Many startups may be small but there’s one advantage they often have in opposition to their larger competitors: innovation and inclusion. There had been radical changes in the startup ecosystem – not surprisingly, many of those changes and startup trends were driven by the implementation of new technologies.
Technology itself is not the key disrupter in most industries. Rather, it’s how that technology is applied that turns entire industries upside down. Here are 5 startup trends you will need to focus on if you want to make an impact in 2019.
- Artificial Intelligence
AI is spreading like wildfire. With new developments making headlines every week, it can be a tad bit difficult to determine whether they are relevant or not. One of the top AI trends to watch in 2019 is the growth of edge AI across applications. With a few data points, an AI can write a news article, identify objects in pictures, choose winning stocks, and recommend you a new pair of shoes.
- FemTech
This growing sector now features startups focused specifically on women’s healthcare. Femtech (female technology) alludes to software, diagnostics, products, and services that utilise technology to improve women’s health. Femtech entails the use of digital health to motivate patients to access and use applications for managing women’s health issues — from fertility to sexuality.
- Sustainability
Environmental issues are becoming more palpable and a higher level of awareness has led sustainability to be at the heart of development. Social concerns are impacting investing decisions and continue to be a trend in 2019. So, impact investing has been on the rise but so have sustainable investment assets. Global sustainable trends will most likely focus on issues such as plastic waste, climate change, security threats, and global health issues that pose a threat to animals, humans and the entire planet.
- INTERNET OF THINGS
IoT technology provides startups with some of the best opportunities to make an impact in the marketplace. Referred to as “The Next Industrial Revolution” and “Industry 4.0,” The internet of things is a system of computers, machines, digital systems, objects, and even people that can transfer data over a network.
As you can probably imagine — when every object in our world is a potential computer, IoT has almost limitless applications. At present, plenty of entrepreneurs have attempted to develop their own IoT product – and few have seen success.
- Voice Technology Sectors
Voice recognition technology has taken over every household, cars and even businesses. Most people now own a smart speaker – like the Amazon Echo or Google Home. Virtual assistants are no longer a commodity – they’re commonplace.
Startups don’t necessarily need to create their own voice recognition device. There are plenty of opportunities to develop apps, proprietary algorithms, and other functionalities within the voice technology space. For instance, there are opportunities for voice recognition technology in manufacturing, agriculture, field service, business services, education, and even healthcare.
