UnitedHealthcare helps make better sense of social health data: It launched a new predictive analytics tool to better connect members with social services they need to improve their health—we unpack why tools like these are important for advancing social determinants of health projects.
On today's episode, we discuss what Facebook's new virtual reality (VR) ads look like, the ad formats that will be unique to VR, and what's driving VR headset growth. We then talk about the breakdown of what Americans are watching on TV, whether we will ever see ads on Disney+ and Netflix, and whether YouTube TV has the answer for sports fans. Tune in to the discussion with eMarketer principal analysts at Insider Intelligence Victoria Petrock and Paul Verna.
USA Today switches to subscriptions: It's the last major US news outlet to make the change, focusing on alternative forms of revenues as newspaper ad spending continues to fall.
China’s $315 billion social commerce lead
The Japanese firm’s investment in facial recognition startup AnyVision marks its second major funding of the tech since 2018. SoftBank’s investment carries a reputational risk and comes as Big Tech firms are publicly distancing themselves from facial recognition.
The YouTube recommendation algorithm regularly recommends misinformation and other content that violates the company’s own policies per a new study. The findings further highlight the inherent tensions social media companies face when relying on algorithms to both drive and moderate content.
The expense management fintech raised $150 million and will now target larger employers to fuel growth as the wider market heats up.
A new top dog: Andy Jassy, former head of Amazon Web Services, took over the CEO role at Amazon this week. His ascent could lead to deeper connections between Amazon’s cloud storage business and its growing advertising segment.
In just five years, the physical framework of banking will be “dead,” according to bank executives around the globe—supplanted by digital ecosystems and supported by emerging technologies.
Social commerce sales in the US are picking up, but the size of the market pales in comparison to that of China, according to eMarketer’s latest forecast on social commerce.
Paytm expanded its BNPL solution with Postpaid Mini and PhonePe launched a digital payment solution for cash on delivery orders—helping expand the country’s digital payment solutions.
BaaS fintech Toqio hits milestone €8M in seed funding: The European company offers products to financial institutions and non-financial corporates—giving incumbents another option to fast-track products and keep up with neobanks.
SMB-centric fintech Pleo becomes unicorn with $150M haul: The Denmark-based company hit a $1.7 billion valuation with its Series C round—and if it realizes its goal of 1 million users by 2025, it will be well-positioned to add a bank account.