How to start an investment conversation?

Weekly Investment Conversation Starters No. 120

Thanks for reading this newsletter, this week we talk about exoskeletons for paralysed persons, the tiniest drone ever made, and gen-AI embedded into search engines.

Three ideas to start a thematic investment conversation

1. An exoskeleton helped carry the Olympic torch ????

Kevin Piette, a paralysed tennis player, carried the Olympic flame through Paris, with a robotic exoskeleton.

2. The tiniest solar-powered drone takes flight ????

China's smallest, lightest solar-powered micro aerial vehicle weighs under 5 grams and flies nonstop in sunlight.

3. AI is coming for search engines ????

OpenAI and Microsoft launch AI-powered search tools (SearchGPT and Bing Generative Search resp.) with real-time info. Is that a threat to Google search?

1?? An exoskeleton helped carry the Olympic torch

Seen on X this past week:

• Kevin Piette carried the Olympic flame through Paris, as part of the Olympic torch relay.
• Kevin is a paraplegic tennis player and he walked with a robotic exoskeleton.

Why should you know?

1. Exoskeletons help people stand and walk hands-free despite conditions like strokes and paralysis.
2. They are battery-operated, custom-fit and use sensors to detect movements.
3. They are primarily used in rehab, but personal versions are being developed to enable more independence at home.

Who is Kevin Piette?

• Kevin Piette has been paraplegic for 11 years after an accident.
• Despite this, he did not give up and returned to tennis as a para-athlete.
• He also became an exoskeleton pilot, testing and helping improve the technology.

Share an investment thought:

???? Investment Theme: Medical Devices / Automation and Robotics

Medical devices, such as exoskeletons, leverage the power of robots and automation to assist in the treatment of many medical conditions and transforming the future.

2?? The tiniest solar-powered drone takes flight

Seen on IEEE Spectrum this past week:

• Scientists in China have made the smallest and lightest solar-powered micro aerial vehicle.
• It fits in your hand, weighs less than 5 grams and can fly nonstop while the sun shines.

Why should you know?

1. The main application of micro aerial vehicles is reconnaissance tasks.
2. A solar-powered motor opens the door for long-distance and long-duration aerial reconnaissance.
3. By adding a tiny lithium-ion battery one could foresee for 24-hour operations.

How does it work?

• CoulombFly uses an electrostatic motor powered by solar cells.
• It takes off within one second of being exposed to sunlight.
• It can sustain one-hour flight under natural light.

Share an investment thought:

???? Investment Theme: Smart Mobility

Regulatory changes, consumer preferences and technological advances will likely lead to even greater electrification and automatisation of means of transport.

3?? AI is coming for search engines

Seen on Microsoft's blog and The Verge this past week:

• OpenAI launches SearchGPT: a new AI-powered search tool with real-time internet information.
• Microsoft launches Bing Generative Search: with its traditional search results, augmented with references as clickable links.

Why should you know?

1. These initiatives aim to be a rival to Google and Perplexity.
2. They take different approach from Perplexity, which faced criticism for content use.
3. They provide clear sources and links in responses to address pitfalls of ChatGPT.

How does it work?

• Both tools are in prototype modes, to garner feedback, test and learn.
• Bing uses its search results as foundation, with the power of large and small language models.
• Search GPT is powered by OpenAI GPT-4 models.

Share an investment thought:

???? Investment Theme: Enabling Technology

Enabling technologies like artificial intelligence, AR/VR, 5G, cloud and big data are the engine of the digital transformation and spending on their development should remain high.

About Investment Conversation Starters

Hand-picked for relationship managers and investment advisors,?Weekly Investment Conversation Starters?is a series of ideas to start a conversation with clients, spark their curiosity and gauge their appetite for thematic investments.

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