🔮 The limits of VC; cities; big tech; AI aces, revolution in Belarus, CRISPR squid++ #284

I’m Azeem Azhar. I convene Exponential View to help us understand how our societies and political economy will change under the force of rapidly accelerating technologies. 

I’m away this week, so today’s newsletter is shorter. Worry not! I have invited political analyst, broadcaster and EV member, Nina Schick, to share her latest analysis of Covid-centered, state-led disinformation campaigns. Nina is the author of Deep Fakes and the Infocalypse. If you’re a member of EV, you will receive her essay shortly.

The near future

🔖 Venture capital has “real limitations in its ability to advance substantial technological change.” This paper, by Josh Lerner and Ramana Nanda at Harvard University, looks into the limitations of the VC model. (See also, EV reader, Marvin Liao, on the slow unbundling of venture capital.)

✂️ Five tech companies currently account for 20% of the stock market’s total worth— a level not seen from a single industry for at least 70 years. Apple just became the first $2trn co…