Laura Kennedy

Indianapolis

Senior Lead Analyst at CB Insights

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cbinsights.com

Articles

AI and Web3 are leading the next wave of gaming innovation

2 months ago | cbinsights.com | Laura Kennedy

Gaming investment rallied in 2024. Here’s how emerging tech is making gaming more immersive, responsive, and secure. The number of global gamers has nearly doubled over the past decade, reaching 3.4B in 2023. Despite this growth, increased accessibility and platform diversity have made it harder for gaming companies to build sustainable revenue streams. But AI and blockchain solutions are driving innovation to create new revenue streams and stoke the existing ones.
How generative AI could supercharge retailers’ ad networks

Nov 1, 2024 | cbinsights.com | Laura Kennedy

AI is helping extend retailers’ digital advertising networks’ reach across hyper-personalized content and new search platforms. We highlight opportunities for retailers, brands, ad agencies, and other industry stakeholders. The $140B global retail media market is eyeing AI for growth.
Prioritizing B2B payments tech: How 9 tech-driven markets stack up across maturity and momentum

Oct 9, 2024 | cbinsights.com | Laura Kennedy

This report ranks B2B payments tech markets based on current commercial readiness and momentum. Tech companies are looking to digitize every piece of business-to-business payments — a process that remains highly manual in many markets. B2B payments tools reach cross-functionally across companies, making it not only more essential, but also more complex, to efficiently integrate these tools into workflows.
Payments in 5 charts: B2B payments tech M&A is a bright spot in 2024

Sep 6, 2024 | cbinsights.com | Laura Kennedy

We break down the current payments landscape across funding trends, M&A, and more. Payments funding bounced back in Q2’24 but deal volume continued to slide. Overall, payments funding is on pace to finish the year well behind 2023. M&A payments deals increased in Q2’24, with B2B payments platforms standing out as common acquisition targets. It’s been a rocky few quarters for dealmaking in payments.
The B2B payments tech market map

Aug 23, 2024 | cbinsights.com | Laura Kennedy

From cross-border payments platforms to spend management, we break down the categories of tech companies making B2B payments simpler and more efficient. B2B payments are finally going digital. In the US, checks and cash have already declined from representing half of all B2B payments in 2019 to a projection of less than a third (32%) in 2024, according to eMarketer.
Crypto is showing signs of life in payments

Aug 14, 2024 | cbinsights.com | Laura Kennedy

Investors and payments leaders are dipping their toes back into crypto. We examine the partnerships, investments, and acquisitions bubbling up in the space. By many measures, the recent crypto winter has thawed. Crypto prices are on the rise. Reported fraud in the market is declining. Some notable players in digital currencies are even going public. Investors’ and finance leaders’ interest in crypto has also started to return.
The early-stage payments markets revamping global transactions

Jun 21, 2024 | cbinsights.com | Laura Kennedy

We analyzed early-stage investment trends to uncover which markets in payments — from crypto payment acceptance to mobile point-of-sale — are quickly evolving and how these will impact the space. For early-stage payments startups, sending money internationally is suddenly in vogue. Even crypto is getting a fresh look from investors trying to tap into the cross-border transactions opportunity.
The embedded banking & payments market map

May 8, 2024 | cbinsights.com | Laura Kennedy

From banking-as-a-service to white-label digital wallets, we break down the categories of tech companies integrating payments and banking into digital experiences. Embedded finance is making it easier to make purchases, take out loans, open bank accounts, buy insurance, and more. Broadly, these solutions integrate financial tools into non-financial services. Building them into digital experiences ensures consumers and partners remain there for every part of the customer journey.
Capital One is spending $35B to acquire Discover — but it's only the latest move in the bank's tech-fueled growth strategy - CB Insights Research

Apr 24, 2024 | cbinsights.com | Laura Kennedy

We mined Capital One’s acquisitions, investments, and partnerships to discern the company's strategic priorities. Capital One, the ninth-largest bank in the US, is vying to jump to the front of the line in payments. Its planned $35B acquisition of Discover Financial, announced in February 2024, would make Capital One the owner of Discover’s payments network and open the door to more high-spending, low-risk customers.