Startups closed out 2020 in a much stronger position than the one they started the year in, with global venture funding up 4 percent year over year to $300 billion. That growth came as industries disrupted by the global pandemic—work, health care, education, finance, shopping and entertainment—shifted dramatically to online services. That, in turn, created a boom for tech infrastructure and cloud services companies supporting this transfer, leading to a strong IPO and M&A market as companies sought to consolidate and compete. READ MORE