CB Insights - Tiger’s dilemma

Hi there,

Here is this week in charts.

Mo’ money, mo’ problems. Tiger Global led the way as the tech boom reached new heights in 2021. The firm backed more startups than any other investor last year, coming off the back of a fundraising spree. Tiger has reportedly already invested most of its newest $12.7B fund, which was finalized in March 2022. As it suffers heavy losses in its public portfolio, Tiger’s VC arm is shifting away from backing large, late-stage companies preparing to go public to earlier and smaller deals. It's still playing an aggressive game as belt-tightening warnings reverberate through startup land.

A hint of green. ESG has become a fixture of corporate earnings calls. The term is now mentioned in approximately a fifth of all calls. ESG scores — which rank companies based on their reputation and impact relating to environmental (E), social (S), and governance (G) issues — are used by investors and others to monitor how companies are navigating global issues and guide investment decisions. However, they’re often subject to inaccuracies, as they depend heavily on companies’ self-reported data. Little standardization among ratings has also led critics to question their value. We looked at how AI could take ESG beyond greenwashing here. 

If you build it, they will come. Lumber prices are once again on the downswing — after 2 years of major volatility. Everything from the DIY phase of the pandemic to the house-building boom to supply chain crunches has sent prices all over the map. As mortgage rates rise, we’re likely to see some stability return to the market (barring another major crisis). 

Turn down for what. Biopharma tech deals continued their downward trend in Q1’22. In 2021, the decline in deals was due to investors deploying more capital into later-stage deals as they bet on maturing Covid-19-related biopharma companies. In 2022 so far, a broader pullback in the biotech market has seen investors allocating smaller amounts of capital to earlier-stage deals. Get more details in this client-only report. 

Can you feel the love online. In 2013, more heterosexual couples in the US met online than through friends — eclipsing a trend held since the end of WW2. “Internet meeting is displacing the roles that family and friends once played in bringing couples together,” per the study authors.

A colorful mood. Strange that we’ve never used gradient colors in a legend before. 
 

I love you.

P.S. Our first-ever Insurtech 50 list is coming out next week. See the release live by signing up at this link.
 

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