🍋 The Unicorn Couple

A husband-and-wife team built a billion-dollar sports gambling business, Credit Suisse reported $69B of outflows, and Disney is losing its magic.

Together With

“Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won't so you can spend the rest of your life like most people can't.” — Unknown

Good Morning! Looks like Disney’s running out of magic, the company announced it will lay off 7,000 workers by the summer. Yesterday we found out just how dire the situation at Credit Suisse was - in its Q1 results it reported $69 billion (nice) of outflows in 2023.

Yesterday was the Red Wedding episode for cable news hosts. Both CNN and Fox News parted ways with their prominent anchors, Don Lemon and Tucker Carlson respectively. Fox lost a staggering $690 million in value on the announcement. And reverse ATMs - inserting cash and receiving a pre-paid debit card are becoming all the rage as we move to a cashless future.

With over $130M in AUM and 5,000 collectors Artscapy has now opened its seed round which is already 60% subscribed. Submit your interest in investing in Artscapy today here.

1. Story of the Day: The Unicorn Couple

If you use DraftKings or FanDuel, have you ever wondered how the gambling apps know exactly where you are? You have GeoComply to thank, a startup founded by Anna Sainsbury and David Briggs, a husband-and-wife team. They founded the company at a time when online gambling was still largely unregulated in the U.S. and have quietly built their obscure business into a multi-billion dollar one.

Over a decade ago, Anna and David had the foresight to predict that online gambling would eventually require location verification, and they got to work creating a solution for this problem. Today, GeoComply is an essential component of the underlying technology behind sports betting, and virtually no online betting in the United States can happen without them.

In an industry where regulations are constantly changing, GeoComply has adapted and thrived. They have secured contracts with major players in the industry, including DraftKings, FanDuel, and Caesars, and have become a crucial component in ensuring that gambling apps are in compliance with federal laws.

They started out in the early days of online betting in the U.S. when the industry was still in its infancy and the economic potential was uncertain. Despite the odds, they persevered, and today, GeoComply has over 650 employees worldwide and a valuation of over $1 billion.

Takeaway: What started out as solving a niche problem has led GeoComply to establish a virtual monopoly on the technology that underpins online sports betting transactions. With the sports betting market in the U.S. projected to reach $23.2 billion by 2030, GeoComply's innovative solution is perfectly positioned to capture a significant share of this booming market.

2. Markets Rundown

Stocks closed mixed on underwhelming tech earnings.

Movers & Shakers

  • (+) Getty Images ($GETY) +31% after a reported buyout bid from Trillium Capital.

  • (+) Fox Corp ($FOX) -3% after the company announced it would part ways with Tucker Carlson.

  • (–) Bed Bath & Beyond ($BBBY) -36% after news the company would declare bankruptcy.

Private Dealmaking

  • Noah Medical, a medical robots developer, raised $150 million

  • Span, a home electrification startup, raised $96 million

  • Super, a commerce savings app, raised $60 million

  • Ditto, a data management company, raised $45 million

  • Community, Ashton Kutcher’s SMS engagement platform, raised $25 million

  • JackBe, a drive-through grocery store developer, raised $11.5 million

A Message from Artscapy: The Startup Racing to Manage $1.7Tn in Wealth Stored in Art

Meet Artscapy: the dedicated platform winning this race.

Recently awarded as “Top 30 most innovative startup in the UK” by Tech Nation, Artscapy is quickly becoming recognized as the leading art collection platform.

Artscapy created a digital ecosystem for collectors and investors that encompass from management tools up to financial services, insurance, brokerage and more.

Artscapy has experienced a 400% growth rate over the past 12 months and continues to grow at a rate of 20% per month.

With over $130M in AUM (art-under-management) and 5,000 collectors Artscapy has now opened its seed round which is already 60% subscribed.

This is your last chance to buy equity in Artscapy before the next round, which will be reserved for institutional investors.

Submit your interest in investing in Artscapy today here.

3. Top Reads

  • Overemployed hustlers exploiting ChatGPT to take on more jobs (Vice)

  • The laziness tax (Axios)

  • Walmart keeps selling as retail M&A picks up (Axios)

  • Why First Republic has not done a deal (NYT)

  • New paper blames social media on SVB’s collapse (CNBC)

  • Bad bosses going viral (Axios)

  • Arbitrage traders face crucial M&A week (BB)

  • Palihapitiya says crypto is dead in America (CNBC)

  • How HBO survived merger after merger and changed TV forever (CNBC)

  • How close are we to 6G? (YF)

  • Make this simple move to get more return on your cash (WSJ)

  • Crypto tracking is big business (NYT)

4. Shortform Book of the Day: You Will Own Nothing

 

When Carol Roth first heard that one of the World Economic Forum’s predictions for 2030 was “You will own nothing, and be happy,” she thought it was an outlandish fantasy. Then, she researched it.

What she found was that a number of businesses, governments, and global elites share a vision of a future that sounds utopian: Everyone will have everything they need, and no one will own anything.

From declines in home and vehicle ownership to global inflation and government spending, many of the trends of modern life reveal that a new world that is emerging—one in which Western citizens, by choice or by circumstance, increasingly do not own possessions or accumulate wealth.

It’s the perfect economic environment for the rich and powerful to solidify their positions and prevent anyone else from getting ahead.

In You Will Own Nothing¸ Roth reveals how the agendas of Wall Street, world governments, international organizations, socialist activists, and multinational corporations like Blackrock all work together to reduce the power of the dollar and prevent millions of Americans from taking control of their wealth.

She shows why owning fewer assets makes you poorer and less free.

“This book is essential guide to protecting your hard-earned wealth for the coming generations.”

Read More Books in Finance, Economics, and More with Shortform

5. Short Squeez Picks

A Message from Cityfunds: Attend a Free Real Estate Webinar

Are you interested in real estate investing? Join the Cityfunds team tomorrow for an informative webinar and gain valuable insights into the world of real estate, with a focus on thriving cities like Miami and Austin.

Cityfunds experts will share their knowledge and expertise to help you make informed investment decisions. Whether you're a seasoned investor or just starting, this webinar is an excellent opportunity to stay informed and grow your wealth in the world's largest asset class.

RSVP here to secure your spot on April 26 at 3pm ET.

6. Daily Visual: First Republic's Deposits Plunged over 40%

Source: Axios

7. Daily Acumen

In the 1960s, Joseph Tussman, a philosophy professor at UC Berkeley, suggested that in order to succeed in life, one must understand how the world functions and work with it by identifying its underlying principles and aligning oneself with them.

This is a rather obvious notion – to comprehend the workings of the world and cooperate with them.

Additionally, one valuable trick is to recognize the interconnectedness of all things and learn from the lessons of one field that could apply to another.

Although academic disciplines are frequently taught separately, with mathematics distinct from chemistry, this type of learning is limited to the classroom.

In reality, the world has no divisions, and the most significant insights arise when we connect the dots between different fields.

Once we begin to do so, we understand that the connections are limitless, creating a vast web of knowledge that illuminates the workings of the world.

8. Memes of the Day

 

 

 

Want more Short Squeez?

Become an Insider. You'll get access to:

  1. Industry deep-dives & compelling investment ideas

  2. Wall Street Insider interviews breaking down their investment portfolio, strategy & investment picks

  3. Knowledge Drop - an exclusive alpha-generating newsletter covering the best weekly research & content (podcasts, articles, blogs)

  4. Vault – a collection of investing & recruiting guides, modeling courses, salary / comp data, institutional research (40+ resources added / month)

See you on the Inside.

*****

Looking to start your own newsletter? Beehiiv is Warren Buffett of creator platforms.

*****

What'd you think of today's email?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

l s

 

When Carol Roth first heard that one of the World Economic Forum’s predictions for 2030 was “You will own nothing, and be happy,” she thought it was an outlandish fantasy. Then, she researched it.

What she found was that a number of businesses, governments, and global elites share a vision of a future that sounds utopian: Everyone will have everything they need, and no one will own anything.

From declines in home and vehicle ownership to global inflation and government spending, many of the trends of modern life reveal that a new world that is emerging—one in which Western citizens, by choice or by circumstance, increasingly do not own possessions or accumulate wealth.

It’s the perfect economic environment for the rich and powerful to solidify their positions and prevent anyone else from getting ahead.

In You Will Own Nothing¸ Roth reveals how the agendas of Wall Street, world governments, international organizations, socialist activists, and multinational corporations like Blackrock all work together to reduce the power of the dollar and prevent millions of Americans from taking control of their wealth.

She shows why owning fewer assets makes you poorer and less free.

“This book is essential guide to protecting your hard-earned wealth for the coming generations.”

Read More Books in Finance, Economics, and More with Shortform

5. Short Squeez Picks

A Message from Cityfunds: Attend a Free Real Estate Webinar

Are you interested in real estate investing? Join the Cityfunds team tomorrow for an informative webinar and gain valuable insights into the world of real estate, with a focus on thriving cities like Miami and Austin.

Cityfunds experts will share their knowledge and expertise to help you make informed investment decisions. Whether you're a seasoned investor or just starting, this webinar is an excellent opportunity to stay informed and grow your wealth in the world's largest asset class.

RSVP here to secure your spot on April 26 at 3pm ET.

6. Daily Visual: First Republic's Deposits Plunged over 40%

Source: Axios

7. Daily Acumen

In the 1960s, Joseph Tussman, a philosophy professor at UC Berkeley, suggested that in order to succeed in life, one must understand how the world functions and work with it by identifying its underlying principles and aligning oneself with them.

This is a rather obvious notion – to comprehend the workings of the world and cooperate with them.

Additionally, one valuable trick is to recognize the interconnectedness of all things and learn from the lessons of one field that could apply to another.

Although academic disciplines are frequently taught separately, with mathematics distinct from chemistry, this type of learning is limited to the classroom.

In reality, the world has no divisions, and the most significant insights arise when we connect the dots between different fields.

Once we begin to do so, we understand that the connections are limitless, creating a vast web of knowledge that illuminates the workings of the world.

8. Memes of the Day

 

 

 

Want more Short Squeez?

Become an Insider. You'll get access to:

  1. Industry deep-dives & compelling investment ideas

  2. Wall Street Insider interviews breaking down their investment portfolio, strategy & investment picks

  3. Knowledge Drop - an exclusive alpha-generating newsletter covering the best weekly research & content (podcasts, articles, blogs)

  4. Vault – a collection of investing & recruiting guides, modeling courses, salary / comp data, institutional research (40+ resources added / month)

See you on the Inside.

*****

Looking to start your own newsletter? Beehiiv is Warren Buffett of creator platforms.

*****

What'd you think of today's email?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

Join the conversation

or to participate.