[probe]

What's really interesting about this batch (and previous two) is this new blend between digital and physical.

In the decade of the 2000s, the big companies that succeeded were all software/web in nature - with Google, FB, LNKD, TWTR, etc. you engaged with them solely on the screen and their revenues derived primarily from advertising and taking advantage of your eyeballs.

If you look at the new monopolies in the first half of this decade (ex. Uber, Airbnb, Palantir, etc.) they're bleeding into the physical world and providing value in a very tangible way (ex. literally moving you from point A to point B). It's no surprise that many of them are staying private for even longer; physical problems require human engagement and it's just a harder problem that requires more attention.

I believe a lot of startups, investors, and partners have subconsciously realized this and now see the potential that new technology has in impacting the physical world through digital portals and digital means. Expect this trend to continue.