2021 turns out to be a record year

January 20, 2022

2021 turns out to be a record year
Hi all!
It's been super busy the first couple of weeks of 2022, which clearly delayed the release of our January newsletter.

Go check out this Web3 thing below. They are either all participating in psychedelic drug trials and upped the dosage, or I am just not buying it, but feel free to convince me otherwise.
Massachusets-based startups killed it in 2021!

  • Tech fundings more than doubled 2020’s total with >$7 billion in 2021. Thrasio takes the crown, with multiple funding rounds totaling $1.85 billion in 2021.

  • No surprise, Biotech remains king as an industry sector in Massachusetts. The top 10 raised together $3.83 billion, with EQRx raising the biggest investment, $570 million, in January.

  • Just for reference, global VC funding had a ginormous year. The biggest one yet in history. $621B in 2021 vs. $294B in 2020.
AND NOW SOME OPERATIONS NEWS
This Operations Update is provided with support from:
The State of Manufacturing

The PMI Index decreased by 2.4 points to 58.7% in December.

Supplier deliveries took a hit and slowed in December.

On a more positive note, most industries report that the constant price increases seem to finally be slowing down.
If you could find what you wanted, it appears Global supply chain problems were not the Grinch that stole Christmas this year. Holiday shoppers received their gifts mostly on time despite the disrupted supply chain.
STARTUP STUFF
Web3 is a place where some folks want to change the world order. Why would we still need countries?HumanDAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) has no HQ, no CEO, and no VC funding and wants to connect people to new opportunities in the crypto digital economy.


Our friends at Forge came up with a grand idea to help offset some of the challenges caused by the supply chain disruptions.
Aimed at cleantech startups struggling with global shortages and supply chain disruptions, the grant will range between $5k-$25k. Apply here by March 4th.
Everyone wants a Superstar on their team. We got one for you!
Contact Archie, or if you want the inside scoop, email me.
Senior B.S./M.S. Robotics Engineering student at WPI seeking an internship in mobile robotics and autonomous vehicles. I have project experience in machine learning, robot dynamics, mobile robotics, and previous work experience in full system engineering. Please feel free to contact me at 802-349-9903 or archie.g.milligan@gmail.com
(Archie Milligan)

Moosejaw announced their third Moosejaw Outdoor Accelerator to help entrepreneurs launch their product or service in the outdoor industry. Applications can be completed here until February 3rd.
Symbotic LLC, a warehouse robotics company, is set to become public via a $5.5B reverse merger. Congrats!

ePropelled, a Massachusetts-based technology startup, raises $15 million series A for disruptive propulsion systems and motors for cars and drones.
This is our final update on Boston's hottest Startups before we release 2022 winners.
The Farm to Flame new generator is out! And it offers power to all entities using a smokeless-odorless biomass process at half the cost of diesel.

Elemental Machines acquires TetraScience Lab Monitoring.

GPR announced the addition of Roger Nielsen, former President and CEO of Daimler Truck North America, to their Advisory Board.

Optimus Ride closed its doors, and Magna International acquired the technology, intellectual property, and other assets. Magna is adding more than 120 Boston-based Optimus Ride employees to its team.

Righthand Robotics was selected as one of the top 10 game-changing robot makers of 2022.

Tive announced a partnership with Shipware to reduce costly loss, delays, and damage throughout customers' supply chains.
Our monthly survey
In our December survey, we asked which area of your supply chain will benefit most from digitization and innovation. The result showed that manufacturing and distribution were the most voted options.
What has your company done to minimize the supply chain disruptions?
Found alternative or duplicative suppliers.
Increased inventories of materials.
Explored more domestic U.S. sourcing or production.
Utilized alternative modes of transportation or logistics.
Postponed product line.
Other.
ICYMI

NFT buyers drop $1.23 million on digital land next to Snoop Dogg's virtual mansion. BecomeTheNeighborOfYourFavoriteCelebrity (Source: Entrepreneur)


Crypto investors want to buy an original copy of the U.S. Constitution. GovernmentStimulusAnyone?
(Source: Washington Post)

Celebrity SPACs leave famous winners looking more like losers. Jay-Z SPACs were down 84% this year, the worst performance of all 33 SPACs linked to celebrities. 99ProblemsAndProfitIsOne (Source: Bloomberg)

COVID vs Yankee Candles: Customers are flooding Amazon reviews with claims that the candles have no scent, but the surge in Omicron cases may be the reason. CorrelationIsQuiteSomething (Source: Washington Post)







blue line: daily COVID cases in the USA

red line: bad reviews of Yankee Candles on Amazon saying "they don't have any scent"
Cheers,
Jurgen
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