This week on Equity Mates

Hey there Equity Mate,

NVIDIA - the stock that just keeps on giving. Up 141% year-to-date, and 700% since the beginning of 2023, NVIDIA is now the third largest company in the world, behind only Microsoft ($3.09 trillion) and Apple ($2.98 trillion).

With a market cap of $2.84 trillion, NVIDIA is now more valuable that all 100 companies listed on the UK FTSE100, combined! A real chance it’s the biggest company in the world very soon.

Here’s what’s in your podcast feeds this week:

Equity Mates Investing (Spotify | Apple | YouTube)
This week we’re doing a series on Superannuation with Vanguard, to try and encourage the 50% of Australian’s who aren’t engaging with their super, to start paying attention.

• Monday - Are you wasting 11% of your salary? | Vanguard Super Retirement Series

• Wednesday - Expert: Aidan Geysen - 4 key criteria for choosing the right super fund | Vanguard Super Retirement Series

• Friday - How much super should I have at my age? How to stay on track | Vanguard Super Retirement Series

Get Started Investing (Spotify | Apple | YouTube)

• Tuesday - $100 Challenge: Make money while walking

For the first time ever our portfolios are going under the microscope at our live podcast recording in Melbourne!

Wednesday, 10th July - tickets now on sale.

Come and join us for a beer, a laugh, and a night of live podcasting, where we'll be doing a Pimp My Portfolio segment, Ask An Advisor, and unpacking the latest market news.

We can't wait! For more info, head to https://equitymates.com/events/

What we’ve been reading

Duolingo Deep Dive

When you think about companies that have performed the best over the past year, you probably first think of artificial intelligence: Nvidia, Super Micro Computer and the rest of the AI stocks. Far fewer people would think of the language learning app, Duolingo. But its performance has been pretty incredible - up 170% since the start of 2023. 

This article takes a deep dive into Duolingo, starting with a look at its founder Luis von Ahn. Fun fact about Luis: before he founded Duolingo he invented the CAPTCHA and reCAPTCHA test that checks if we are a human before logging in to a website. 

Luis von Ahn’s story also illustrates something we notice time and time again with the big American tech companies. Luis is from Guatemala and moved to the United States to study. Meaning Duolingo joins a long list of American companies founded by immigrants or the first generation children of immigrants. Google (Russian immigrant) and Amazon (son of a Cuban immigrant) top the list, but 224 companies of the 2023 Fortune 500 list were founded by immigrants or children of immigrants. A fact that is so often lost in debates around immigration in the United States and here in Australia. 

From it’s launch in 2012, to its IPO in 2021, this is a fascinating look at Duolingo with plenty of key business and investing lessons: the importance of an organic growth strategy, nailing a freemium business model and the power of gamifying something with technology. 

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Uncovered: Argenica Therapeutics (ASX: AGN)

Uncovered is our exploration of smaller Australian companies that don’t receive as much media attention or analyst coverage. We believe every company has an interesting story to tell and we want to help tell it.

Time is brain during a stroke—every minute without treatment kills 1.9 million brain cells. Despite this urgency, only 35% of stroke patients reach the hospital within the critical 4.5-hour window for effective treatment. Victorian Health is trialing a mobile stroke unit to address this, but Argenica Therapeutics has taken a different approach: extending that crucial window.

Argenica's neuroprotective drug, ARG-007, aims to slow brain cell death during transport to the hospital, offering a lifeline where time is of the essence. Now in Phase 2, the drug is being tested on acute ischemic stroke patients, with initial results indicating no serious adverse effects.

Argenica's story is one of perseverance, innovation, and the pursuit of improved outcomes for stroke patients worldwide. With ongoing support from investors, the future looks promising for ARG-007 to become a game-changer in stroke therapy.

This post contains sponsored content.