Finance Monthly - January 2022

Finance Monthly. Inve s tment 55 in over three years) underscored this. Global Equity Markets: With valuation multiples rich, equity markets will remain choppy and range-bound, especially with higher interest rates. Deep Tech: Some of the greatest technologies have always existed courtesy of Mother Nature and some entrepreneurs are well-positioned to harness, mimic and unleash that which has always been present. Companies such as Silicon Valley-based Koniku blend the right ingredients of healthcare, technology, and biosecurity. A Shazaam for smells, the company’s central tech elegantly takes what already works amazingly well in the natural world (a dog’s sensory apparatus) and packages it into a small device that can seamlessly detect explosives, narcotics, and COVD in real-time. Africa: An emerging middle class, swift mobile adoption, and green pastures for innovation and leapfrogging, yield tailwinds. We like founders who courageously collaborate with various stakeholders (employees, partners, regulators), genuinely feel the pulse of the customer and utilise tech to magnify opportunities on the ground. In particular, Nigeria- based Lifestores Healthcare (a rapidly expanding network of tech-enabled pharmacies), and Kenya-based Koa (an innovative, community FinTech platform), are well-positioned. Preventative Health Services: The pandemic has enabled consumers to access healthcare more broadly than ever before and raised awareness on preventive care. We think companies that are empowering users with enhanced access and new types of information such as Phosphorus (a preventive genomics testing company that enables customers to optimally map their health journey based on their DNA), and Freenome (an early- stage cancer detection platform), are ahead of the curve. FinTech: Growth will remain hot with fewer brick and mortar banks of yesteryear, increased consumer comfort around mobile banking, and new one-stop platforms that go beyond full-service legacy bank offerings. One such innovator is Pallo (an all-in-one platform designed specifically for freelancers, which helps users manage all personal and business finances, frommoney management to taxes). 2022 Should Be Better Whilst history is obviously not always the best predictor of future success (Google Glass, Apple Maps, Speed II: Cruise Control) this innovation factor is objectively real and potentially more potent than in 1919 or 1969. While in this piece, we have pointedly omitted some dramatical forces at play that are above our predictive pay grade (China’s muscle and Russia’s flex, crypto and NFT chaos, the painful $USD demise, omicron, Kristin Stewart’s portrayal of Diana in Spencer), on the simplest level we think 2022 should be markedly better than 2021 for most things but most certainly not for air travel. About the Author Steven Barrow Barlow serves as the CFO of BINJ and co- runs Andon Okapi Holdings, an investment firm providing financial, operational and strategic support to founders with big ideas & unique tech. After a decade as an equity analyst on Wall Street covering the consumer and healthcare sectors, he co- founded Kallpod in 2014, a tech solutions provider for the hospitality & healthcare industries. No Investment Advice The content in this article is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. Nothing contained in this article constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement, or offer by Steven Barrow Barlow, BINJ, Finance Monthly or any third- party service provider to buy or sell any securities or other financial instruments.