1 – Girl power
O Goldman Sachs announced that starting in July of this year, it will no longer coordinate initial public offerings (IPOs) for companies that do not have women or minority representatives in a board position. Initially, this initiative will apply only to companies in the United States and Europe. The implementation of this new policy in regions such as Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America will be deferred to a later stage.
In the startup world, diversity has also made a difference. Over the last decade, the number of startups with at least one female founder rose from 10% to 20%. In 2019, 21 startups became unicorns, founded or co-founded by women, according to Crunchbase.
These numbers and indicators reflect a shift in society's mindset. We are still taking early steps in many respects, but this is a path toward greater visibility for female entrepreneurship — one that will inspire future generations.
2 – The power of streaming
A study by Ampere Analysis points to a strong trend for 2020 (one that, deep down, we all expected): streaming will surpass cable TV services worldwide in number of users.
Our habits have changed considerably in recent years, and we are increasingly attached to our mobile devices and the flexibility they offer. Streaming platforms provide us with this level of control and adaptability to different lifestyles and routines. Moreover, the shift can also be felt in our wallets, since streaming services are more affordable — unless you start subscribing to all of them.
Analyzing this favorable landscape, yet another streaming company will enter the market to compete with giants such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV+, and others. Peacock, created by NBC Universal, will launch its own platform in the United States this year, featuring more than 600 movies and 400 series. In addition to its content offering — which closely resembles that of existing competitors — the company will test three subscription tiers: free, premium with ads, and ad-free premium.
The company expects to reach between 30 and 35 million active accounts by 2024. For now, there is no expected launch date for Peacock in Brazil.
Texts by Pedro Weingertner