Hi there, 

Prince had a very prescient warning about the internet in 1999:

“There is a war going on.

The battlefield is in the mind.

The prize is the soul.

So be careful.”

Worth watching here. (It’s a 1 minute clip.)

Against Prince’s profound insight, there are actually lots of bad takes on technology. Here are 59 terrible technology predictions.

My favorite is from Steve Ballmer who said this:

“Google’s not a real company. It’s a house of cards.”

Healthcare deserts

Nearly one-third of the US population lives in a healthcare desert — an area with insufficient access to primary care providers, hospitals, and other healthcare services.

But innovative products, new services, and emerging solutions are helping to bridge the gap.

Download the free Future of Healthcare Desert Solutions report, a partnership between the VSP Global Innovation Center and CB Insights, to learn more about the strategies, technologies, and startups transforming the future of healthcare access.

Founder hustle gone too far

JP Morgan acquired financial planning platform Frank in 2021 to gain access to its audience of 4M+ college students.

But it turns out that the vast majority of those users were fake — Frank’s founder allegedly created nearly 4M bogus accounts right before the sale.

What had JPM hoped to achieve with the purchase?

Dharmesh Shah, co-founder of HubSpot, sums up the sentiment behind these moves well with this tweet.

JPM and HubSpot aren't alone in their strategic thinking: Robinhood is reportedly launching its own independent media brand, building on its 2019 acquisition of media company MarketSnacks.

We previously looked at why companies like HubSpot, Stripe, Robinhood, and JPM are buying media companies here, including a breakdown of the CAC and LTV math. 

The machines are coming

Disney has released around 1,200 full-length films to date, generating a solid chunk of revenue in the process. 

Could its leadership position be threatened by the rise of AI screenwriting tools?

Find out how these tools, virtual film production, and more could disrupt Disney here.

Following the leader

Digital therapeutics (DTx) leverage evidence-based, clinically tested software to help treat, manage, and prevent diseases.

And they’re drawing interest from payers looking for innovative ways to improve care at a lower cost. 

Nasdaq. Julia De Luca (@jumdeluca) discusses global venture funding in 2022 and cites CB Insights research.

Dallas Morning News. Paul O'Donnell (@paul_o_donnell) covers Dallas’ venture funding and mentions CB Insights research.

Blockworks. Michael Bodley (@michael_bodley) tackles the crypto market in Latin America and cites CB Insights data.
 

I love you.

Anand

@asanwal

P.S. Want to dig into the data behind our State of Venture 2022 Report? Join us for a live webinar on January 24 @ 2pm ET. Save your spot here.