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Hi there,

You've been providing a steady stream of bad graphs so today, we'll share a few of them. Thanks, and keep them coming.

We'll start with this one, which highlights the beautiful things you can do if you get creative with the Y-axis. 



Thx to Conner Downey for alerting us to this one.


No humans necessary

The fourth industrial revolution is upon us. Already there are a handful of "lights-out" factories, run completely by robots (and monitored by tech staff).

Manufacturers predict overall efficiency will grow annually over the next five years at 7x the growth rate seen since 1990.

From product R&D to assembly to supply chain management, our deep-dive looks at how technology is changing every step of the manufacturing process.




When it's not Mueller time

We love graphs at CB Insights, but sometimes they're just not necessary. 

This is one of those times.




Are you feeling this connection?

Auto makers have historically relied on partnerships with telecom and chip companies to equip their vehicles with connectivity tech. Now they're making aggressive moves in the private market.

Investment to connected car startups surpassed $500M in 2017, setting a new record. We map out where incumbent auto suppliers and OEMs are investing in the space.




Jonesing for that retweet

A pro tip for all you woke social-media-influencer types: to dismiss any startup idea without really understanding it, simply describe it as being started by "tech bros."

Then watch the RTs and favs pile up as the sheep pile on.

And now you know.


Downloadable skillz

In order to compete with robots, manufacturing companies will invest in augmented reality technologies to digitize the efforts of their human workers.

AR can analyze and map out machine parts to create a digital instruction manual, making highly skilled labor like field service downloadable. We explore other ways AR is being used in manufacturing here.


 

The first rule of pie charts is...

...make the slices different colors.



Thx to Freddie Forde for sharing this one.


Podcast: Mississippi, Mars, and Mark

Relativity Space, the 3D printed rocket maker backed by Social Capital and Mark Cuban, has been busy. Last month the CBI Game Changer company signed a partnership with NASA for a 25-acre launch site in Mississippi. Last week it closed a $35M Series B.

Last December, we got an early look at Relativity when co-founder and CEO Tim Ellis joined us for a conversation just after emerging from stealth mode. 

That conversation is this week’s podcast. (also find us on iTunes — CB Insights).




Curious about fintech in China? Skip the 12-hour flight

The most consistent piece of feedback after last year's Future of Fintech conference was for increased discussion of fintech innovation in Asia.

And we heard you.

Leaders in the Asian fintech space coming to The Future of Fintech at Lincoln Center from June 19 - 21 include:

• Souheil Badran, President of Alipay Americas (54% of China’s $5.5T mobile payments)

• Wayne Xu, COO of ZhongAn Insurance (the first pure play online insurer in China)

• Chris Wei, Executive Chairman of Aviva Asia (going digital in China with Tencent)

Save $500 using discount code worldwide or grab one of our limited time pair tickets here.




The Industry Standard

The Blurb