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The horror, the horror...!
Hi there,
I should warn you, the image you’re about to see may frighten you.
Dr. John Mohl
Happy Halloween to all from the data nerds at CB Insights.
Also, if you like bad data viz and also enjoy making fun of management consultants, you should follow @cbinsights on Instagram.
And now, on to some scary good research.
I didn't do it alone
Autonomous vehicles depend on several advanced technologies to understand and respond to their surroundings.
Some AV companies are focusing on bringing these specific components to scale while others are building their vehicles from the ground up.
We take a closer look at the technologies that make autonomous driving possible and the companies working to make AVs more sophisticated, less costly, and easier to scale. Check it out here.
Table for none
Thanks to Uber Eats and similar apps, virtual restaurants are now a thing — which means we’re another step closer to never having to leave our homes again.
Brooklyn Burger Factory sells up to 75 burgers a day without seating a single customer. It operates out of the kitchen of Gerizim Cafe & Ice Cream, and only serves through the Uber Eats app.
Uber Eats’ data team is finding opportunities for virtual restaurants by picking up on what customers are craving in certain areas.
Check out Bloomberg’s full article in The Blurb.
The state of the unicorn
Q3'18 saw the birth of two new unicorns, Toast and Root, and the first month of Q4 saw one, Brex. This brings the total VC-backed fintech unicorn count to 33, with an aggregate value of $115.49B.
Check out our new Global Fintech Report for more trends from Q3'18.
Trick or treat
How much is the US spending on Halloween treats this year? Around $2.6B. Most of that is going to classics like M&Ms and Twix, but old and new candy brands are whipping up new confections.
From craft chocolate to cocktail candies to cannabis-infused chewing gum, here are the sweets that could take over your Halloween goody bag.
Also, check out these 7 startups offering spooky services from on-demand astrology to professional ash-scattering to resurrecting dead bait fish.
It’s not all parks and rec
A lot of people don’t know that the US National Parks Service has its own FBI, known as the Investigative Services Branch (ISB).
The ISB investigates the most serious crimes that happen on national park land, and it has to make do with relatively few resources.
Outside dives deep into how the ISB’s scrappy, resourceful team solved a grisly murder case in 2012. Read it in The Blurb.
 Less is more
With $292M in total disclosed funding, Brandless is the 4th most well-funded VC-backed food startup and the 3rd most well-funded VC-backed beauty startup.
But it's not the only startup using clean ingredients and minimal branding. We take a look at companies using similar strategies to see how their product offerings compare. Expert Intelligence clients can see them here.
How to cheat death
Death is inevitable — for now.
But startups working to find ways to slow the aging process have seen a huge increase in funding over the last three years. Could they discover the key to expanding human lifespans?
From blood transfusions to stem cell research, we explore how startups are trying to disrupt mortality.
If you build it, they will come
Construction tech exits are on track for a record year, with 13 M&A transactions and three IPOs so far in 2018.
We take a look at what's driving the increase. Expert Intelligence clients can read it here.
One thing
When you ask a peer for advice, you’re not asking them to present a deck from corp comms.
That’s why we’ve identified one area where each TRANSFORM speaker excels. They'll present a “how-to” on that topic, and then the audience can dive deep into the discussion.
One thing for you to do? RSVP. Today is the last day to get discount tickets before prices go up tomorrow. Take $500 off with code onething.
The Industry Standard
CB Insights data is the most trusted by those in the industry and the media. A few recent hits.
Axios. Kia Kokalitcheva (@imkialikethecar) reports that global investors have poured $4.2B into autonomous vehicle tech so far in 2018 and cites CB Insights data.
Entrepreneur. Nidhi Singh (@nidhi_march) writes about Singapore’s three unicorn companies and refers to CB Insights data.
Bloomberg. Tim Culpan (@tculpan) discusses how the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi could affect global VC funding and references PwC and CB Insights’ MoneyTree Report.
I love you.
Anand
@asanwal
P.S. On November 8, we'll be discussing the customization of CPG. Sign up for the briefing here.
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