bearded lady VC

Startup thermometer

Hi there,

Yesterday, we highlighted our bonkers hit rate on predicting future unicorns.

We had some LPs write in asking if we’re contemplating a fund.  

Yes — there is a crizap ton of money out there interested in investing in startups.

We also got some questions about Mosaic, our algorithm for assessing startup health. For those interested, you can read more about it here.

Raise your voice

The voice recognition market is projected to hit $49B. Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Apple (FAMGA) have established themselves as big players in the space through significant investments, research, and development.

We break down how each company is tackling the voice industry today and how their initiatives are evolving. Read all about it here.

What’s the buzz?

After years of mostly positive coverage, our News Sentiment algorithm shows that WeWork’s media attention is increasingly volatile.

The company saw peak positive coverage in July of last year, following the release of its first financial report. Since then, it’s pretty much gone downhill.

We take a look at what’s behind the downturn here.

The best investment

Yesterday we shared some of the global startup CEOs, founders, and execs that will be attending Future of Fintech 2019 (June 11-13).

There will be lots of active investors, VC partners, banks, and mega corporations there, too. Here are a few:

Every single attendee that purchases a ticket gets access to our opt-in networking app that allows you to create a profile, then request and schedule meetings with other attendees.

Save $500 with code smartinvestment and get in on the action by securing your ticket here.

 I’m listening

Lidar is one of the most advanced sensors used for autonomous driving tech, but its high costs have led to questions about its practicality.

Startups are working on new ways to deploy lidar that lower costs without compromising reliability and accuracy — and they’re getting attention from automakers and auto suppliers.

We take a look at where major auto players are placing bets in the lidar space. Expert Intelligence clients can read more here.

It’s in everything

Technology is now central to every industry, and it’s constantly evolving. From smart homes for senior citizens to VR shopping experiences to enhanced electric vehicle charging stations, we pinpoint the top 14 tech trends to watch in 2019.

Valuations, multiples, and coming M&A

Here are some client-only deal analyses we just published:

$900M Morgan Stanley M&A — We dug into Morgan Stanley’s $900M acquisition of Solium Capital and what it means for the equity plan management space. It was a big development given Carta’s recent raise valuing it at $800M.

DiscoverOrg and the B2B sales intelligence space — We analyzed valuations, multiples, and the prognosis (not good) for stand-alone B2B sales intelligence providers after DiscoverOrg’s acquisition of ZoomInfo. We highlighted one provider in the space that seems destined for a fire sale.

Plus this post on P&G’s buy in feminine care and valuations in that space, and this analysis on the podcasting market and valuations in light of the Spotify/Gimlet deal.

 We can work together

Startups are chipping away at management consulting functions. To prevent their own disruption, some of the largest consulting firms are ramping up investments and acquisitions.

The top 7 consulting firms participated in 20 deals adding up to nearly $300M last year.

From fintech to biotech, we take a look at where consulting firms are placing their bets. Expert Intelligence clients can read more here.

We thought the beard was a giveaway

The Industry Standard

CB Insights data is the most trusted by those in the industry and the media. A few recent hits.

New York Times. The NYT’s DealBook covers the latest list of future unicorn companies and quotes CB Insights CEO Anand Sanwal (@asanwal).

Morning Brew. The newsletter features CB Insights and the New York Times’ latest list of 50 future unicorns.

South China Morning Post. This article discusses the efforts by China and the US to develop diagnostics-related AI technology and references CB Insights data.

I love you.

Anand
@asanwal 

P.S. On February 21, we’ll discuss what’s next in AI. Sign up for the briefing here.