Chasing Unicorns
Analysis16 Nov 2020

Chasing Unicorns

We live in a world of unicorns. From hailing taxis to ordering pizza to renting a holiday home, the world has come to rely on huge tech startups known in Silicon Valley as unicorns. But in a post-pandemic world, can these mythical beasts survive?

In tech lingo, a unicorn is a rare start-up company valued at $1 billion dollars or more in private markets. Five years ago there were fewer than 50. Today there are over 400, including Airbnb, Uber and Deliveroo. Often created by eccentric founders and funded by evangelical venture capital backers with deep pockets, these companies have come to define our digital age while creating unimaginable riches for their investors.

But with many enduring eye-watering losses even before the pandemic, and with big question marks hanging over their long term viability, is the magic dust finally coming off?

Elaine Moore is a tech columnist at the Financial Times based in San Francisco - home of the tech unicorn. She's on a mission to find out what the future holds for the industry and what it could mean for us next time we take a taxi or order in a Friday night curry.

Presenter: Elaine Moore Producer: Craig Templeton Smith Editor: Jasper Corbett

Avsnitt(389)

Tearing Up the Politics Textbook

Tearing Up the Politics Textbook

British politics has been going through a period of rapid and remarkable change. That's a headache for the politicians and for the voters. But spare a thought also for politics professors like Rosie C...

26 Sep 201628min

How Low Can Rates Go?

How Low Can Rates Go?

Martin Wolf, Chief Economic Commentator of the Financial Times, examines how policymakers are testing the norms of economic life as they seek solutions to slow growth. The payment of interest goes bac...

25 Juli 201642min

A Subversive History of School Reform

A Subversive History of School Reform

Change, change, change - conventional wisdom is that the classroom is the site of an endless set of reforms, a constant stream of White Papers and directives that promise 'revolution' and sudden chang...

18 Juli 201628min

Money for Nothing

Money for Nothing

Should the state pay everyone a Universal Basic Income? Sonia Sodha finds out why the idea is winning support from an unlikely alliance of leftists and libertarians. Producer: Helen Grady.

11 Juli 201628min

Obama's World

Obama's World

Politico foreign correspondent Nahal Toosi examines the international record of President Obama's eight years in office and tries to discern the governing principles behind his foreign policy. The pre...

4 Juli 201628min

The Charitable Impulse

The Charitable Impulse

Charity is big business. In the UK, over £9 billion is donated to charitable institutions each year. But fundraising can also be controversial as recent news stories about expensive electricity tariff...

27 Juni 201628min

Marxism Today

Marxism Today

Journalist Robin Aitken comes from a conservative political viewpoint to a man who has inspired mass movements on the left: Karl Marx. Robin who was a BBC reporter for 25 years thinks Marx was always ...

20 Juni 201628min

The New Young Fogeys

The New Young Fogeys

Young people today drink and smoke much less than previous generations. The rates of teenage pregnancy and youth crime have fallen dramatically. New Statesman editor Jason Cowley talks to experts to f...

13 Juni 201628min

Populärt inom Politik & nyheter

aftonbladet-krim
motiv
p3-krim
rss-krimstad
fordomspodden
flashback-forever
rss-viva-fotboll
svenska-fall
rss-sanning-konsekvens
aftonbladet-daily
svd-dokumentara-berattelser-2
spar
rss-vad-fan-hande
rss-krimreportrarna
rss-frandfors-horna
krimmagasinet
olyckan-inifran
grans
rss-aftonbladet-krim
dagens-eko