Trends

What you need to know: 

What you need to know: 

Daniel Kane was a 19-year-old student at UC Santa Barbara when he launched the skinny wallet company, The Ridge.

Have you ever wanted to create your own podcast? How about one that brings in $100k a year while helping small businesses grow?

What you need to know: Over 40 million Americans suffer from mental illness, including depression and anxiety, with 1 in 5 saying they have an unmet need. In 2018, over 100 deals in this space amounted to $800M in funding, up over 150% YoY.

In the Trends Facebook group this week, subscriber Jay Wa discussed an app he is planning in the legal tech space that could provide “simple, legally-binding contracts on the fly.” But he wants to be sure he’s finding product market fit and asked the group for advice. 

Jilliene Helman is all about the Real Estate Investment Trust, or REIT. She is the 32-year-old CEO of RealtyMogul, an LA-based commercial real estate investing platform with over $2B in assets.  

What you need to know: Worldwide, the number of people over 65 totals 635m and could rise to 2B by 2060. The people getting older and living longer want to age comfortably at a home, but a lack of connectivity and social isolation makes it difficult. Venture capital funds have started investing tens of millions in age tech.     

In 2009, long before the “resale market” had picked up steam, thredUP incorporated. Now, 10 years later, they’ve raised over $300m in funding, including a new $175m round announced in August. They also introduced a new platform powering apparel resale for retailers and brands.

Each week we send out a handful of data points that we’re tracking, explaining what they mean and how you can use that data to your advantage. We’ll alert you to early-stage concepts, businesses, and apps so you won’t miss out on the latest opportunities.