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Chinese digital marketing agency Cue & Co. reportedly prepping U.S. IPO

Dan Primack, author of Pro Rata

Cue & Co., a Chinese digital marketing agency, reportedly hired bankers for a U.S. IPO that could seek to raise upwards of $400 million at a $2 billion valuation.

Why it matters: This is the latest in a flurry of U.S. IPO activity by Chinese companies, reflecting how no one in either country is taking Washington's de-listings threat seriously.

  • Cue was formed in early 2019 when KKR backed a roll-up of four Chinese digital ad agencies. It then raised an undisclosed amount of Series A funding from Anchor Equity Partners and Princeville Global.

The bottom line: "Cue works with Chinese tech companies like ByteDance, Baidu and Tencent to source advertising on their popular Chinese apps like WeChat, Douyin, Jinri Toutiao, and Kuaishou, writes Reuters' Scott Murdoch and Julie Zhu.

Go deeper:

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Ashley Gold
1 hour ago - Technology

Scoop: Google won't donate to members of Congress who voted against election results

Sen. Ted Cruz led the group of Republicans who opposed certifying the results. Photo: Stefani Reynolds/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

Google will not make contributions from its political action committee this cycle to any member of Congress who voted against certifying the results of the presidential election, following the deadly Capitol riot.

Why it matters: Several major businesses paused or pulled political donations following the events of Jan. 6, when pro-Trump rioters, riled up by former President Trump, stormed the Capitol on the day it was to certify the election results.

Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow
Alayna Treene, author of Sneak Peek
2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Minority Mitch still setting Senate agenda

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Chuck Schumer may be majority leader, yet in many ways, Mitch McConnell is still running the Senate show — and his counterpart is about done with it.

Why it matters: McConnell rolled over Democrats unapologetically, and kept tight control over his fellow Republicans, while in the majority. But he's showing equal skill as minority leader, using political jiujitsu to convert a perceived weakness into strength.

Go deeper (2 min. read)Arrow
Axios
Updated 2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

  1. Health: Pandemic fatigue quantified — Coronavirus could be worsening childhood obesity.
  2. Vaccine: Biden floats prospect of 1.5 million vaccinations a day — Moderna says vaccine appears to protect against new COVID-19 variants.
  3. Politics: Deborah Birx went "on the road" for local COVID efforts to avoid White House censorship — Sanders says Democrats will push coronavirus relief package through with simple majority.
  4. Business: Budweiser skips Super Bowl ads in favor of vaccine education campaign.
  5. World: First U.S. case of COVID-19 variant from Brazil confirmed in Minnesota — Mexican President López Obrador tests positive for coronavirus.
  6. 🎧 Podcast: Google's chief health officer Karen DeSalvo on vaccinating America.
Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow