Highlights of the Week (May 7, 2021)

This week, the Biden administration committed to waiving patent protections on vaccines in an effort to curb the pandemic beyond U.S. borders. Arguments against the move say it will discourage investment in future therapies while proponents say it's a necessary step toward ending the pandemic. In other news, the announcement that Bill & Melinda Gates are divorcing sent shock waves through the world of philanthropy, with many non-profits wondering how the split might affect their Foundation's efforts globally. Meanwhile, Q2 saw a big boost in venture funding globally, with an $800MM Round C-2 for MessageBird, an Amsterdam based cloud communication platform.

• To celebrate Cinco de Mayo, we took a look at several Latinx-founded companies. Check them out here. We also recapped some of our insights from our Q1 2021 report, Funding Diversity. Read more here.

• We looked at the effect of online shopping on the warehouse logistics industry. Companies are using Robotics to make shipping issues a thing of the past. Learn more.

• The IQ of AI has gone way up this year, as startups are developing AI tools to solve complex and varied problems. Here are some of the AI startups leading the charge. 

• As vaccination rates and good weather are on the rise, we reviewed the Wellness industry and the trends that will continue beyond the pandemic. Find out more.