January 22, 2025

Chart of the day

Hi there, 

Nvidia has leapfrogged other big tech companies like Microsoft and Amazon in overall venture activity. 

That gap is even more pronounced when looking at AI dealmaking: Nvidia’s AI startup investments nearly 5x’d between 2022 and 2023.

CB Insights customers can use this deal search to track all of big tech’s AI investments. 

Although Google remains far more active generally (it backed 133 deals in 2024 vs. Nvidia's 55), Nvidia’s upswing indicates the strategic importance it’s placed on being a player in the AI startup landscape. 

Of course, many of its investments — like Perplexity and xAI — are in turn using its chips.  

CB Insights customers can check out Nvidia’s growth strategy here.

All systems go

AI and industrial automation dominated the fastest-growing tech markets of 2024. 

Out of 1,400+ tech markets CB Insights tracks, autonomous agents and generative AI for customer support saw the highest rate of YoY deal growth (150%).

Generative AI advancements also fueled activity in areas like humanoid robots and autonomous driving.

See the full State of Venture 2024 Report for more on the markets reshaping the tech landscape.

Mammoth deal

Colossal Biosciences is focused on bringing back the woolly mammoth and other extinct species.

And the startup recently raised $200M at a $10.2B valuation.

That’s a nearly 9x jump in 2 years.

Backing up, Colossal has drawn funding from several strategic investors over the years.

One of these is In-Q-Tel, which focuses on national security and defense, as part of its broader push further into biotech.

Want to see how this fits into the bigger picture? Check out our IQT investment thesis map.

Howdy, partner

Nvidia recently announced that it inked AI partnerships with several healthcare leaders, including Mayo Clinic.

The duo will focus on the development of pathology foundation models.

And they’re aiming to eventually tackle drug discovery and personalized diagnostics and treatments.

Want to learn more about what Mayo Clinic is doing in AI? Check out this report.

Industry Standard

TechCrunch. Mary Ann Azevedo (@bayareawriter) highlights the slowing decline in global fintech funding, citing CB Insights research.

The New York Times. Andrew Ross Sorkin, Ravi Mattu, Bernhard Warner, Sarah Kessler, Michael J. de la Merced, Lauren Hirsch, and Benjamin Weiser examine ByteDance's valuation challenges, citing CB Insights data.

The Scotsman. Barry McDonald (@jbarrymcdonald) explores AI's role in strengthening startup communities, referencing the CB Insights platform.

I love you.

Anand

@asanwal 

Co-Founder & Exec Chair

P.S. Our State of AI 2024 report is coming soon. On February 11, dig into the data behind the report with our analysts.

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