Hola, 

We identified 15 trends that we think will shape tech in 2018. These run from “personalized” services for dogs, to tech companies’ cash windfalls, to Massive Social Online Communities (MSOCs).

We curated all of these into a 32-page report. And the words blockchain or bitcoin are not mentioned once. 

Amazing. 

We hope you enjoy the report. 

Have a great weekend.

Marcelo
@ballve


This week in data:

• 15: At year’s end, we asked each of our industry analysts at CB Insights to look back over a year’s worth of research briefs, data crunching, and reports to identify the trends they believe will rise to crest and have an impact in 2018. From auto to real estate, these are 15 of the tech trends we’re watching.
  
  

• $56B: This week, ride-hailing unicorn Didi Chuxing received $4B in new funding from SoftBank and Mubadala. The round brings the company’s valuation up to $56B, a 12% jump from its $50B valuation seen this past April. The company has raised $18B in total disclosed funding, more than 50% of which was raised just this year. This deal is the latest in a series of major funding rounds to Uber’s top competitors, which we dive into here. 

  
   
• 2: We’re down to the final 2 in our latest bracket which asks what the best company is to invest in and hold for 10 years. The matchup is between Alibaba and Amazon. Vote now. 
  
  
   
• 7  years: Launched in 2010, AR headset startup Magic Leap finally unveiled its first product — The Magic Leap One — and it only took the company 7 years. The product includes goggles, a lightweight battery pack, and a handheld control device. CEO Rony Abovitz declined to share a ship date or a price for the “premium artisanal computer.” Magic Leap, which is valued at nearly $5B, can be found in our AR/VR market map stack, which looks at over 110 startups working across the AR/VR space. 
  
  
   
• $143M: The amount raised by 3D printing company Carbon in Series D funding from investors including Baillie Gifford & Co., Fidelity Investments, General Electric, and Sequoia Capital. The round brings the company’s total disclosed funding to $375M, and raises its valuation to $1.7B (aka unicorn status). The company can be found on our 3D printing market map, with over 60 other startups in the space. 
  
  
   
• $15M: Nozomi Networks protects power plants and other critical infrastructure from cyber attacks. The company raised a $15M Series B from GGV Capital and Lux Capital this week. Nozomi Networks is featured in our Cyber Defenders report, which details trends to watch and high-momentum startups with the potential to shape the future of digital resilience. 
  
  
   
• 1 million: Movie subscription service MoviePass crossed 1 million users this month. In August, the company had lowered its subscription pricing to $9.95 per month, and by September, it crossed the 400,000 user mark. The number continued to jump up to 600,000 in October. MoviePass sold a majority stake to data firm Helios and Matheson earlier this year, and the $27M it received is being used to subsidize the cost of tickets. The company had previously raised $4.86M in disclosed funding from investors including True Ventures, Upfront Ventures, and Structure Capital.
   
• $53M: While on an investigation, The US Coast Guard discovered “a large sea turtle entangled in multiple bales of suspected contraband.” Upon closer look, the crew identified 1,800 pounds of cocaine worth $53M attached to the turtle. The discovery was made during a 68-day Eastern Pacific mission, which, among other successes, was able to recover over 75 feet of line to prevent future sea life entanglement.