Posts tagged with "Adam Grunwerg"

The Growth of Blockchain

Leave a reply

Blockchain Companies hit $30.4B in Total Funding, a 44% Increase in a Year

The increasing number of organizations accepting cryptocurrency and the growing interest in blockchain technology continue driving the entire sector’s impressive growth. However, recent years have also witnessed a surge in the number of venture capitalists pouring money into blockchain companies.

According to data presented by BlockArabia.com, blockchain companies raised $30.4bn in total funding, a massive 44% increase in a year.

Investment Activity Soared by 515% YTD

By allowing digital information to be distributed but not copied, blockchain technology created the groundwork for the new type of internet. Although initially invented for the cryptocurrency Bitcoin, by improving online security and streamlining fundraising and payment options, blockchain technology was adopted by many companies across different industries.

The Crunchbase data showed 2018 was a record year for investment activity in the blockchain market, with companies raising around $10.7bn in funding rounds that year. However, the next two years brought a significant slowdown in venture capital funding.

In 2019, blockchain companies raised $4.3bn, with the cumulative funding amount rising to $20bn that year. However, statistics show 2020 brought even less fresh capital, with companies raising only $2.4bn.

After two challenging years for blockchain companies looking to attract investments and expand their business, investors flocked to this sector in 2021. In the first quarter, startups focusing on blockchain technology raised around $2.9bn, more than in all of 2020. The strong investment activity continued in the second quarter of the year, with companies raising another $4.1bn.

The Crunchbase data showed blockchain startups raised around $8bn YTD, a staggering 515% increase compared to a year ago period, and 20% more than in 2019 and 2020 combined.

US Blockchain Startups Raised $12.5B, more than European and Asian Companies Combined

Statistics show that US blockchain companies lead in the total value of investments, with $12.5bn in funding rounds so far. European companies hit $6.1B in total funding, half the value of their US peers, ranking as the second-leading region globally. Asian blockchain companies follow with $5.4B, respectively.

Analyzed by type of funding, initial coin offering ranked as the most popular way to raise fresh capital. Statistics show blockchain companies have raised $9.3bn through ICOs so far, more than any other funding type.

Series A funding rounds have brought in around $3.8bn so far. Series B and Series C funding rounds follow, with $2.6bn and $2.4bn, respectively.

The full story can be read HERE.

NFL Players Top Highest-Paid Athletes Ranking

Leave a reply

The world’s best athletes have plenty of opportunities to bank on their popularity. Besides lucrative sports contracts, most of them earn even more significant profits from heavy endorsement deals.

Although the MMA fighter Conor McGregor grasps the top of this list, most of the world’s highest-paid athletes come from another sport.

According to data presented by SafeBettingSites.com, NFL players top the ranking of the highest-paid athletes with combined earnings of over $837 million.

18 NFL Players Among the Highest-Paid Athletes, Basketball Follows with 13 Players on the List

In 2021, Conor McGregor racked up on and off-field earnings of around $180 million. However, the fighter was the only athlete from his discipline to make it into the Forbes` Top 50 highest-paid athletes list.

Statistics show the National Football League convincingly leads in this ranking with 18 NFL stars who made it into the top 50. However, Dak Prescott, as the highest-paid NFL player and fourth highest-paid athlete globally, earned much more than other NFL stars. In 2021, the famous quarterback racked up $107.5 million, 40% more than Tom Brady as the next NFL name on the list.

Basketball ranked as the second-highest-paid sport globally, with 13 players on the Forbes list. As the highest-paid basketball player and fifth highest-paid athlete globally, LeBron James made $96.5 million in on and off-field earnings this year. Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry followed with $75 million and $74.5 million, respectively.

Although soccer represents the third highest-paid sport with eight players who made it to the list, Lionel Messi ranked as the second-highest-paid athlete globally with $130 million in this year’s earnings.

Roger Federer, Naomi Osaka, Serena Williams, and Novak Djokovic were the only tennis players who made it to the top 50 list, with $90 million, $60 million, $41.5 million, and $34.5 million in earnings, respectively.

18 NFL Stars Earned Over $837 Million in 2021

As the highest-paid golf player and twelfth highest-paid athlete globally, Tiger Woods racked up $60 million in 2021, much more than Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson as the other two golf stars on this list.

The Formula 1 driver, Lewis Hamilton, made $82 million in on and off-field earnings in 2021, ranking eight among the highest-paid athletes. Max Verstappen, who arrived in Formula 1 at the age of 17 as the youngest driver ever to have competed in the series, was the second name from the auto racing world to enter the Forbes list with $42.5 million in this year’s earnings.

Statistics show the combined earnings of the 18 NFL stars from the Forbes list hit more than $837 million this year. Basketball players who made it to the list racked up $683.5 million in 2021. Soccer players followed with $527 million in combined earnings.

Read the full story here.

The Rise in Sales of Nintendo Switch

Leave a reply

As one of the most popular consoles globally, Nintendo Switch witnessed an influx of new players and fans since its release back in 2017. According to data presented by SafeBettingSites, Nintendo Switch sales jumped by 50% in a year, with its lifetime unit sales reaching 85.7 million as of May.

More than 26M Nintendo Switch Consoles Sold in a Year

Following the disappointing sales of its predecessor, the Wii U, the Switch was seen as the new hope for Nintendo in the ongoing battle with other console giants, PlayStation and Xbox. Acting as both a portable and home console system and offering a seamless and unified experience switching between them, the console soon started to gain popularity in the gaming community.

A year after its launch in March 2017, the Nintendo Switch hit 15.5 million sold units worldwide, revealed Statista and VGChartz data. The next two years witnessed an influx of new fans, with its lifetime sales reaching 49.8 million units in December 2019. However, as the entire gaming industry exploded amid the lockdowns, Nintendo sold almost 10 million Switch units in the first half of 2020 only. The surge in demand continued since then, with more than 26 million Nintendo Switch consoles sold in the last year.

Compared to other top-selling consoles, Nintendo Switch lifetime sales is still significantly lower than 115.6 million PS4 units sold so far. However, statistics show that Nintendo Switch sold 35.6 million units more than Xbox One, whose lifetime sales hit 50.1 million this month.

North America Generates One-third of Total Sales Revenue

Analyzed by geography, North America represents the leading Nintendo Switch region, with 32.1 million units sold as of May. Europe and Japan followed with 22.2 million and 19.9 million, respectively.

One of the key reasons for the Switch’s success is the popularity of Nintendo’s first-party titles. Blockbuster series like Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and Pokémon are exclusive to Nintendo, meaning that fans can only play them on Nintendo consoles.

With 35.4 million sold units as of March, Mario Kart 8 Delux ranked as the top-selling Nintendo Switch game. Animal Crossing: New Horizons ranked second with 32.6 million in total sales. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Pokémon Sword/Pokémon Shield follow with 23.8 million, 22.2 million, and 21.1 million in unit sales, respectively.

Top Five Tech Billionaires Worth More Than 80 Poorest Countries Combined

Leave a reply

The COVID-19 has played a significant role in wealth redistribution, with tech companies and their founders emerging as the biggest winners. While aviation, real estate, and hospitality industries have been pushed to the bottom of the global rich list, the tech industry billionaires have witnessed the largest wealth gains in the last year.

According to data, the combined net worth of the five wealthiest people in the US tech industry hit $567 billion in February, more than the gross domestic product (GDP) of the 80 poorest countries combined.

Jeff Bezos’ Wealth Surged by 65% Year-Over-Year (YoY) and Hit $187 billion in 2021

As the COVID-19 spread, the world has relied on many technological tools across different sectors–from business and education to commerce and health care. Tech companies that have provided the best solutions amid the pandemic witnessed the most significant revenue surge, while their founders got richer, to the tune of billions.

Amazon products have become one of the most demanded in the world during the pandemic, as it keeps providing tech items, groceries, and entertainment to people amid lockdown. Because of the high demand for its services, the company had to hire an additional 175,000 workers to keep up with surging demand.

According to the Forbes billionaire list, the COVID-19 has helped Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos to grow his wealth by $74 billion in the last year, with his net worth reaching $187 billion this month. The International Monetary Fund data shows this figure is closest to New Zealand and Iraq’s GDP, which ranked 52nd and 53rd globally with $193.5 billion and $178.1 billion, respectively.

Bill Gates, the Microsoft founder, is the second wealthiest person in the US tech industry, and globally. The net worth of the billionaire working with the WHO and drug makers to defeat the coronavirus is currently standing at $120billion. Statistics show Gates’ wealth grew by $22billion in the last year and is now closest to Morocco’s GDP, which ranked 59th globally.

As the fifth-largest tech company globally, Facebook has also witnessed impressive growth in 2020. The Facebook shares rose by 26% in the last year, pushing its CEO’s fortune up by $39 billion to $93.7 billion. This figure means that Mark Zuckerberg’s wealth is $700 million above Puerto Rico’s GDP, which stands at $93.9 billion.

The chairman, chief technology officer, and co-founder of software giant Oracle, Larry Ellison, and co-founder of Google, Larry Page, ranked as the fourth and fifth tech billionaires globally, with $84.9 billion and $80.4 billion in net worth as of this month. Their wealth is the closest to Sri Lanka and Dominican Republic’s GDP, which ranked 66th and 67th globally, with $81.1 billion and $77.8 billion, respectively.

Top Five Tech Billionaires Worth more than GDP of Sweden, Thailand or Belgium

According to Forbes and International Monetary Fund data, the cumulative wealth of the top five tech billionaires also surpasses the GDP of several countries considered to be economic powerhouses. For example, their combined net worth is bigger than the GDP of Austria, Norway, or United Arab Emirates, which ranked 28th, 33rd, and 35th globally with $432.8 billion, $366.3 billion, and $353.9 billion, respectively.

Statistics show that the five tech billionaires’ wealth is the closest to Poland and Sweden’s GDP, which ranked as the 23rd and 24th economies globally. The two countries’ gross domestic product stood at $580.9 billion and $529 billion in 2020.

Global AI Spending to surge by 120% and hit $110bn by 2024

Leave a reply

By Jastra Kranjec

Recent years have witnessed a swell in the adoption of artificial intelligence solutions, revolutionizing industries, and helping businesses boost growth. The rising volume and complexity of business data are set to continue driving AI adoption in the following years, causing a surge in global AI spending.

According to data presented by BuyShares.co.nz, global artificial intelligence spending is expected to surge by 120% and hit $110bn by 2024.

Global AI Spending Jumped 33% YoY, Despite COVID-19 Crisis

Businesses across the world use AI technology to be innovative and scalable. Using automation, deep learning, and natural language processing can improve their decision-making, efficiency, speed, and help predict trends.

In 2015, companies and organizations worldwide spent $5bn on implementing AI systems in their business, revealed the IDC 2020 Worldwide Artificial Intelligence Systems Spending Guide. In the next three years, this figure jumped five times to $25bn. Statistics show that 2019 witnessed a $37.5bn worth of investments into AI business solutions, a 650% jump in four years.

Increased investments in AI technology continued in 2020, with organizations expected to invest $50.1bn in AI systems, despite the COVID-19 crisis. The following years are set to witness remarkable growth in global AI spending, with the figure surging by almost 120% to $110bn by 2023.

Automated customer service, sales process automation, automated threat intelligence and prevention, and IT automation were the leading use cases for AI in 2020, accounting for nearly a third of total AI spending this year. However, the IDC data show that automated human resources, IT automation and pharmaceutical research and discovery are the fastest-growing use cases.

Life Sciences and Retail Lead in Adoption of AI

The IDC data indicate the retail industry and the banking sector are expected to spend the most on AI solutions in 2020. The retail companies primarily focused their AI investments on improving customer experience via chatbots and recommendation engines. Banks are expected to keep investing in AI-driven fraud prevention and program advisors. Discrete manufacturing, process manufacturing, and healthcare round out the top five industries for AI spending this year.

The life sciences sector, including biotech, pharma and biomedical companies, has the most significant share of organizations that have adopted AI, revealed the Capgemini`s AI-Powered Enterprise survey.

Statistics show that 67% of organizations operating in this market adopted AI at scale, while another 33% launched AI pilots that are still undeployed in production. The retail industry ranked second, with 51% of companies utilizing artificial intelligence technology. The consumer products sector follows with a 44% share.

The Capgemini data show the automotive industry represents the fourth-leading sector, with 17% of companies successfully using AI in production. Another 49% of automotive companies have deployed a few use cases in production on a limited scale. The telecom industry follows, with a 14% and 57% share, respectively.

The full story can be read here: https://buyshares.co.nz/2020/10/20/global-artificial-intelligence-spending-to-surge-by-120-and-hit-110bn-by-2024/