Highlights of the Week (Apr 9, 2021)

The first full week of April brought us an interesting week of news, especially from abroad. Aside from LG calling it quits on their smartphones business, China launched a test of a digital yuan to threaten the status of the USD. Meanwhile back in the US, corporations from Coca-Cola to Delta, and organizations including Major League Baseball, took action condemning Georgia’s new voter law after facing backlash from many consumers. In addition:

• The Biden administration has called on all states to move up the deadline for vaccination eligibility for all citizens to April 19, although it expressed caution given new variants. Nonetheless, travelers are increasing their appetite for flying. Is traveling coming back, and possibly at a rapid pace? Read more. 
• New York is the center of many movies. It is the capital of fashion. Yet NYC VCs and funding have always lagged behind the western part of the country. The year 2021 seems to be a year of change, as New York is drawing record-high investments so far. Dive deeper. 
• This company became a unicorn within a year after it was established. During the pandemic, it has grown exponentially and has already achieved $70MM in annual recurring revenue. Read more about Europe’s fastest-growing startup. 
• The pandemic has hit students hard. With student loans reaching $1.7TR and growing 6 times faster than the economy, startups are looking for ways to help. Here are 5 companies helping manage student debt. Dive deeper.
• Healthcare became a focal point for VCs in 2020. We explore 11 trends in healthcare that were the center of attention as well as profile the top 50 growing healthcare companies in our latest healthcare report. Read more.