CVC smashing records. AI gone wild. What banks are talking about.
He’s phony, she’s fake
Hi there,
What do these people all have in common?
None of them exist.
They were all created by ThisPersonDoesNotExist.com, which uses an AI algorithm known as a general adversarial network (GAN) to generate photos, aka deepfakes.
We wrote about deepfakes in our Future of Information Warfare post, which you can read here.
And now, some data.
What could possibly go wrong?
As AI becomes more ingrained in our daily lives, its potential for destruction is becoming more obvious.
Pedestrians have been killed by autonomous vehicles. Algorithms have recommended unsafe treatments for cancer patients. And some experts believe this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Corporate venture capital funding and deals hit all-time highs in 2018, with $53B invested across 2,740 deals. That’s a 47% increase in dollars over 2017 and a 32% increase in deals.
We cover this and more in our latest Global CVC Report. Download it here.
A profit sounds nice
OakNorth ($2.8B valuation) is a UK-based digital bank specializing in online loans to SMEs with plans to move into other financial services.
The company is the first challenger bank in the UK to see profitability.
The company’s next round of new offerings, including savings accounts
Strategies for entering markets such as the US and China
Register today and save $500 with code profit before prices go up next Friday.
Something to talk about
Rewards programs are a popular way banks are working to retain millennial consumers in the digital age. Mentions of “rewards,” “loyalty,” and “promotion” have trended up on bank earnings calls in recent years.
Last year, VC-backed fintech companies raised over $39B across 1,707 deals. This was driven largely by 52 mega-rounds, which added up to a whopping $25B.
Japanese snack company Koike-ya has solved our greatest modern dilemma: how to eat potato chips without getting your phone greasy. One Hand Chips are pre-smashed so you can basically drink them.
Steve Jobs who?
Shut up and drive
Electric vehicles currently make up a small fraction of global automotive sales, but that’s expected to change as vehicle design improves and governments adopt more aggressive incentive programs.
Startups want to capitalize on the shift. From battery technology to sharing platforms to bikes and scooters, we’ve identified 60+ companies driving innovation in electric vehicles. Clients can see them all here.
The Industry Standard
CB Insights data is the most trusted by those in the industry and the media. A few recent hits.
Something to talk about
Shut up and drive