Highlights of the Week (May 14, 2021)

This week was a captivating and devastating week for news. The eruption of violence between Israel and Palestine has resulted in 83 deaths as of Thursday afternoon and shows no signs of slowing down. In India, the supplier of 40% of the world’s vaccines, confirmed COVID cases had reached 23 million by Tuesday. Meanwhile, in the U.S., the House GOP has doubled down on its Trump allegiance by ousting Representative Liz Cheney for calling out Trump’s claims of election fraud as lies. Lastly, if you haven’t filed your taxes yet, now would be a good time. The COVID-19 extended tax deadline is this Monday, May 17th.

In other news:

• Google searches for “inflation” are surging to numbers not seen since 2008, signaling financial literacy might be something we could all learn. Luckily for the next generation, there’s been a boost in funding for startups creating fintech for kids. 

• The modern-day equivalent of “busking”, or providing entertainment on the street for voluntary donations, might be tipping your favorite YouTube personality or Twitch gamer. Platforms are incentivizing creators to generate more content and a loyal fan base by offering virtual tip jars. Read more here.

• Mental health has gone mainstream, with more people publicly sharing their anxiety and depression. Funding is flooding the mental-health tech space in response. Take a deep breath & read on.

• This week, PrivCo released its first quarterly report on the 50 Top Growth Companies in Q1, 2021. From a deep dive into private companies' financials, hires, and fundings, we saw that healthtech and delivery startups that grew in 2020 (for obvious reasons) are continuing to grow. Meanwhile, an air of optimism is infiltrating the trends to come. Read our highlights and get the full report here.