Software quality assurance engineers know there’s no such thing as “defect free” software. It’s all about making a judgment call as to when none of the outstanding defects qualify as showstoppers. Even the miraculous system that makes up the human body makes mistakes. “A genetic disorder is a disease caused in whole or in part […]
When you’re managing a portfolio of tech stocks with a limit on the number you can hold, you need to start making difficult judgment calls. Perhaps you find two compelling companies addressing the same theme and you need to pick “the best one.” This is the Palantir vs. C3 problem. Or you might be holding […]
Don’t invest in stories. Don’t invest in a company before they have meaningful revenues. Don’t invest in drug developers that have a great deal of regulatory risk. These are all rules we need to break if we want exposure to a technology that allows mankind to start playing with the recipe of life – gene […]
When we first encountered the exciting world of synthetic biology, we couldn’t wait to invest in the leader at the time – Intrexon. Then, when the company’s fearless leader spent an earnings call talking about how much money they planned to make selling apple slices, we exited our position and realized that most synthetic biology […]
Synthetic biology is the single most exciting technology we know of, but execution has been problematic. From Intrexon to Zymergen, synthetic biology stocks have punished investors for believing that harnessing the most powerful technology known to man – nature – was going to be easy. While we couldn’t be more excited about the potential of […]
Oftentimes, we’ll come across a promising investment thesis that’s sailed through most of its life without accomplishing much. (Graphene anyone?) While some investors bet on carbon-based nanomaterials transforming the entire materials industry, others looked to new engine designs that might disrupt the automotive industry. We’ve covered at least half a dozen companies trying to reinvent […]
We’ll often see people leave comments on our articles like “I’m up +420% on stock X.” Without a timeframe and a benchmark, it’s impossible to know if that’s good or bad, but most people don’t recognize that paper returns mean nothing unless you sell and take profits. Plenty of investors watch their stocks rack up […]
The 1997 film “Gattaca” promised a future where humans would be free of disease and babies born on demand with the latest upgrades, including enhanced speed, intelligence, and beauty. Much like a new Tesla Roadster. However, despite the technological predictions offered by Hollywood moviemakers, we’re still living in a time when synthetic biology is working […]
We recently profiled eight companies creating exotic lab-based foods. Dubbed cellular agriculture, the technology to grow meat from animal cells has advanced swiftly in just a few years. One of the first commercial products just hit the menu at a Singaporean restaurant. At $23 for four chicken nuggets, it’s still more of a novelty than […]
People often talk about food as the great unifier across cultures and peoples, even European football fans. But that’s really a load of bollocks, innit, bruv? In our current age of yin-yang dystopia, food itself can be divisive. One of Canada’s most well-known national treasures, poutine, has created internal strife over who owns the rights […]