IT

With innovation in technology fast outpacing traditional business processes, corporations are increasingly turning to investments as a way of adapting to change and staying ahead of the competition.

New York has one of the most vital tech ecosystems in the world, with Silicon Alley in Manhattan said to be the east coast’s answer to Silicon Valley.

Sister publication Global University Venturing’s analysis of the second quarter of 2019 shows increased investment activity as the year progresses and record-breaking amounts generated through exits.

The developing digital health sector has had to wait almost three years for the public markets to open up to it, but when they did, it was corporate venturing portfolio companies that were first through the flotation exit doors.

Sector review: Telecoms

“WeWork’s Bonkers IPO,” said Fortune’s daily newsletter. “The Weirdness of WeWork’s IPO Filing”, sister publication CEO Daily called it, adding: “If a recession is coming, the WeWork IPO filing… will be a fitting capstone for the peak.”

Hanwha Asset Management was among the investors in the latest round for the AI software provider, whose earlier backers include Tencent, Intel, Microsoft and Nvidia.

Anti-fraud software provider Shape Security was valued at more than $1bn in a round that included follow-on funding from JetBlue Technology Ventures.

Existing backer Liberty Global Ventures returned to help the cloud security platform developer haul its overall funding near to the $75m mark.

Warner Music Group and Animoca Brands both invested as part of a round that boosted the blockchain app and technology developer's total funding to about $40m.

Alphabet, Baidu, Microsoft and Qualcomm all notched up exits as the cloud services provider floated above a range that had already been increased.