ugh: that’s not meat

You got beef?

Hi there,

When incumbents get worried about insurgents, one of their go-to’s is to seek more regulation.

Here is the US Cattlemen’s Association petition for requirements to prevent meat substitutes from using the term “beef” or “meat:”

It looks like Impossible Foods, Beyond Meat, and Memphis Meats are getting under their skin. We dig into the disruption of the $90B global meat market here.

For all you procastinators

Tomorrow is the deadline to submit your data for our VC and corp VC rankings with The New York Times.

Please don’t ask us for extensions.

Go here and update your data now.

G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S

Luxury, meet technology. E-commerce startups are changing the relationship between luxury brands and consumers.

We took a look at 7 trends that are reshaping the industry, from designer clothes rental to personalized products and more.

This is some amazing analysis

It’s not a consultant framework, but a report by a consultant that is highly, highly illuminating.

According to Mr. Consultant, the market for sensors will increase, decrease, or remain stable.

Thanks to subscriber Kyle Bertin for sharing this.

Dramatic exit

Roche announced today that it is acquiring Flatiron Health for $2.1B, topping the list of New York’s largest VC-backed exits since 2012. The top spot was previously held by Blue Apron, which announced its IPO last June.

Storage issues: not just for NYC apartments

One of the biggest technological challenges the solar industry faces is storage. Now companies like Tesla, Mercedes, and Ikea are creating solutions.

From lithium-ion batteries to molten salt, we take a look at the methods that could help solar energy live up to its full potential.

Fireside chat

Last week, managing director of LaunchCapital (@launchcapital) Cliff Sirlin stopped by CBI headquarters to share his experience as an entrepreneur, operator, executive, and investor.

Cliff talked about LaunchCapital’s investment thesis and how the company supports its portfolio companies. He also spoke about how CB Insights fits into LaunchCapital’s workflow, including the daily reading of our Funding Flash.

He closed out the chat with a Q&A session with the CBI team. We learned a lot from his visit. A big thanks to Cliff and LaunchCapital!

Listen up, PayPal…

Excited to announce that Souheil Badran, president of Alipay Americas (part of Ant Financial, $60B valuation) will join us at Future of Fintech at Jazz at Lincoln Center, June 19 – 21.

We look forward to hearing about the company’s expansion and whether Ant Financial plans to compete head-on or remain frenemies with PayPal and Apple.

Get your ticket today.

But how’s their dinner conversation?

Jim Adler runs Toyota’s AI investment team. He believes “cars are social.”

He talked about that idea with Washington Post’s Elizabeth Dwoskin at A-ha! They also discussed the pitfalls facing the autonomous future, including whether a self-driving car should follow the speed limit.

Watch the whole conversation here. Read the CB Insights take here.

The Industry Standard

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

The Economist. How Chinese tech stacks up against American tech, with a reference to CB Insights data.

MIT Technology Review. China’s AI startups raised more funding than AI startups in America. CB Insights’ AI Trends Report is cited.

Live Trading News. Paul Ebeling (@redroadmaster) writes about companies outside of the US reaching unicorn status and cites CB Insights’ research.

I love you.

Anand
@asanwal

P.S. Join us on February 20 as we discuss the medical device landscape. Save your spot at the briefing here.