CB Insights - the battle for TikTok

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• The Trump administration's payroll tax deferral plan will begin this week. US-based corporations can stop withholding payroll taxes starting tomorrow, but employees will still have to pay those taxes by April 2021. The new guidance applies solely to those making less than $104,000 annually.
   

• A buyer for TikTok’s US operations could be announced as soon as this week. A number of US cos have already jumped in the battle to acquire the app, including Microsoft and Walmart, Oracle, and more. However, China unveiled new tech export curbs on Friday that would restrict specific technologies from being sold overseas, including "personalized content recommendations based on data analysis" — what TikTok is known for — which could complicate the deal.
   

• Christopher Nolan’s Tenet opens in US theaters on Thursday, representing the first big budget movie release since Covid-19 hit. Disney is forgoing theaters entirely and offering its live action Mulan remake directly on its Disney+ streaming service starting Friday. We map out what the future of entertainment might look like in this report.

Pour one out 

Retail tech funding took a battering in the first half of 2020.
 

But some sectors saw increased interest. Here are the bright spots within retail tech.

Next step, world domination

Alphabet-owned healthcare co Verily Life Sciences announced last week that it's launching an insurance-focused subsidiary.  

Healthcare isn’t the only industry the tech giant is branching into. We cover 10 industries that could be Alphabet’s next billion-dollar business here.

Please clap

Four of our picks for the 50 Future Unicorns list have hit $1B+ valuations: Gong, Rippling, Luminar (going public via a SPAC), and Lyra Health. 

It ends tonight

All ticket prices for the Future of Health (September 23-25) increase tomorrow. Here are 10 reasons why you should attend:

1. Unparalleled speaker lineup (check out the full agenda here)
2. 25+ Digital Health 150 presentations 
3. Exclusive data and research from our sought-after analysts
4. 4 days of unlimited networking through 1:1 video meetings
5. Attendee roundtables with attendees from around the world
6. VR experiences to explore alternate worlds
7. Relevant themes & topics such as AI in healthcare, genomics, & telehealth
8. Top-tier moderators from CNBC, Bloomberg, The Economist, & Forbes
9. Fun (yes, fun) ranging from themed happy hours, kids content, yoga, and prizes
10. $350 bonus savings if you book your ticket by EOD today with code 10reasons

Less than 24 hours to go before prices go up. Get your ticket here.

Opening up

Europe's fintech-friendly regulatory initatives are driving growth in the space.

Expert Intelligence clients can see 90+ fintech startups enabling e-commerce, powering cross-border payments, and more in the region in this market map.

I love you.

P.S. We're hiring. See all of our openings here.