πΆπππππππ: π° πππππ’ ππ πΊ π²πππππ
Stock markets had a fascinating year of 2021, but no story eclipsed what happened in late January, when redditβs r/wallstreetbets forum exploded into the mainstream, organizing a short-squeeze of hedge fund investors who were betting against beloved retailer GameStop.
Today r/wallstreetbets has more than 11 million members, but nothing since has gotten the r/wallstreetbets community as excited as GameStop did, with chatter on the forum way down on Jan / Feb levels.
As for GameStop itself, the companyβs equity has held onto many of the gains, and is currently worth roughly $12bn, more than 10x what it was worth the year before.
Stock markets had a fascinating year of 2021, but no story eclipsed what happened in late January, when redditβs r/wallstreetbets forum exploded into the mainstream, organizing a short-squeeze of hedge fund investors who were betting against beloved retailer GameStop.
Today r/wallstreetbets has more than 11 million members, but nothing since has gotten the r/wallstreetbets community as excited as GameStop did, with chatter on the forum way down on Jan / Feb levels.
As for GameStop itself, the companyβs equity has held onto many of the gains, and is currently worth roughly $12bn, more than 10x what it was worth the year before.
π1
πππ πππππππππ πππππππ π°ππ πΈπ πΆππππππ π·πππππππ πΈπ π½ππ ππππππ π
The GameStop story took a turn when trading platform Robinhood - which was the app of choice for many of redditβs traders - briefly restricted buying on a few key shares, including GameStop.
That anger spilled outward and eventually into the App Store, with mostly positive reviews turning into a torrent of negative reviews almost overnight, hurting Robinhoodβs reputation ahead of its own upcoming IPO (which it completed in July).
CEO Vlad Tenev ended up writing a blog post outlining why the real culprit of the entire saga was actually the US two-day trade settlement period, known as T+2. True or not, Robinhoodβs reputation had taken a hit.
The GameStop story took a turn when trading platform Robinhood - which was the app of choice for many of redditβs traders - briefly restricted buying on a few key shares, including GameStop.
That anger spilled outward and eventually into the App Store, with mostly positive reviews turning into a torrent of negative reviews almost overnight, hurting Robinhoodβs reputation ahead of its own upcoming IPO (which it completed in July).
CEO Vlad Tenev ended up writing a blog post outlining why the real culprit of the entire saga was actually the US two-day trade settlement period, known as T+2. True or not, Robinhoodβs reputation had taken a hit.
π1
πππππππππ ππππ ππ πππππππππ ππ ππππ ππ πΎπ πΈπππππ-πΏππππππππ
In May 2021 tensions between Israel and Palestine spilled over into intense violence for 11 days.
Instinctively that led thousands of people to turn to Wikipedia to read up on the history and context of the crisis.
The situation was a good reminder of why Wikipedia's core feature β that anyone can theoretically edit its content, can also be a weakness. In important and contentious issues, such as Israel-Palestine, bad actors or propagandists on both sides have strong reasons to misrepresent, change or misreport events.
Wikipediaβs role as a non-profit, and its efforts in transparency over who is editing what (and why) has helped it navigate some of those problems, but for topics like Israel-Palestine, its process is tested to the limit. Often daily.
In May 2021 tensions between Israel and Palestine spilled over into intense violence for 11 days.
Instinctively that led thousands of people to turn to Wikipedia to read up on the history and context of the crisis.
The situation was a good reminder of why Wikipedia's core feature β that anyone can theoretically edit its content, can also be a weakness. In important and contentious issues, such as Israel-Palestine, bad actors or propagandists on both sides have strong reasons to misrepresent, change or misreport events.
Wikipediaβs role as a non-profit, and its efforts in transparency over who is editing what (and why) has helped it navigate some of those problems, but for topics like Israel-Palestine, its process is tested to the limit. Often daily.
π1
ππ πΏπππππ πΎππππππ πΎπ π²ππππ π·ππ π²ππππππ π° π»ππ πππππ πΈπΆπ·π½
In May 2021 the United States' top diplomat, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, strongly rejected the idea that the US and China were entering a "cold war".
Whether Blinken was right or not, US-China relations were stretched further this year along multiple lines. Tech policy, trade restrictions and Taiwan were among the flash points that raised tensions throughout the year.
With Chinaβs economy likely to become the worldβs largest in the next decade or so, China's role as a global superpower for the rest of the 21st Century seems almost guaranteed, and it means the US-China relationship is arguably the most important of any two countries in the world.
Data from YouGov reveals that in 2017 only roughly 10% of respondents polled would identify China as an "enemy" of the US. In 2021 that number was closer to 35%.
In May 2021 the United States' top diplomat, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, strongly rejected the idea that the US and China were entering a "cold war".
Whether Blinken was right or not, US-China relations were stretched further this year along multiple lines. Tech policy, trade restrictions and Taiwan were among the flash points that raised tensions throughout the year.
With Chinaβs economy likely to become the worldβs largest in the next decade or so, China's role as a global superpower for the rest of the 21st Century seems almost guaranteed, and it means the US-China relationship is arguably the most important of any two countries in the world.
Data from YouGov reveals that in 2017 only roughly 10% of respondents polled would identify China as an "enemy" of the US. In 2021 that number was closer to 35%.
π1
πππ ππππ πΎπ πππ "π³ππππππ π½ππππ"
The pandemic has upended the normal way of working for millions of people, with many now opting to work from home, if they can.
But some people are taking remote-working one step further, and are now working from anywhere as the pandemic accelerated a trend that had been slowly gaining traction in the 2010s β the idea of being a "digital nomad".
A digital nomad is someone who can work fully remotely thanks to the internet, and often travels from city to city or even country to country, and itβs an idea thatβs been growing and growing. There are now more than 1 million members on the forum r/digitalnomad on social media site reddit.
The pandemic has upended the normal way of working for millions of people, with many now opting to work from home, if they can.
But some people are taking remote-working one step further, and are now working from anywhere as the pandemic accelerated a trend that had been slowly gaining traction in the 2010s β the idea of being a "digital nomad".
A digital nomad is someone who can work fully remotely thanks to the internet, and often travels from city to city or even country to country, and itβs an idea thatβs been growing and growing. There are now more than 1 million members on the forum r/digitalnomad on social media site reddit.
π2
π±ππππ πΎπ πππ πΆπππππ: πΈπΆ πππππ πΎπ ππ ππππππ πΈπ π°ππππππππππ
One of the biggest geopolitical stories of 2021 was the Western evacuation of Afghanistan. At the end of August, with the Taliban already occupying control of much of the city, the last US troops left Kabul - Afghanistanβs capital city.
The withdrawal was the final chapter of US involvement in Afghanistan that at one point had seen around 100,000 US troops stationed in various parts of Afghanistan, which is not to mention the thousands of contractors and the thousands of troops from allies such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Italy, France and others.
One of the biggest geopolitical stories of 2021 was the Western evacuation of Afghanistan. At the end of August, with the Taliban already occupying control of much of the city, the last US troops left Kabul - Afghanistanβs capital city.
The withdrawal was the final chapter of US involvement in Afghanistan that at one point had seen around 100,000 US troops stationed in various parts of Afghanistan, which is not to mention the thousands of contractors and the thousands of troops from allies such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Italy, France and others.
π1
πππ πΎππππππ ππππ: π΄ππππ’ π΄πππππππ π΅πππ πππ ππΊ
Recently US has reported 1 million new daily confirmed cases of COVID-19, blowing past the records from previous peaks.
The surge means that more than 1% of Americans have now tested positive in the last 7 days, with the Omicron variant responsible for 95% of those infections, according to the latest data from the CDC.
The silver lining (if there is one) is in the early evidence from the UK.
Benchmarking cases, hospitalizations and deaths to their respective peaks from last winter shows that the more serious COVID metrics are still way down on where they were last winter.
There is of course a lag between cases and the more serious outcomes, which is why watching the UK data over the next few weeks will be a crucial indicator for how the US Omicron wave might play out.
Recently US has reported 1 million new daily confirmed cases of COVID-19, blowing past the records from previous peaks.
The surge means that more than 1% of Americans have now tested positive in the last 7 days, with the Omicron variant responsible for 95% of those infections, according to the latest data from the CDC.
The silver lining (if there is one) is in the early evidence from the UK.
Benchmarking cases, hospitalizations and deaths to their respective peaks from last winter shows that the more serious COVID metrics are still way down on where they were last winter.
There is of course a lag between cases and the more serious outcomes, which is why watching the UK data over the next few weeks will be a crucial indicator for how the US Omicron wave might play out.
π1
ππππππ πΆπππππ π°ππππππ πΈπΏ% π»πππ ππππ: π·ππ π»πππ π²ππ πππ πΏππππ’ π»πππ?
US stock markets closed out 2021 with a total return of 29%. That means that for the last 3 years US stock markets have gained 26% a year on average, and two of those years were during a global pandemic. It is the best 3-year stretch since 1997-1999.
The gains made last year were spurred on by supportive monetary policy, fiscal stimulus and the relentless upward march of big tech. Indeed, just a few of the FAATMAN group of stocks β Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Tesla, Microsoft, Alphabet and Nvidia (sorry Netflix) β now account for 25-30% of the entire S&P 500 index, depending on the day. Apple alone is almost 7%.
The worrying indicator that could stop the music is inflation β which has returned in pretty much every market now. To combat inflation central banks will raise interest rates. Will stocks hold onto their gains if interest rates raise?
US stock markets closed out 2021 with a total return of 29%. That means that for the last 3 years US stock markets have gained 26% a year on average, and two of those years were during a global pandemic. It is the best 3-year stretch since 1997-1999.
The gains made last year were spurred on by supportive monetary policy, fiscal stimulus and the relentless upward march of big tech. Indeed, just a few of the FAATMAN group of stocks β Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Tesla, Microsoft, Alphabet and Nvidia (sorry Netflix) β now account for 25-30% of the entire S&P 500 index, depending on the day. Apple alone is almost 7%.
The worrying indicator that could stop the music is inflation β which has returned in pretty much every market now. To combat inflation central banks will raise interest rates. Will stocks hold onto their gains if interest rates raise?
π1
πππ π½ππππππ πΈπ πππ ππ π°ππππππ πΌππππ πππππ-ππ πππ π°πππππππ
The New York Times has a new year's resolution β to get in shape. It plans to do so by splashing $550m in cash on acquiring The Athletic, the sports media start-up founded in 2016.
The idea that millions of people would be willing to pay $5 or even $10 a month for coverage of their favorite sports was a fairly wild one back in 2016. After all, there were already plenty of free opinions to read on the internet. But, The Athletic didn't listen to any of that conventional wisdom, building a 1.2 million subscriber base.
To get there The Athletic took a leaf out of the early Facebook growth model, targeting specific sports city by city, as Facebook did with colleges.
From the NYTimes perspective this deal is a big step towards achieving the company's target of 10 million paid subscribers by 2025 and strengthens their sports coverage.
The New York Times has a new year's resolution β to get in shape. It plans to do so by splashing $550m in cash on acquiring The Athletic, the sports media start-up founded in 2016.
The idea that millions of people would be willing to pay $5 or even $10 a month for coverage of their favorite sports was a fairly wild one back in 2016. After all, there were already plenty of free opinions to read on the internet. But, The Athletic didn't listen to any of that conventional wisdom, building a 1.2 million subscriber base.
To get there The Athletic took a leaf out of the early Facebook growth model, targeting specific sports city by city, as Facebook did with colleges.
From the NYTimes perspective this deal is a big step towards achieving the company's target of 10 million paid subscribers by 2025 and strengthens their sports coverage.
π1
πππππππ’ π·πππ πΎπ ππ π²ππππ π½πππ πΆππππππ π±π’ πΈπΆπ»πΆ
Myopia, or short-sightedness, is on the rise.
Data from the BHVI predicts that by 2050 almost half of the global population could be affected by Myopia β more than a doubling of the rate from the year 2000.
Has the pandemic made it worse?
With increased amounts of screen-time, it feels intuitive that our eyes might have been put under more strain in the last two years β and there's a decent amount of scientific evidence to back that up, as myopia has long been associated with spending more time indoors.
Although there haven't been any conclusive studies in adults since the pandemic, a study of children in Hong Kong from 2021 found that "the rate of nearsightedness that developed during the pandemic more than doubled what was found in a pre-pandemic study of children the same age". Good time to be a glasses maker.
Myopia, or short-sightedness, is on the rise.
Data from the BHVI predicts that by 2050 almost half of the global population could be affected by Myopia β more than a doubling of the rate from the year 2000.
Has the pandemic made it worse?
With increased amounts of screen-time, it feels intuitive that our eyes might have been put under more strain in the last two years β and there's a decent amount of scientific evidence to back that up, as myopia has long been associated with spending more time indoors.
Although there haven't been any conclusive studies in adults since the pandemic, a study of children in Hong Kong from 2021 found that "the rate of nearsightedness that developed during the pandemic more than doubled what was found in a pre-pandemic study of children the same age". Good time to be a glasses maker.
π1
π²πππππππ πΌππ‘ππππ πΆππππ πππππ ππ π΄ππ ππππ π±πππ'π π»ππππ
Fast Mexican (or Tex-Mex) food is a really hot market β and Chipotle is catching up to Taco Bell, the biggest Mexican-based fast food chain in the US. Last year Taco Bell's sales were flat YoY, but Chipotle grew 7%.
So it's interesting that recently Taco Bell announced its latest innovation to re-invigorate growth: the Taco Lover's Pass subscription, which gives you one taco a day for a whole month for $10.
The idea is that you might stop by Taco Bell for your free taco, and decide that actually you were hungry and thirsty after all, and end up adding to your order.
Taco Bell isn't the first to experiment with subscriptions. Panera has one for drinks, and Sweetgreen just launched a loyalty subscription for its salads.
So far the jury's out on whether these subscriptions actually work, or if they're more of a short-term gimmick.
Fast Mexican (or Tex-Mex) food is a really hot market β and Chipotle is catching up to Taco Bell, the biggest Mexican-based fast food chain in the US. Last year Taco Bell's sales were flat YoY, but Chipotle grew 7%.
So it's interesting that recently Taco Bell announced its latest innovation to re-invigorate growth: the Taco Lover's Pass subscription, which gives you one taco a day for a whole month for $10.
The idea is that you might stop by Taco Bell for your free taco, and decide that actually you were hungry and thirsty after all, and end up adding to your order.
Taco Bell isn't the first to experiment with subscriptions. Panera has one for drinks, and Sweetgreen just launched a loyalty subscription for its salads.
So far the jury's out on whether these subscriptions actually work, or if they're more of a short-term gimmick.
π1
πΌπππππ πΆπππ πΌππππ ππ’πππ πΈπ πΆππππππ π°πππππππ π΅ππ $π·πΈ.π½ππ
Zynga, the gaming giant responsible for FarmVille, Words With Friends, Zynga Poker, Mafia Wars and many others is getting bought for $12.7 billion by Take-Two Interactive, the publisher behind Grand Theft Auto and the 2K sports series, in one of the biggest video game deals ever.
From its founding in 2004, until it hit one billion active users in 2012, the early years of Facebook presented an enormous opportunity for game makers. Facebook's rise meant that game makers could get in front of millions of procrastinating people by building a game directly into the Facebook platform, instead of competing for traffic on the wider internet.
Zynga took advantage of that creating some of the most popular Facebook games. Every time you, or that distant cousin, successfully "invited" someone to play FarmVille on Facebook, Zynga got a new user, for free.
Zynga, the gaming giant responsible for FarmVille, Words With Friends, Zynga Poker, Mafia Wars and many others is getting bought for $12.7 billion by Take-Two Interactive, the publisher behind Grand Theft Auto and the 2K sports series, in one of the biggest video game deals ever.
From its founding in 2004, until it hit one billion active users in 2012, the early years of Facebook presented an enormous opportunity for game makers. Facebook's rise meant that game makers could get in front of millions of procrastinating people by building a game directly into the Facebook platform, instead of competing for traffic on the wider internet.
Zynga took advantage of that creating some of the most popular Facebook games. Every time you, or that distant cousin, successfully "invited" someone to play FarmVille on Facebook, Zynga got a new user, for free.
πππ π
ππππ πΆπππ πΈπππππππ’ πΈπ π±πππππ ππππ ππππ π±ππ‘ πΎπππππ... π±π’ π° π»ππ
The chart gives some context on just how big the video game biz is. Last year the video game industry was pegged at somewhere around $180bn. That's roughly 10x what the global movie industry brought in at the box office last year. Admittedly last year the movie industry was still dealing with a pandemic hangover, but even in its best ever year the box office only brought in $39bn.
Video games may not carry the cultural impact of movies yet, but as a market they are in a completely different league. Mobile games, that is games played on a smartphone or tablet, have grown so quickly that they are now bigger than console & PC games combined.
Zynga's pivot to mobile is a great example of a company that's been flexible to its rapidly changing surroundings. Mobile games that almost killed them, now is the reason that got them $12.7bn.
The chart gives some context on just how big the video game biz is. Last year the video game industry was pegged at somewhere around $180bn. That's roughly 10x what the global movie industry brought in at the box office last year. Admittedly last year the movie industry was still dealing with a pandemic hangover, but even in its best ever year the box office only brought in $39bn.
Video games may not carry the cultural impact of movies yet, but as a market they are in a completely different league. Mobile games, that is games played on a smartphone or tablet, have grown so quickly that they are now bigger than console & PC games combined.
Zynga's pivot to mobile is a great example of a company that's been flexible to its rapidly changing surroundings. Mobile games that almost killed them, now is the reason that got them $12.7bn.
π1
Do you enjoy reading this channel?
Perhaps you have thought about placing ads on it?
To do this, follow three simple steps:
1) Sign up: https://telega.io/c/venture_tg
2) Top up the balance in a convenient way
3) Create an advertising post
If the topic of your post fits our channel, we will publish it with pleasure.
Perhaps you have thought about placing ads on it?
To do this, follow three simple steps:
1) Sign up: https://telega.io/c/venture_tg
2) Top up the balance in a convenient way
3) Create an advertising post
If the topic of your post fits our channel, we will publish it with pleasure.
Telega
Advertising in the Telegram channel Β«Venture CapitalΒ» c95b9 - Telega.io
Advertising in the telegram channel Venture Capital with a guarantee of placement! Telegram channel Β«@venture_tgΒ». Category: Business & startups. Subscribers: 587309. Cost of advertising publication: $14.40.
π1
πππ π»πππππ π³πππ ππππ π π°ππππππππ π°ππ πππππππ π΅ππ ππ π±ππππ
A new survey from Gallup in December reveals that Americans reportedly read just 12.6 books each on average last year, down from the 15.6 average in 2016. The data includes all forms of books, including printed books but also electronic books and audiobooks.
Gallup notes that the "decline in book reading is mostly a function of how many books readers are reading, as opposed to fewer Americans reading any books".
Reading optimists could argue that it's possible that everyone is just reading longer but fewer books than they used to, but when the data is combined with the fact that just 6% of US adults named reading as their favorite way to spend an evening, down from 12% in 2016.
The survey also found that women read more than men, with women getting through 15.7 books, compared to an average of 9.5 for men. Also 18-34 year-olds read more than others.
A new survey from Gallup in December reveals that Americans reportedly read just 12.6 books each on average last year, down from the 15.6 average in 2016. The data includes all forms of books, including printed books but also electronic books and audiobooks.
Gallup notes that the "decline in book reading is mostly a function of how many books readers are reading, as opposed to fewer Americans reading any books".
Reading optimists could argue that it's possible that everyone is just reading longer but fewer books than they used to, but when the data is combined with the fact that just 6% of US adults named reading as their favorite way to spend an evening, down from 12% in 2016.
The survey also found that women read more than men, with women getting through 15.7 books, compared to an average of 9.5 for men. Also 18-34 year-olds read more than others.
π1
VCs will get liquidity in 2024 from the secondary market, not IPOs
In 2023, many VCs thought 2024 would see the IPO market bounce back, according to TechCrunch. Yet, with Q1 almost done, there's hardly a major IPO in sight except Reddit. Speculation about potential IPOs, like Shein and Turo, continues with little action. Despite hopes, a Reddit IPO might not kickstart a wider trend, with big names like Databricks, Stripe, and Plaid steering clear of going public this year. High interest rates and low valuations from the 2021 highs make IPOs less appealing.
But it's not all bad news. The secondary market, where private shares are sold, is booming as an alternative to IPOs. It's grown massively, with transactions reaching $138 billion in 2023. This market allows companies to offer liquidity without the pressure of going public, showcased by Stripe's $65 billion secondary sale. Even venture funds are getting in on the action, buying or selling shares to manage their portfolios. While the IPO freeze might continue, the secondary market thrives, offering a workaround for companies and investors alike.
Source β Tech Crunch
π This channel is owned by V3V Ventures
In 2023, many VCs thought 2024 would see the IPO market bounce back, according to TechCrunch. Yet, with Q1 almost done, there's hardly a major IPO in sight except Reddit. Speculation about potential IPOs, like Shein and Turo, continues with little action. Despite hopes, a Reddit IPO might not kickstart a wider trend, with big names like Databricks, Stripe, and Plaid steering clear of going public this year. High interest rates and low valuations from the 2021 highs make IPOs less appealing.
But it's not all bad news. The secondary market, where private shares are sold, is booming as an alternative to IPOs. It's grown massively, with transactions reaching $138 billion in 2023. This market allows companies to offer liquidity without the pressure of going public, showcased by Stripe's $65 billion secondary sale. Even venture funds are getting in on the action, buying or selling shares to manage their portfolios. While the IPO freeze might continue, the secondary market thrives, offering a workaround for companies and investors alike.
Source β Tech Crunch
Please open Telegram to view this post
VIEW IN TELEGRAM
π2
Please open Telegram to view this post
VIEW IN TELEGRAM
π1
Please open Telegram to view this post
VIEW IN TELEGRAM
π1
Source
Please open Telegram to view this post
VIEW IN TELEGRAM
π1
Please open Telegram to view this post
VIEW IN TELEGRAM
π1
Which one is the biggest company in the world by market cap? Hereβs a list of the top companies by market cap in 2024:
Please open Telegram to view this post
VIEW IN TELEGRAM
π1