The Biggest Themes in Tech From 2017

Source: Getty Image / CNBC

Here are the Top 10 biggest stories from the technology sector in 2017:  from technology stocks hitting all time highs to Amazon's dominance and the global crypto currency craze. 

10.  Softbank's Huge Investment Fund Was Involved In Over 50% Of The Largest Equity Startup Investments

Billionaire Masayoshi Son announced his plan to unleash a $100 billion technology fund that was met with skepticism. But by the end of the year, investments in insurance, co-working, and robotics has many has left only believers behind.  Softbank was involved in the top 3 rounds made to companies in the United States. 

9.  The Technology Stocks Surpass Dot-Com Highs

The biggest tech giants (Apple, Alphabet,  Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook) hit all time high stock prices, pushing past the previous dot-com records. Apple in particular is well on its way to hit a $1 trillion market valuation, bumping the $900 trillion this past year with a cash hoard bigger than GE.

8. Netflix Threat Triggers Fox-Disney Merger

Disney followed up its announcement to pull all of its movie content from Netflix with a purchase of $54 billion in Twenty-First Century Fox stock. 

7. The Chip Making Industry Heated Up

The Semiconductor ETF was up 35 % over 2017, surpassing even the 31.7% gain seen in the Technology Select Sector ETF.

6. Uber Struggles

A data breach in 2016 that affected 57 million people put a final cherry on top of Uber's terrible year that included drug use at organization events, CEO Travis Kalanick resigning, and the firing of 20 employees following an internal investigation. 

5. Tech Industry Loses Trust Due To Data Breaches

Data breaches from credit reporting firm Equifax and ride-hailing app Uber affected more than 202 million people, causing a drastic hit to trust among citizens. 

4. Facebook Reputation Takes a Hit

News surrounding Russian ads and ad-targeting technology that allowed racial discrimination caused Facebook's reputation over the year to take a turn for the worse. 

3. #MeToo in Tech

Silicon Valley saw its own string of sexual harassment allegations and statistics that brought light to the tech industry's gender imbalance.  

2. Amazon Is On Everyone's Mind

Jeff Bezos passed Bill Gates to become the world's richest man, as Amazon posted its best holiday season ever and is on every industry's radar. 

1. Crypto Currency Craze Goes Global

The crypto currency market boomed to $3 billion in initial coin offerings over 2017, up from $222 million in 2016. 


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