Peter Thiel is not happy

Knowledge is power

Hi there,

Canada’s Global Skills Strategy, a government program looking to expedite work permits for highly skilled foreign workers and their families, seems to be paying some dividends.

The program launched in 2017, and after just over a year, 12K+ people have applied and 95% were accepted.

The Financial Times discusses how the strategy is contributing to “brain gain” and enhancing the Toronto tech scene. The article — which you can find in today’s Blurb — also features data from the PwC and CB Insights MoneyTree Report.

Financial Times

This is the top

The world of financial services is being transformed by insurgent startups. From capital markets to digital banking to wealth management, we picked out the 250 most promising fintech companies. You can see them all here.

Catch them if you can

LendingTree (NASDAQ: TREE), an online marketplace for loan seekers, is one of the fastest-growing public companies in financial services.

LendingTree CEO Doug Lebda will share a few secrets of the company’s success at the Future of Fintech (June 11-13, NYC) including:

• Its recent M&A binge
• LendingTree’s growth areas and product roadmap
• Macro trends, opportunities, and challenges in the home equity industry

Save $500 off your ticket here with code LENDINGTREE.

Crazy rich platforms

The majority of China’s luxury stores are located in the top 15 cities in the country, but 75% of wealthy Chinese consumers live outside those cities.

To provide these customers better, faster service, some luxury brands are betting on the dedicated luxury platforms launched by e-commerce giants Alibaba and JD.com.

We take a closer look at why the future of luxury in China is online.

 Lyft’s IPO valuation

We analyzed the price/revenue multiples of Lyft comparables to determine the company’s likely valuation at IPO.

Specifically, we looked at the multiples of:

1. Uber
2. Ola Cabs
3. Grab
4. Careem
5. BlaBlaCar

Clients can read the forecast for Lyft’s valuation here.

Strong. Invincible. Woman.

The women’s healthcare scene is experiencing a new wave of innovation. From “digital” birth control to subscription-based period products to AI for breast cancer detection, we explore how tech is transforming the space.

Check it out here.

 Get money

AI startups continued to attract corporate venture capital investment in 2018. In total, CVCs participated in deals to AI companies worth $5.1B, up 21% from 2017.

We take a closer look at where CVCs placed their bets, which CVC was the most active AI investor, and more. Expert Intelligence clients can check it out here.

Far out

This is what is known as “science.”

Smarty pants

Smart cities are not a fantasy of the future — they already exist. And they’re expanding. The global smart cities market is projected to be worth $1.4T in the next 6 years.

We dig into what makes a city “smart” as well as who’s investing in the future of smart cities, challenges and criticisms, and more. Read it all here.

 I brake for startups

The $700B trucking industry is plagued with inefficiencies and rising costs, as driver shortages persist and consumers demand faster delivery.

We’ve mapped out 50+ startups that are developing new tech to solve issues across the supply chain. Expert Intelligence clients can see them here.

The FDA says no to young blood

Peter Thiel might not happy about this. But since Scott Gottlieb is resigning today, maybe all hope is not lost.

The Industry Standard

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

CNBC. Kate Rooney (@kr00ney) reports that fintech company Chime has reached unicorn status after its Series D round led by DST Global and references CB Insights research.

Boston Globe. Scott Kirsner (@scottkirsner) writes about Boston’s shift from focusing on tech to healthcare and refers to PwC and CB Insights’ latest MoneyTree Report.

Bloomberg. John Tozzi (@jtozz) reports that Amazon Web Services is working with a Harvard-affiliated teaching hospital to test how AI technology could simplify healthcare and cites CB Insights research.

I love you.

Anand
@asanwal 

P.S. On March 26, we’ll be discussing payments trends to watch. Register for the briefing here.