Financial Services – CB Insights Research https://www.cbinsights.com/research Wed, 18 Sep 2024 21:24:34 +0000 en-US hourly 1 The VC Outlook: Q3’24 Recap & Emerging Market Trends https://www.cbinsights.com/research/briefing/webinar-venture-trends-q3-2024/ Mon, 16 Sep 2024 14:53:45 +0000 https://www.cbinsights.com/research/?post_type=briefing&p=171069 The post The VC Outlook: Q3’24 Recap & Emerging Market Trends appeared first on CB Insights Research.

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Morgan Stanley built a wealth management growth machine — here’s where it’s heading next https://www.cbinsights.com/research/morgan-stanley-wealth-management-strategy-map-partnerships-acquisitions/ Wed, 11 Sep 2024 13:18:05 +0000 https://www.cbinsights.com/research/?p=170977 What you need to know: In 2021, Morgan Stanley became the largest US wealth manager by assets managed. It achieved this by developing a self-sustaining asset-gathering funnel through the incorporation of 2 new channels beyond its flagship wealth management business. …

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What you need to know:

  • In 2021, Morgan Stanley became the largest US wealth manager by assets managed.
  • It achieved this by developing a self-sustaining asset-gathering funnel through the incorporation of 2 new channels beyond its flagship wealth management business.
  • Its efforts and adherence to this strategy exemplify how wealth managers can turbocharge asset growth and retention through acquisitions and collaborative initiatives.

In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, then-new Morgan Stanley (MS) CEO James Gorman decided to anchor the firm’s long-term growth in wealth management, where revenues — typically based on fees as a percentage of managed assets — are stable, recurring, and rise in tandem with market growth.

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Here’s how successful strategy teams drive influence across their organizations https://www.cbinsights.com/research/report/corporate-strategy-success-influence/ Fri, 06 Sep 2024 21:03:59 +0000 https://www.cbinsights.com/research/?post_type=report&p=170940 Defining and measuring success for corporate strategy teams is a notoriously challenging task. In August 2024, we surveyed 50 corporate strategy leaders (at the Director-level or above) working at companies across major industries to identify key challenges they face in …

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Defining and measuring success for corporate strategy teams is a notoriously challenging task.

In August 2024, we surveyed 50 corporate strategy leaders (at the Director-level or above) working at companies across major industries to identify key challenges they face in driving influence across their organizations and the approaches they use to address them.

Only 40% have clearly defined KPIs to measure their success and alignment issues appeared as the top pain point for strategic planning.

Download the full report to delve into the most common pain points faced by strategy teams, the tactics used by the most influential teams to improve strategic planning, and what challenges still remain unaddressed.

THE STRATEGY TEAM PLAYBOOK

Download the free report on the key challenges facing corporate strategy teams — and how they overcome them.

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Payments in 5 charts: B2B payments tech M&A is a bright spot in 2024 https://www.cbinsights.com/research/payments-tech-b2b-investment-2024/ Fri, 06 Sep 2024 20:32:30 +0000 https://www.cbinsights.com/research/?p=170919 What you need to know: Payments funding bounced back in Q2’24 but deal volume continued to slide. Overall, payments funding is on pace to finish the year well behind 2023. M&A payments deals increased in Q2’24, with B2B payments platforms …

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What you need to know:

  • Payments funding bounced back in Q2’24 but deal volume continued to slide. Overall, payments funding is on pace to finish the year well behind 2023.
  • M&A payments deals increased in Q2’24, with B2B payments platforms standing out as common acquisition targets.

It’s been a rocky few quarters for dealmaking in payments.

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Future Tech Hotshots: 52 emerging tech startups that will have big, successful exits https://www.cbinsights.com/research/report/future-tech-hotshots/ Fri, 30 Aug 2024 21:48:03 +0000 https://www.cbinsights.com/research/?post_type=report&p=170804 Of the thousands of emerging tech startups that have raised funding in the last year, which are the most likely to make a big splash and secure a large exit? The question is certainly top of mind for corporations getting …

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Of the thousands of emerging tech startups that have raised funding in the last year, which are the most likely to make a big splash and secure a large exit?

The question is certainly top of mind for corporations getting to grips with emerging technology like generative AI — the answer could help identify future competitors, partners, new markets, or acquisition targets.  

Using CB Insights’ proprietary data and metrics — including Exit Probability, Commercial Maturity, Mosaic, headcount, patents, and funding — we identified the 52 emerging players our data says are most likely to have an outsized influence in the next 5–10 years and have a strong exit. 

Download the report to see:

  • The full list of Future Tech Hotshots
  • Key themes and industry analysis
  • Methodology

SEE THE 52 FUTURE TECH HOTSHOTS

Get the free report to see which emerging startups are most poised to get a successful exit according to our data.

Future Tech Hotshots

MORE TOP COMPANY LISTS FROM CB INSIGHTS:

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The financial planning market map https://www.cbinsights.com/research/financial-planning-market-map/ Fri, 30 Aug 2024 20:29:12 +0000 https://www.cbinsights.com/research/?p=170827 Wealth management now offers more than just investment services.  Tech adoption and integration increasingly allow the industry to address financial needs across an investor’s entire balance sheet. This aligns with investors’ desire for personalized, holistic advice — and presents growth …

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Wealth management now offers more than just investment services. 

Tech adoption and integration increasingly allow the industry to address financial needs across an investor’s entire balance sheet. This aligns with investors’ desire for personalized, holistic advice — and presents growth opportunities for wealth managers, who can sell additional products to increase their share of clients’ wallets.

In the past, financial planning software focused mainly on investment management, such as accumulation planning — i.e., calculating how much clients needed to save for retirement.

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Future Tech Hotshots: Emerging Startups Poised for a Successful Exit https://www.cbinsights.com/research/briefing/webinar-future-tech-hotshots/ Wed, 28 Aug 2024 20:00:08 +0000 https://www.cbinsights.com/research/?post_type=briefing&p=170675 The post Future Tech Hotshots: Emerging Startups Poised for a Successful Exit appeared first on CB Insights Research.

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Unpacking the 2024 Insurtech 50 https://www.cbinsights.com/research/briefing/webinar-behind-the-scenes-insurtech-50-2024/ Wed, 28 Aug 2024 13:15:35 +0000 https://www.cbinsights.com/research/?post_type=briefing&p=170223 The post Unpacking the 2024 Insurtech 50 appeared first on CB Insights Research.

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Insurtech 50: The most promising insurtech startups of 2024 https://www.cbinsights.com/research/report/top-insurtech-startups-2024/ Wed, 28 Aug 2024 13:00:12 +0000 https://www.cbinsights.com/research/?post_type=report&p=170627 CB Insights has unveiled the third annual Insurtech 50 — a list of the 50 most promising private insurtech companies in the world. Highlights from the 2024 cohort include: The 50 winners include 23 tech vendors and 27 insurers and …

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CB Insights has unveiled the third annual Insurtech 50 — a list of the 50 most promising private insurtech companies in the world.

Highlights from the 2024 cohort include:

  • The 50 winners include 23 tech vendors and 27 insurers and intermediaries.
  • $5.6B in equity funding raised over time, including $1B in 2024 so far (as of 8/19/24).
  • Forty percent of winners are early-stage insurtechs addressing everything from wildfire risk to genAI-powered workflow automation.
  • More than a dozen countries represented, spanning Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America.
  • 500+ business relationships since 2020, including with industry leaders like Swiss Re and Tokio Marine.

Our research team picked winning companies based on CB Insights datasets, including deal activity, industry partnerships, team strength, investor strength, patent activity, employee headcount, and proprietary Commercial Maturity and Mosaic scores. We also dug into Analyst Briefings submitted directly to us by startups.

Please click to enlarge.

CB Insights Insurtech 50 map. This map categorizes all winning companies.

CB Insights customers can interact with the entire Insurtech 50 list here and view a detailed category breakdown using the Expert Collection.

2024 INSURTECH 50 COHORT HIGHLIGHTS

Funding and valuations

The cohort has raised $5.6B across 210+ disclosed equity deals to date (as of 8/19/24). Next Insurance and Coalition lead in disclosed equity funding among the cohort ($1.1B and $770M, respectively).

2024 Insurtech 50: Top companies by equity funding

In 2024 so far, this year’s winners have raised $1B across 38 disclosed equity deals. Just 5 deals account for more than half of this funding total:

Altana AI reached a $1B valuation following its Series C round in July 2024. This earned it a spot in the unicorn club alongside the other unicorns in this year’s Insurtech 50 cohort: Accelerant, Coalition, and Next Insurance.

Stage breakdown

Forty percent of this year’s Insurtech 50 winners are early-stage companies (i.e., primarily seed or Series A). These companies are the fastest-growing among those analyzed, with a median 12-month headcount growth rate of 45% — 23 points higher than the median for the rest of the cohort.

Comparatively, 46% of winners are mid-stage (i.e., Series B or C), and 14% are late-stage (i.e., primarily Series D+).

Top investors

MS&AD Ventures has invested in 5 of this year’s winners, leading among venture capital (VC) firms, including corporate venture capital firms. The investor has backed 4 insurance providers — Accelerant, Anzen, Next Insurance, and Wagmo — and 1 tech vendor, Artificial Labs

Following MS&AD Ventures are Felicis, General Catalyst, Nationwide Ventures, and Portage — each of these investors has backed 4 winners.

When it comes to investment activity in 2024, Portage leads in the number of winners backed. So far this year, it has backed 3 insurance providers: CoverTree, Faye, and Hellas Direct.

2024 Insurtech 50: Top 5 venture investors (by disclosed number of winners backed)

Geographic distribution

This year’s Insurtech 50 winners are collectively headquartered across more than a dozen different countries. 

The majority of these companies (30) are based in the United States. Among US metro areas, New York and Silicon Valley lead the pack, as they are both home to 10 of the winners. These metro areas are followed by Boston (4 winners) and Atlanta (2 winners).

The UK follows the US with 8 winners — 6 based in London and 2 near Birmingham.

Headcount growth

Over 7,700 people are employed by the 2024 Insurtech 50 winners, with 4 companies employing about a third of the cohort’s workers: Next Insurance, Coalition, ICEYE, and Cover Genius.

From July 2023 to July 2024, this year’s winners created more than 1,400 jobs. One winner more than tripled its headcount over the period: Sixfold (+267% YoY).

The median 2024 Insurtech 50 winner has raised $0.6M in equity funding per employee. Altana AI and Next Insurance lead among the winners, each having raised $1.6M in equity funding per employee.

2024 Insurtech 50: Top companies by equity funding per employee

Company health

Forty-one of the 50 winners have a CB Insights Mosaic score — a proprietary measure of private company health and growth potential — of at least 700 out of 1,000 (as of 8/26/24). Compared to all private companies — insurtechs or otherwise — with Mosaic scores, these 41 winners rank in the top 3% by Mosaic score.

Next Insurance and Coalition — with Mosaic scores of 898 and 881, respectively — hold the highest scores among this year’s winners.

AI threads the tech vendor landscape

Most of the winning tech vendors offer AI products, which aligns with the broader momentum toward AI (and generative AI) adoption across the insurance industry. Applications often center on prioritization use cases, like risk ranking for underwriters and claims triage for adjusters.

The winners’ business relationships often incorporate the use of AI. Recent examples with industry figures include:

CB Insights Business Relationship Insights: Tokio Marine HCC adopts Akur8's machine learning pricing platform to enhance insurance model efficiency

Insurtech managing general agents (MGAs) gain ground

MGAs — intermediaries with delegated underwriting authority from one or more insurance carriers as well as related entities like managing general underwriters — represent a sizable portion of the 2024 Insurtech 50 list. Their presence reflects broader industry momentum toward the business model.

Notably, most insurtechs within the commercial category are MGAs that offer property & casualty insurance to businesses. Established insurers have made strategic investments in several of these companies, including:

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What the 9 new fintech unicorns of 2024 tell us about the sector https://www.cbinsights.com/research/new-fintech-unicorns-h1-2024/ Fri, 23 Aug 2024 20:26:49 +0000 https://www.cbinsights.com/research/?p=170470 What you need to know: The 9 new fintech unicorns of H1’24 showcase: global diversification away from the US, a focus on B2B offerings, continued interest in blockchain/crypto despite commercial immaturity, and growing traction in CFO-oriented technologies. Overall, new fintech …

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What you need to know:

  • The 9 new fintech unicorns of H1’24 showcase: global diversification away from the US, a focus on B2B offerings, continued interest in blockchain/crypto despite commercial immaturity, and growing traction in CFO-oriented technologies.
  • Overall, new fintech unicorn creation has dramatically slowed, with only 2 emerging in Q2’24 compared to 49 in Q2’21, reflecting a shift from venture’s previous “growth-at-all-costs” mentality.

New fintech unicorns (startups valued at $1B+) have become rare.

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The B2B payments tech market map https://www.cbinsights.com/research/b2b-payments-tech-market-map-august-2024/ Fri, 23 Aug 2024 19:36:57 +0000 https://www.cbinsights.com/research/?p=170467 B2B payments are finally going digital. In the US, checks and cash have already declined from representing half of all B2B payments in 2019 to a projection of less than a third (32%) in 2024, according to eMarketer. In emerging …

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B2B payments are finally going digital.

In the US, checks and cash have already declined from representing half of all B2B payments in 2019 to a projection of less than a third (32%) in 2024, according to eMarketer. In emerging markets, paper’s share of B2B transactions is likely higher, but coming down thanks to the rise of digital commerce and digital operating systems for merchants.

Companies offering B2B payments solutions are digitizing and automating formerly manual processes like creating invoices, processing payments, and analyzing payments data. Many are building platforms that consolidate the steps in the B2B payments value chain in one place, enabling faster and more transparent payments and financing between businesses. 

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The P&C claims tech market ranking: Where loss adjustment technology is maturing, emerging, and plateauing https://www.cbinsights.com/research/report/property-casualty-claims-tech-market-ranking/ Wed, 21 Aug 2024 21:17:04 +0000 https://www.cbinsights.com/research/?post_type=report&p=170537 Insurtechs are racing to build leading tech solutions for P&C claims, underscored by a multi-billion-dollar wave of venture funding over the past few years. Across themes like customer experience and genAI, insurance companies must make the right innovation bets to …

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Insurtechs are racing to build leading tech solutions for P&C claims, underscored by a multi-billion-dollar wave of venture funding over the past few years.

Across themes like customer experience and genAI, insurance companies must make the right innovation bets to lower claims costs and stay ahead of the competition.

To help strategy teams prioritize P&C claims markets in their planning decisions, we plotted markets using CB Insights’ TECH framework, which scores markets across 2 dimensions:

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Crypto is showing signs of life in payments https://www.cbinsights.com/research/crypto-momentum-payments/ Wed, 14 Aug 2024 18:53:53 +0000 https://www.cbinsights.com/research/?p=170365 By many measures, the recent crypto winter has thawed.  Crypto prices are on the rise. Reported fraud in the market is declining. Some notable players in digital currencies are even going public. Investors’ and finance leaders’ interest in crypto has …

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By many measures, the recent crypto winter has thawed. 

Crypto prices are on the rise. Reported fraud in the market is declining. Some notable players in digital currencies are even going public.

Investors’ and finance leaders’ interest in crypto has also started to return. Executives across industries are talking about crypto again — mentions of terms related to digital currencies are back at levels prior to the crypto winter that began in 2022.

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Big Tech in Fintech: How Amazon and Google are battling to own transactions https://www.cbinsights.com/research/report/big-tech-fintech-amazon-google/ Thu, 08 Aug 2024 20:35:09 +0000 https://www.cbinsights.com/research/?post_type=report&p=170246 Big tech won’t be your next bank — but they’ll play a part in many of your transactions. After nearly a decade of big tech companies venturing into launching their own financial products, the major players have now pulled back. …

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Big tech won’t be your next bank — but they’ll play a part in many of your transactions.

After nearly a decade of big tech companies venturing into launching their own financial products, the major players have now pulled back. Most have shifted to roles as tech providers, broadly supporting advances in financial infrastructure.

Amazon and Google stand out in this area:

  • Amazon is embedding itself in more financial transactions via partnerships, investments, and acquisitions. It’s using these relationships to reach customers across more geographies and a wider range of services. 
  • Google has shifted away from providing financial services and instead is connecting its existing platforms to others’ financial offerings. The company is also investing and partnering to enable digital-first financial tools.

We mined CB Insights data on Amazon’s and Google’s investments, acquisitions, and partnerships, as well as patents and earnings transcripts, from January 2021 to July 2024 to explore how the companies are reengineering their fintech strategies.

Download the full report to see where they are making moves.

BIG TECH IN FINTECH

See where Amazon and Google are making moves in financial services — and where they’ll go next.

This report uses CB Insights datasets like investments, acquisitions, business relationships, earnings call insights, patents, and more. Learn more about our data here.

Big Tech in Fintech

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The AI Agent Outlook https://www.cbinsights.com/research/briefing/webinar-ai-agent-outlook/ Wed, 31 Jul 2024 23:05:10 +0000 https://www.cbinsights.com/research/?post_type=briefing&p=170062 The post The AI Agent Outlook appeared first on CB Insights Research.

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State of CVC Q2’24 Report https://www.cbinsights.com/research/report/corporate-venture-capital-trends-q2-2024/ Wed, 31 Jul 2024 13:00:55 +0000 https://www.cbinsights.com/research/?post_type=report&p=169997 In Q2’24, funding with participation from corporate venture capital (CVC) outfits grew for the second straight quarter, ticking up from $15.4B to $15.6B, while deals fell 12% quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) to 782 — their lowest total since Q1’18. Massive rounds to …

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In Q2’24, funding with participation from corporate venture capital (CVC) outfits grew for the second straight quarter, ticking up from $15.4B to $15.6B, while deals fell 12% quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) to 782 — their lowest total since Q1’18.

Massive rounds to AI companies were a key driver of the funding growth, with 3 of the 5 largest CVC-backed deals this quarter going to AI infrastructure players Scale ($1B), Mistral AI ($502M), and Cohere ($450M).

DOWNLOAD THE STATE OF CVC Q2’24 REPORT

Get 120+ pages of charts and data detailing the latest trends in corporate venture capital.

Based on our 124-page report, here is the TL;DR on the state of CVC:

  • ​​Global CVC-backed funding climbs to $15.6B in Q2’24. Over half ($8.4B) of this funding came from $100M+ mega-rounds. Meanwhile, global deal volume declined by 12% QoQ to 782. This drop was particularly pronounced in Asia, which saw a 24% drop in deals QoQ.
  • This year, the average CVC-backed deal size is $26.6M, up 27% from $20.9M in full-year 2023. The increase is due in part to billion-dollar deals to startups like Scale ($1B Series F, backed by the CVC arms of Intel, AMD, Cisco, and ServiceNow) and Wiz ($1B Series E, backed by Salesforce Ventures).
  • CVC-backed funding to digital health startups falls 57% QoQ to 0.6B, its lowest point since Q4’17. Retail tech and fintech saw similar decreases, with funding down 52% and 8% QoQ, respectively. Companies not explicitly focused on AI face challenges raising funds in the weakened venture market.

  • Quarterly CVC-backed funding in China slips to $0.2B, a 60% QoQ decrease. Deal volume also fell 24% QoQ to 59, its lowest level since 2015. China’s tech market has faced significant challenges, including rising macroeconomic concerns, escalating geopolitical tensions, and a strict regulatory environment.

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State of AI Q2’24 Report https://www.cbinsights.com/research/report/ai-trends-q2-2024/ Tue, 30 Jul 2024 18:00:55 +0000 https://www.cbinsights.com/research/?post_type=report&p=170013 Global AI funding climbed once again in Q2’24, jumping 59% QoQ to hit $23.2B — the highest quarterly level on record. Massive rounds to a handful of startups, including Elon Musk’s xAI, were key drivers behind the jump, which outpaced …

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Global AI funding climbed once again in Q2’24, jumping 59% QoQ to hit $23.2B — the highest quarterly level on record. Massive rounds to a handful of startups, including Elon Musk’s xAI, were key drivers behind the jump, which outpaced the growth in broader venture funding (+8% QoQ).

Meanwhile, overall AI deal volume broke its extended freefall in Q2’24, rising by 16% QoQ to reach 948. This bucked the trend in venture deals more broadly (-7% QoQ).

Based on our deep dive in the full report, here is the TL;DR on the state of AI:

  • Global AI funding increases 59% QoQ to $23.2B in Q2’24 — the highest quarterly level on record, exceeding even the level seen during 2021’s venture boom. The jump was driven by a handful of $1B+ rounds and outpaced the growth in broader venture funding (+8%). Meanwhile, AI deal count climbed by 16% QoQ to reach 948, bucking the trend in venture deals more broadly (-7% QoQ).

Global AI funding hits a record high, while deal volume rebounds

  • Average AI deal size is $28.9M in 2024 so far — up 55% vs. $18.6M in full-year 2023. A relatively small number of players have had an outsized impact on this upward trend, raising massive $1B+ deals in Q2’24: 
    • xAI — $6B Series B at a $24B valuation
    • G42 — $1.5B investment from Microsoft 
    • CoreWeave — $1.1B Series C at a $19B valuation
    • Wayve — $1.05B Series C from Softbank, Microsoft, and Nvidia
    • Scale — $1B Series F at a $13.8B valuation

Meanwhile, the median AI deal size is up 25% in 2024 so far.

Average AI deal size is elevated in 2024 so far

  • AI unicorn births remain steady at 6 QoQ in Q2’24. Generative AI was a key theme for new unicorns (private companies reaching $1B+ valuations). Some of these companies, like xAI, are focused on generative AI infrastructure. Others are primarily working on generative AI applications, like Perplexity (search) and Cognition (coding).

Among new AI unicorns in Q2’24, xAI landed the most sizable valuation. The company was valued at $24B after raising $6B in Series B funding, which it plans to use to bring its first products to market.

Elon Musk's xAI enters unicorn club with a $24B valuation

  • AI companies raise 32 mega-rounds (deals worth $100M+) in Q2’24, marking a 28% increase QoQ. Meanwhile, funding from AI mega-round deals climbed 74% QoQ in Q2’24. This was largely driven by US mega-round deals, which collectively amounted to $10.8B — 67% of AI mega-round funding in Q2.
  • Among major global regions, the US continues to lead in AI funding and deals. AI startups based in the US drew $15.2B across 476 deals in Q2’24. This equates to 66% of the global AI funding total and 50% of the global deal total in Q2.

The US continues to lead in AI funding and deals in Q2'24

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Tracking generative AI adoption in insurance: How insurers are tapping into the genAI opportunity https://www.cbinsights.com/research/generative-ai-adoption-insurance-underwriting/ Fri, 19 Jul 2024 21:06:39 +0000 https://www.cbinsights.com/research/?p=169799 As enterprises across industries double down on deploying generative AI, insurers are making moves. The technology has been top of mind for major insurers such as Cigna, Sun Life, and Munich Re, with discussion on corporate earnings calls surging over …

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As enterprises across industries double down on deploying generative AI, insurers are making moves.

The technology has been top of mind for major insurers such as Cigna, Sun Life, and Munich Re, with discussion on corporate earnings calls surging over the past year.

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State of Fintech Q2’24 Report https://www.cbinsights.com/research/report/fintech-trends-q2-2024/ Tue, 16 Jul 2024 13:00:48 +0000 https://www.cbinsights.com/research/?post_type=report&p=169626 On the surface, Q2’24 was a return to growth for fintech, with funding increasing 19% quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) to $8.9B. However, two huge deals — for market intelligence firm AlphaSense and payments juggernaut Stripe — obscured the reality that it was …

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On the surface, Q2’24 was a return to growth for fintech, with funding increasing 19% quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) to $8.9B.

However, two huge deals — for market intelligence firm AlphaSense and payments juggernaut Stripe obscured the reality that it was another tepid quarter for the sector as a whole.

DOWNLOAD THE STATE OF FINTECH Q2’24 REPORT

Get 160+ pages of charts and data detailing the latest venture trends in fintech.

Based on our deep dive in the full report, here is the TL;DR on the state of fintech:

  • Funding increases by 19% quarter-over-quarter (QoQ), buoyed by 2 blockbuster deals. Quarterly funding rose in Q2’24 to $8.9B. But if it weren’t for 2 late-stage deals for Stripe ($694M) and AlphaSense ($650M), funding would have remained flat QoQ. A 16% decline in deal volume also indicates fintech investors remain cautious.​Q2'24 fintech funding gets a boost from 2 $650M+ deals
  • Average deal size decreases to $12.8M, down 4% vs. 2023. The slight decline in average deal size YTD highlights broad stagnation in fintech deal sizes. Yet, when looking at the median, deal size has ticked up from $3.1M in 2023 to $4M this year. The 29% increase could signal strength in the long tail of smaller fintech deals.
  • Mid- and late-stage deal share is at 20% YTD, up from 18% in 2023. In a more favorable operating environment, investors are showing greater confidence in later-stage companies than they did in the past 2 years — especially in areas like payments and lending. In payments, mid- and late-stage rounds make up 27% of deals YTD, vs. 21% in 2023. In digital lending, mid- and late-stage deals make up 35% of deals YTD, compared to 20% in 2023. 
  • 30% of the biggest early-stage deals are for digital asset companies. Crypto and blockchain-focused fintechs are receiving renewed focus, as the crypto winter thaws. Digital asset companies accounted for nearly one-third of the top 10 seed/angel and top 10 Series A rounds. The two largest early-stage deals in the crypto space went to digital asset infrastructure platforms TradeDog ($75M seed) and Biton ($44M Series A). Crypto winter thawing for early-stage companies
  • US-based funding increases by 45% QoQ to $4.8B. In addition to the funding increase, the US led the world across a few metrics in Q2’24, including share of equity deals (40%) and exits (36%). Mega-rounds led the way: Nine of the 10 biggest deals in the US were worth $100M or more, the most since Q2’22. LatAm was the only other major global region with a funding increase, up by 22% to $442M.Mega-rounds drive growth for US in Q2'24

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The embedded finance market ranking: Where integrated financial services are maturing, emerging, and plateauing https://www.cbinsights.com/research/report/embedded-finance-market-ranking/ Fri, 12 Jul 2024 18:22:03 +0000 https://www.cbinsights.com/research/?post_type=report&p=169655 Increasingly, consumers and businesses alike expect transactions to be fully digital and frictionless. To meet this demand, businesses across industries are embedding financial tools — from buy now, pay later (BNPL) to insurance distribution — into their platforms. Integrating these …

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Increasingly, consumers and businesses alike expect transactions to be fully digital and frictionless.

To meet this demand, businesses across industries are embedding financial tools — from buy now, pay later (BNPL) to insurance distribution — into their platforms. Integrating these financial services can help not only improve customer engagement, but also drive new revenue streams and loyalty in the process. 

To help strategy teams prioritize embedded finance markets in their planning decisions, we plotted markets using CB Insights’ TECH framework, which scores markets across 2 dimensions:

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State of AI Q2’24: Midyear Review & Emerging Trends https://www.cbinsights.com/research/briefing/webinar-ai-trends-q2-2024/ Fri, 12 Jul 2024 14:56:23 +0000 https://www.cbinsights.com/research/?post_type=briefing&p=169656 The post State of AI Q2’24: Midyear Review & Emerging Trends appeared first on CB Insights Research.

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State of Venture Q2’24 Report https://www.cbinsights.com/research/report/venture-trends-q2-2024/ Wed, 03 Jul 2024 13:00:47 +0000 https://www.cbinsights.com/research/?post_type=report&p=169534 Even as investors remain highly selective with their dealmaking, they’re reserving their dry powder for fewer, bigger deals in areas with strong growth potential like AI. Based on our deep dive below, here is the TL;DR on the state of …

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Even as investors remain highly selective with their dealmaking, they’re reserving their dry powder for fewer, bigger deals in areas with strong growth potential like AI.

Based on our deep dive below, here is the TL;DR on the state of venture:

  1. Venture funding climbs for a second straight quarter, reaching $65.7B, up 8% quarter-over-quarter (QoQ). However, while funding gained momentum, deals slid for the ninth quarter in a row to 6,230. Global deal volume is now less than half of what it was at its peak in Q1’22.
  2. At $14.4M, the average deal size is up 17% this year so far vs. 2023. Even in a more cautious investing environment, the deals that do happen have ballooned in size as investors put more behind select startups. 
  3. AI startups are dominating global funding, capturing 35% in Q2’24. This is the highest quarterly share on record. AI startups drew $23.2B in Q2’24 — up 59% QoQ — driven by mammoth $1B+ deals to Elon Musk’s xAI as well as Scale, CoreWeave, and others. 
  4. The US is attracting a greater portion of exit activity, with exit share rising 4 percentage points QoQ to 39%. This represents its highest share in 2 years. Top US-based exits in Q2’24 included IPOs from Tempus and Rubrik — both valued at over $5B — as well as Hyundai’s acquisition of Motional priced at $4.1B.
  5. SOSV is the most active venture investor, backing 35 companies in Q2’24. It’s followed by Andreessen Horowitz (33 companies), General Catalyst (31 companies), and Lightspeed Venture Partners (28).
  6. Fintech funding rebounds 19% QoQ to hit $8.9B — a 5-quarter high — led by $600M+ rounds to Stripe and AlphaSense. But it was a different story for the retail tech and digital health sectors: retail tech funding was stagnant from Q1 to Q2, while digital health funding slipped by 26%.
  7. Quarterly funding to startups in Asia falls below $10B for the first time since 2014. The drop was especially severe in China, where some international investors have pulled back or retreated altogether amid rising geopolitical tensions. Meanwhile, the US and Europe — the two largest regions for venture investment — each saw funding grow by double-digit percentages in Q2’24.

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Get 205+ pages of charts and data detailing the latest trends in venture capital.

Venture funding keeps climbing, while deal volume falls

Venture funding ticked up for a second consecutive quarter, reaching $65.7B in Q2’24. Nearly half of this funding (47%) came from mega-rounds (deals worth $100M+). xAI’s $6B round alone represented nearly one-tenth of the global total and helped prevent funding from declining QoQ.

Despite the strong showing, deal volume slipped for a ninth straight quarter — sinking 7% to 6,230 — as investors remain cautious in the less exuberant market. The US, Europe, and Asia all saw deal count decrease QoQ, while it grew slightly across Canada, LatAm, Africa, and Oceania.


Deal sizes are growing again

With deals down and funding up, the average deal size has climbed this year, pacing at $14.4M — up 17% compared to full-year 2023. Notably, it’s not just a few massive deals that are pulling that figure up: the median deal size has also grown from $2.5M to $3M over the same period. 

Among investment stages, the median deal size has increased across early- and mid-stage rounds, while it has fallen slightly at the late stage.


AI startups grab a record 35% of all venture funding in Q2

One factor more than any other is driving gains in the venture market right now, and that’s AI. Startups developing AI solutions raised $23.2B in Q2’24 — accounting for 35% of the global total, the highest share ever recorded. This share has been trending up for several years now, especially since the arrival of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in late 2022.

Leading the pack among AI startups, Elon Musk’s xAI outfit raised a whopping $6B round in Q2’24. The 1-year-old company, now valued at $24B, had no trouble finding investors, who believe xAI will gain a competitive edge through integration with Musk’s network of companies (and their data). For instance, Tesla could use xAI’s latest multimodal AI model, which includes vision capabilities, to bring more advanced perception to its Optimus humanoid.

Funding Insights from xAI's CB Insights profile

The Funding Insights from xAI’s CB Insights profile point to synergies between xAI and Musk’s other companies, like Tesla.

Other top AI rounds in Q2’24 went to:

  • G42 — $1.5B investment from Microsoft
  • CoreWeave — $1.1B Series C at a $19B valuation
  • Wayve — $1.05B Series C from SoftBank, Nvidia, and Microsoft
  • Scale — $1B Series F led by Accel, with backing from corporates including AMD, Amazon, Intel, and Nvidia

Customers can explore thousands of AI startups across industries and technologies in the CB Insights AI Expert Collection.

DOWNLOAD THE STATE OF VENTURE Q2’24 REPORT

Get 205+ pages of charts and data detailing the latest trends in venture capital.


The US gains share of exits in Q2, rivaling Europe

In Q2’24, the US saw 39% of all exits, which included both IPOs and M&A transactions. The figure represents an increase of 4 percentage points QoQ and puts the US in the No. 1 spot globally, tied with Europe.

Notably, US IPOs are gaining some strength, with Q2 seeing blockbuster debuts from Tempus (valued at $6.1B) and Rubrik ($5.6B). We predicted both companies would go public in our Tech IPO Pipeline report, published in late 2023. 

Go deeper with CB Insights buyer interviews for Tempus and Rubrik to see what their customers are saying.

Meanwhile, the US venture market’s top M&A deal went to Motional, an autonomous driving startup founded as a joint venture between Hyundai and Aptiv. Hyundai took a majority stake in the company at a $4.1B valuation. Per the Funding Insights on Motional’s CB Insights profile, Hyundai and Motional are co-developing a robotaxi service with a target release of 2024.

Funding Insights from Motional's CB Insights profile

The Acquisition Insights from Hyundai’s CB Insights profile break down the structure and goals of the Motional deal.


SOSV tops the list of most active investors

Around the world, the most active venture investor right now is SOSV. The firm, which primarily backs early-stage startups, invested in 35 unique companies in Q2’24, placing it ahead of a16z (33 companies), General Catalyst (31), and Lightspeed (28). 

Customers can use this CB Insights platform search to see SOSV’s top portfolio companies ranked by Mosaic score — which measures a private company’s health — alongside data cuts like commercial maturity, headcount growth, and more.


Fintech sees funding grow faster than other sectors

Among industry sectors, fintech saw funding grow the most, watching it rise 19% QoQ to reach $8.9B. This marks a rebound for the sector vs. Q1’24. Top fintech deals in the quarter went to payments leader Stripe and market intelligence firm AlphaSense

The retail tech and digital health sectors were worse off than fintech. Retail tech funding was roughly stagnant QoQ, while digital health funding plummeted to below $3B — its second-lowest quarterly level since 2016.


Funding slides in Asia, while it grows in the US & Europe

Among major global regions, the US and Europe outpaced the market as a whole for funding growth in Q2’24. 

Asia, on the other hand, saw its funding fall 13% QoQ to $9.7B. The decline was most pronounced in China, where dollars tumbled more than 50% to $2.2B, whereas India, Singapore, and Japan all experienced funding growth QoQ. 

The top two equity deals in the region went to United Arab Emirates’ G42 and India-based Zepto.

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3 ways financial institutions are embracing generative AI https://www.cbinsights.com/research/generative-ai-financial-services/ Tue, 25 Jun 2024 12:45:01 +0000 https://www.cbinsights.com/research/?p=157544 Financial services firms face a unique set of challenges.  For one, describing and marketing financial products to customers is often an uphill battle, both because of the complex nature of these products and because of strict regulatory oversight. These same …

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Financial services firms face a unique set of challenges. 

For one, describing and marketing financial products to customers is often an uphill battle, both because of the complex nature of these products and because of strict regulatory oversight. These same aspects can make internal operations difficult to streamline and automate.

Generative AI has the potential to address these challenges by sifting through, summarizing, and personalizing complex information at scale to improve customer experiences and employee productivity. It can also generate synthetic data to support mission-critical machine learning (ML) applications like fraud detection.

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State of Venture Q2’24: Midyear Review & Emerging Trends https://www.cbinsights.com/research/briefing/webinar-venture-trends-q2-2024/ Fri, 21 Jun 2024 20:27:39 +0000 https://www.cbinsights.com/research/?post_type=briefing&p=169346 The post State of Venture Q2’24: Midyear Review & Emerging Trends appeared first on CB Insights Research.

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The early-stage payments markets revamping global transactions https://www.cbinsights.com/research/payments-market-momentum-2024/ Fri, 21 Jun 2024 13:09:58 +0000 https://www.cbinsights.com/research/?p=169313 For early-stage payments startups, sending money internationally is suddenly in vogue. Even crypto is getting a fresh look from investors trying to tap into the cross-border transactions opportunity.  Cross-border payment flows were set to hit $190T in 2023 and will …

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For early-stage payments startups, sending money internationally is suddenly in vogue. Even crypto is getting a fresh look from investors trying to tap into the cross-border transactions opportunity. 

Cross-border payment flows were set to hit $190T in 2023 and will approach $290T by 2030, according to FXC Intelligence. And investors are betting on early-stage companies to help them secure a slice of that projected surge in demand. 

However, cross-border payments tech is not alone in the limelight.

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