CB Insights - survey: hottest seed-stage startups

Hi there,

We’re gonna try a little experiment to end 2020.

I’m going to ask you 1 question in each of the next couple of newsletters.  

If you have ideas or thoughts, please reply. I’ll then feature the best responses (with attribution to you) in a subsequent newsletter.

Sounds easy, no?

So today’s question is….

What is a seed/Series A-stage startup that you think is going to be a beast, and why?

Note: Please don’t be that person who names their own company or an investment they've made.

Let’s see if we can tap into the wisdom of the 675,000+ smart people reading this newsletter to uncover some gems.

I’m excited to learn about and share the companies you are excited about.  

Let’s do this.

And now on to our regularly scheduled programming...

Gotta catch 'em all
 

Last month, the number of unicorns (private cos valued at $1B+) surpassed 500 for the first time, with more being added by the day. Collectively, these tech startups are worth $1.59T and have raised a combined total of over $370B in funding.

We mapped all 510 of them according to the primary markets in which they operate. Check it out here, along with category trends, valuation distribution, and more.

Sir Mix-a-Lot would approve
 

We’ve always referred to the big dogs of technology as FAMGA (FAANG is also popular), but that may have to change.  

Stay tuned for our upcoming report on M&A trends by FATASSMAN.

Fintech rides the megabus
 

The fintech space has had more mega-rounds (deals worth $100M+) in 2020 than ever before. These rounds have made up 5% of all deals.

Dig into our fintech 2020 year in review here.

From new approaches to waste management to consumer sustainability incentives, startups developing solutions that reduce, reuse, and recycle saw unprecedented attention in 2020.

CBI for taste buds

The fact that Burger King now offers an Impossible Whopper attests to the growing popularity of plant-based meat substitute products. But swapping in soy for beef isn’t the only new flavor trend.

Our latest tech market map report identifies 110+ companies across 12 categories developing new products and services within the food & beverage space. Clients can check it out here.

Cointelegraph. Rachel Wolfson (@Rachelwolf00) quotes Blockdata CEO Jonathan Knegtel (@jpknegtel) and highlights findings from the CB Insights Blockchain 50 list. 

Financial Times. Miles Kruppa (@MilesKruppa) discusses how unicorns are staying private for longer and cites CB Insights unicorn data.

Bloomberg. Ilya Khrennikov covers the bootstrapped startup JetBrains and cites CB Insights research.

P.S. We’re looking for a senior director to own the strategy and execution of our product and customer marketing. Check out the job specs here.

The Blurb

Open to work. Pro athletes are turning to LinkedIn to network and promote their brands. 

NYT 

Easy marks. A new ad fraud scheme made millions by fooling marketers into buying ads that were never streamed. 

WSJ

Bye boss babes. TikTok’s ban on multi-level marketing could cut off a growing MLM recruitment channel.

The Atlantic 

Earful. Experts weigh in on whether it’s possible to train your ears to become more sensitive.

Gizmodo

Hop to it. A man crossed the Alps using a 1970s space hopper — a bouncy rubber ball with handles — he bought on eBay. 

The Guardian