online, retailers are turning to AI solutions to tackle challenges like e-commerce fraud prevention, developing microfulfillment infrastructure, and more.

Check out our analysis of the retail AI trends to watch in 2021 here. 

Lock it down

IT security leaders across industries must contend with an ever-present threat of data breaches. Need help developing a data security strategy?

We evaluate 10 tech markets — from data access governance to post-quantum cryptography — that IT security leaders should monitor, vet, and prioritize to protect their organization in this client-only report.

Big retail tech moves
 

ICYMI, we're accepting applications for the upcoming Retail Tech 100 awards. This is our annual roundup of the most promising names in B2B retail tech.
 

Last year's 100 winners have made big moves since we published the list:

• More than two-thirds have raised a combined $13.6B in equity funding, with massive deals going to winners like Lalamove ($1.5B Series F), Klarna ($1B growth equity round), and Mollie ($800M Series C).

• Twelve have been acquired by players like PayPal, UPS, and Gap.

• The cohort has seen 5 IPOs and 1 SPAC.

• Twelve have been minted as billion-dollar unicorns.

Don't miss out on this year's list. Apply here before December 14.

So many goodies

Future of Health (Dec. 8-9, online) is just one week away and the agenda is chock full of so many goodies. Check it out here. We've got:

• 30+ speakers, including from GoodRX, Color, Microsoft, Headspace Health, NEA, the US Department of Health & Human Services, and Paige

• 25+ tech demos across 6 different categories with some live commentary from investor "sharks"

• 4 roundtables on topics including the mounting mental health crisis and the power of cognitive personas

• 2 analyst presentations on the 5 Covid-Driven AI Trends Remaking Healthcare and How Big Tech Is Driving Pharma's Digital Transformation

• 1 exciting Digital Health 150 reveal

Use code chockfull to get 25% off. Register here.

Driving off into the sunset, together

It’s been a long and expensive road for autonomous vehicle development. 

But as the tech hits an inflection point, automakers, suppliers, and AV companies are partnering to bring self-driving solutions to market. 

We analyze the complex web of self-driving tech partnerships here.

Money moves

Fintech is seeing increasing momentum in the Middle East.

The region’s startups have already set a funding record this year, and with half of the Middle East’s population under the age of 25, fintechs have a large market of tech-savvy customers to target. 

From retail investing apps to peer-to-peer payments, these 135+ companies are reshaping the financial services industry in the Middle East.

Bloomberg. Felipe Marques, Vinicius Andrade (@andradevini3), and Cristiane Lucchesi discuss Nubank’s planned IPO and cite CB Insights unicorn data.

PYMNTS. PYMNTS covers Bolt’s acquisition of Tipser and cites CB Insights research. 

Bloomberg. Tim Culpan (@tculpan) writes about the potential ramifications of the US delisting of Didi and cites CB Insights data.
 

P.S. We’re hiring for a senior fintech analyst. Apply here. 

P.P.S. How many folks are going to respond with Elon Musk to my starting question about parallel entrepreneurs? RIP my inbox :)