Hi there,

Alright, a poll for all you fintech fans.

You have $100K to invest.

You can buy shares of 1 of the companies below on the secondary market today, and you MUST sell on the day of the IPO.

Who do you buy? (Click the link to vote.)
 

If it's another fintech company, respond and lmk.

We’ll share the results next week.

Can big tech challenge Tesla?

It’s certainly trying to. 

In 2020, FAMGA — Facebook, Apple, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon — ramped up auto & mobility activity, particularly in autonomous and electric vehicles:

• Amazon invested in a slew of auto players, such as Rivian, Aurora, Acko General Insurance, Deliveroo, Shuttl, and more, and bought its own autonomous vehicle co Zoox in June. 

• Google owns Waymo, which expanded partnerships with Daimler, Fiat Chrysler, and Volvo, but has also invested in Lime. 

• Apple is reportedly launching an electric self-driving car by 2024 and partnered with TSMC to make chips. 

FAMGA isn’t the only group of cos trying to enter the auto & mobility industry though. 

We dig into all this and more in our latest State Of Mobility report. Take a look here.

Bullish on blockchain?

Nonfungible tokens (NFTs), which are tracked on a blockchain and allow holders to claim ownership over digital assets, are all the rage right now. 

+1 speaker

We're thrilled to announce our newest speaker for the CB Insights Tech Market: Digitizing P&C Insurance (May 13-14) event is Google’s managing director of reinsurance & risk management industry solutions, Dr. Henna Karna.

Dr. Karna will discuss the role cloud and data architecture play in insurance and how smart use of data and analytics can drive significant business results for underwriting, risk management, claims, and customer engagement.

Get your ticket today.

One world

A third of all food produced is either lost or wasted. Food waste is also the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world. 

But that’s not our only sustainability challenge. See the latest investment trends and the startups looking to tackle sustainability issues in this client-only report.

Modern Retail. Michael Waters (@michaelwwaters) reports on Amazon’s Alexa ambitions and quotes CB Insights managing analyst Thomas Sineau (@TSineau).

LinkedIn News. Alexander Besant features the CB Insights 12 Tech Trends To Watch Closely In 2021 report.

Bloomberg. Manuel Baigorri (@ManuBaigorri) and Yoolim Lee (@yoolimleenews) cover online marketplace Bukalapak’s SPAC deliberations and cite CB Insights valuation data.
 

P.S. We’re looking for a senior analyst who's passionate about fintech. Check out the job here. 

The Blurb
 

Cheese fest. Cheese suppliers have gotten a boost from the baked feta pasta craze that has taken off on social media. 

NYT

Down to the wire. As power grids have become more digitally enabled, they’ve become more vulnerable to cyber attacks. 

Bloomberg

A to B. Ride-hailing apps are helping women in urban areas of India to travel more independently. 

Rest of World

Order up. Restaurant chains have turned to drive-through lanes to stay afloat amid the pandemic, and real estate investors are taking note. 

WSJ

Cut some slack. While office tech like email has made completing certain tasks easier, it hasn’t guaranteed a productivity increase.

WIRED