A16Z blockchain bets

Pac Man

Hi there,

Got a serious case of writer’s block today, so I’m going to go with a faithful standby.

Terrible pie charts.

First, here’s one that needs a bit more purple.

Betting on blockchain

Two of the top early-stage tech VCs, Andreessen Horowitz and Union Square Ventures, have been placing bets on blockchain technology since 2013. We analyzed how these investors’ approaches in the space have evolved, from traditional equity investments to investments into ICOs and cryptocurrency hedge funds.

Andreessen and USV have participated together in 9 deals since 2013, including to unicorn Coinbase and MediaChain (acquired by Spotify).

Really?

This is breathtakingly horrible.

Are you Smarter than a retail warehouse?

Kindred Systems is working to give machines human-like intelligence. It’s designing robot “minds” to be in a constant state of learning.

Gap Inc. thinks that’s pretty cool — the company has deployed Kindred’s robotic systems in a Gap warehouse to work side-by-side with human workers.

Chinese social giant Tencent must think it’s a great idea too. The company led a $28M round into Kindred, bringing its funding to $43M.

Kindred co-founder and Chief Product Officer George Babu will join us at the A-ha! Conference December 12-13, 2017 in San Francisco. We look forward to hearing more about where he sees intelligent robots showing up next.

Save $500 off your ticket using discount code robotwarehouse.

Fitness fun

The discussion of genomics and fitness has been on the rise for a few years, spiking in mid-2016.

As a result, startups are leveraging genomics, AI, and other emerging technologies to develop more personalized fitness offerings, from tailor-made athletic wear to DNA-driven dinners.

Ok this pie chart is good

3-2-1 blastoff

Beyond space exploration, these high-potential startups are leveraging data from small satellites to increase military surveillance, predict the weather, and more. Check them out.

The Industry Standard