CB Insights - it's OK to relax

​Hi there,
 

I’m excited to share that soon we’ll be launching our first-ever Retail Tech 100, CB Insights’ list of the most promising retail tech startups in the world. The list will include B2B retail technology startups that are transforming stores, e-commerce, supply chain & logistics, on-demand, and meal/grocery delivery industries. Applications for the first cohort are open until October 4 — send in your company here.
 

And now, for this week in data, we've got the catastrophic effects of climate change, a $6.6B 5G equipment contract, and some retail casualties. Check it out below.

2 AI mega-rounds: Two AI 100 companies raised mega-rounds this week. Cybersecurity platform Snyk and drug discovery startup Recursion Pharmaceuticals closed deals for $200M and $239M, respectively. See all 100 of the most promising AI startups in the world here. 

-13 stores: Fashion retailer Century 21 is closing down its operations and shuttering 13 stores. Many retailers have been struggling amid rising competition from e-commerce companies and pandemic-driven lockdowns. We track 113 retail bankruptcies and explain what happened in this report.  
 

$6.6B: Samsung won a $6.6B contract to supply 5G equipment to US-based carrier Verizon. The deal is one of Samsung's biggest in the 5G space as it goes up against telecom equipment suppliers like Nokia, Ericsson, and Huawei — which is facing pressure from US sanctions. We break down how 5G works and how it could impact industries like healthcare, manufacturing, finance, and more in this explainer. 

$91.5M: Genetic medicine startup Korro Bio raised $91.5M. The early-stage company, which raised $4M in seed funding just over a year ago, was one of our 2020 Game Changing Startups. See all 36 companies we selected with world-changing potential in this report.  

3M+ acres: More than 3M acres in California have been burned by wildfires this year — equivalent to almost 4x the size of Rhode Island — setting a new annual record for the state. Experts say that climate change is making wildfires more common and widespread. We dig into how emerging geoengineering tech could help combat global warming in this explainer. 
 

+1 fintech unicorn: Netherlands-based payments company Mollie became a unicorn after raising $106M at a $1B valuation. The startup is featured in our latest Fintech 250. See all of this year’s winners — and what they’re working on — in this market map.

3.2B pixels: Scientists took a 3.2B pixel picture, the highest-resolution single image yet produced. Using a camera that was 13-feet long and 5-feet in diameter, the team took photos of broccoli — chosen for its intricate structure — to test that detectors for a new telescope were functioning correctly. 
 

48 species: Up to 48 species of mammals and birds have been saved by conservation efforts since the UN Convention on Biological Diversity was implemented in 1993, according to a new study published in Conservation Letters. The authors said that extinction rates could have been as much as 4x greater over the studied time period without conservation initiatives.

I love you.

P.S. All ticket prices for Future of Health (September 23-25) increase for the final time next Tuesday, September 15. Save $300 with code final.

Sometimes, it's OK to just relax and indulge yourself.  

Researchers from the University of Zurich and Radboud University in the Netherlands found that short-term hedonism (e.g. lying on the couch and eating chips) may be just as important and satisfying as long-term accomplishments.

The key is moderation. “The challenge is to find the balance between doing things that provide pleasure in the moment and things that provide pleasure in the long run,” according to co-author Katharina Bernecker. 

Now, back to binge-watching The Floor Is Lava.