CB Insights - overfunded startup bombs

Hi there,

When a well-funded company that has been foie-gras’d with investor cash fails spectacularly, it's fun to dunk on VCs.

But if you're going to do that, just ensure it was actually VCs that funded it.

Exhibit 1:  Quibi

Related: 202 of the biggest startup failures of all time.

Bankers beware 

The pandemic has shrunk historical profit centers of investment banking revenue.

From equity research to trading, we look at how i-banking is being disrupted in this report.

AI everywhere
 

AI valuations have ballooned in the past 5 years, as corporates look to leverage the tech to train robots, personalize recommendations, and more.

From TikTok owner ByteDance to enterprise AI co C3.ai, here are the 10 most valuable AI cos around the globe. 

B-b-b-blockchain

Applications are now open for our first-ever blockchain list, produced in collaboration with Blockdata. The list will feature some of the most innovative companies that are applying or analyzing blockchain technology to solve business or consumer problems across various industries.

Think your company can make the cut? Apply here before November 25. 

Go above and beyond
 

With 73% of US consumers switching to new brands, stores, or shopping channels amid Covid-19, customer service tech is crucial to retaining customers’ loyalty. 

From emotion sensing to queue management, we map out 160+ cos across 13 customer service tech categories in this report. 

Friendly reminder

All ticket prices for the Future of Fintech (November 16-18) increase for the final time this week on November 1.

ICYMI, here's our killer agenda, featuring 65+ fireside chats, analyst Q&As, presentations from fintech all-stars like Plaid, Square, & Robinhood, interactive roundtables, VR experiences, and more.
 

Get your ticket before prices go up and save a bonus $350 with code bonus350.

Life is short
 

The traditional underwriting process to buy life insurance is often tedious.

Here’s how life insurers can leverage alternative data, like electronic health records and genomics, to boost underwriting efficiency and accuracy.  

Fierce Healthcare. Heather Landi (@HeatherLandi) reports on global healthcare funding trends using the CB Insights State Of Healthcare Q3’20 report. 

Crain’s New York Business. Ryan Deffenbaugh (@RyanDDeff) looks at maternity care startup Oula’s recent raise and quotes managing healthcare analyst Ja Lee (@ja_lee2).

Business Insider. Megan Hernbroth (@Megan_Hernbroth) breaks down mental health startup funding using CB Insights’ State Of Healthcare Q3’20 report.

P.S. We've grown from <70 teammates to 300+ over the past 5 years. Now, we're looking for a VP of enablement to help us scale — check out the job specs here. 

The Blurb
 

Over the moon. Scientists have found water on the more accessible, sunlit surface of the moon.

NYT

The little boat that could. Researchers 3D printed a boat so small it could sail down a human hair. 

Gizmodo

Bamboozled. Organized crime has claimed $2.6B from the UK’s pandemic job aid programs, according to auditors.

Bloomberg

Pot of mold. 8-year-old Twinkies discovered with varying levels of mold have intrigued scientists who study fungi.

NPR