The public viewing of the casket bearing the body of Civil Rights icon John Lewis was moved outside the Capitol building due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
PitchBook is providing ongoing coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its effects across the private markets and the economy.
Latest news on the coronavirus In case you missed it:
Investor appetite for mobility stays strong despite shutdowns The coronavirus pandemic has profoundly affected the global transportation system, with social distancing and stay-at-home orders transforming consumer behavior.
Yet despite what will likely be a substantial impact in the near future, long-term prospects for startups in the mobility tech sector remain strong, PitchBook analysts found. Our newest Emerging Tech Research report includes an overview of the mobility tech landscape, market maps of VC-backed companies, and deep dives into segments including autonomous cars and ridesharing. Key takeaways include:
—Asad Hussain, 4:32 p.m. PDT CES goes virtual in 2021 The next Consumer Electronics Show will be held online, organizers announced, marking the latest and one of the largest events disrupted by the coronavirus. More than 170,000 people attended this year’s show in Las Vegas, according to The Wall Street Journal, and thousands had already signed up for the 2021 conference. Gary Shapiro, the CEO of CES’ governing body, said on LinkedIn that they plan to resume the in-person event in 2022, but with the pandemic raging and no real hope for a widely available vaccine by early January, it was not possible to hold the event safely. “The world does not need more COVID-19 cases, and we decided we would do our part by ensuring we are not helping spread the disease,” Shapiro wrote. —Kate Rainey, 11:16 a.m. PDT Examining how US economic uncertainty is impacting VC Between 2008 and 2009, the onset of the global financial crisis caused a 31% decline in the median valuation jump for early-stage startups raising new venture capital. Will the coronavirus crisis cause a similar dip?
PitchBook analysts Daniel Cook and Andy White join our hosts on the latest episode of the “In Visible Capital” podcast to answer that and several other questions about how the pandemic may affect the startup landscape, drawing on their recent quantitative research into how US venture capital fares during times of economic uncertainty. Topics include:
—Adam Lewis, 11:07 a.m. PDT Coronavirus effects on venture capital German coronavirus vaccine developer files for IPO German biotech company CureVac has filed for an initial public offering on the Nasdaq. The company began a clinical trial for a COVID-19 vaccine in June, with results expected in Q4. Dietmar Hopp, co-founder of software company SAP and current managing director of Dievini, CureVac’s majority shareholder, will buy €100 million (around $116 million) worth of shares in the company at the IPO price. —Vishal Persaud, 12:14 p.m. PDT, July 27 Coronavirus effects on private equity Blackstone bounces back after COVID-19 lull After taking a beating during the pandemic-inspired market selloff, Blackstone saw a sharp rebound in quarterly earnings, reflecting a subsequent turnaround in the stock market.
The buyout juggernaut posted a net income of $568.3 million, or 81 cents per share, in Q2. The earnings marked an increase from Q1’s roughly $1.1 billion loss, or $1.58 per share, after COVID-19 caused public markets to plummet, and a year-over-year decline from Blackstone’s Q2 2019 net income of $1.2 billion, or $1.80 per share. The New York-based firm saw its corporate private equity portfolio surge 12.8%—a turnaround from a nearly 22% drop in Q1.
Meanwhile, Blackstone’s distributable earnings, or the amount available to pay shareholders, was $548 million, or 43 cents a share, down from $708.9 million, or 57 cents a share, in the same period last year. But the firm’s assets under management jumped to $564.3 billion, up from roughly $538 billion at the end of last quarter. Public investors apparently paid little notice, however, with Blackstone stock dropping 2% on Thursday to $56.67 per share. —Adam Lewis, 10:00 a.m. PDT, July 27 Economic impacts of the coronavirus China’s IPO market makes post-COVID-19 comeback A wave of Chinese companies is suddenly flocking to the public markets, as several weigh initial public offerings in Hong Kong and Shanghai.
Two electric vehicle makers are eyeing IPOs on Shanghai’s STAR board, according to Bloomberg. Tesla rival WM Motor is reportedly planning an offering for as soon as this year that would value the company at more than 30 billion yuan (around $4.3 billion). The Shanghai-based company’s investors include Alibaba, Baidu, Tencent and Sequoia China. Meanwhile, Hozon Auto is targeting a listing for 2021 and wants to secure 3 billion yuan in Series C funding, Bloomberg reported.
The potential public listings follow fintech giant Ant Group’s announcement that it is seeking a dual listing in Hong Kong and Shanghai in what could be one of the largest offerings in years. And dairy products maker Junlebao is reportedly following suit with a dual public listing of its own in China. —Vishal Persaud, 12:20 p.m. PDT, July 27 PitchBook reports on the coronavirus impact on private markets Demand for clinical-trial recruitment provides opportunity for startups The pandemic has sped up drug development, but the industry was already surging: The clinical-trial market is expected to be worth $65 billion by 2025. All that testing will require a steady flow of patients who are willing to try out new medications, potentially providing an opportunity for startups to help keep the pipeline full.
In our research note Transforming Clinical-Trial Patient Recruitment and Retention, PitchBook analysts find:
—Kaia Colban, 11:16 a.m. PDT, July 27
Did you miss any of our continuing coverage of COVID-19? Find our previous updates below:
