What Are the Next Potential Game-Changing Inflections?

I started this series by thinking about what makes business ideas great, specifically how major market shifts, or inflections, play a major role in the rise of extremely successful startups. Then we looked a few of those major inflections from the past 25 years, and some of the companies that they gave rise to.

• What Makes a New Business Idea Great? — Timing (Jul. 26th, 2024)
• What Are These Game-Changing Inflections? (Aug. 2nd, 2024)

However, while it is important to understand history, we all want to know what the future holds, specifically what are the next wave of inflections. Everything from here onward is just speculation; please don’t hold me accountable if they don’t come true :)

The Obvious Ones

• AI & Machine Learning: the development of advanced AI models and their integration into everyday applications will soon give way to AI-driven automation, personalized medicine, enhanced customer service through AI chatbots, and autonomous vehicles.
• Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies: blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies have introduced new forms of decentralized finance and digital assets, or even ways to digitalize physical assets, challenging traditional financial systems and frameworks.
• AR & VR: improvements to the hardware, software and user experiences around AR and VR will soon enable transformations in education, remote work, entertainment, and healthcare through immersive experiences.
• Sustainable Energy and Climate Technology: new breakthroughs in renewable energy technologies, battery storage, and carbon capture will allow society to transition into a low-carbon economy, widespread adoption of electric vehicles, and sustainable agricultural practices.

Upcoming Ones

There are those that are impending, but not quite in the public consciousness:

• Biotechnology and Genomics: advances in CRISPR and gene-editing technologies, along with personalized medicine will open new possibilities to cure genetic diseases and provide personalized cancer treatments.
• 5G and Next-Generation Connectivity: widespread adoption of 5G networks and the development of 6G technology will drive the fourth industrial revolution, including enhanced internet of things (IoT) applications, smart cities, real-time communication for autonomous vehicles, and improved telemedicine capabilities.
• Hydrogen Economy: Breakthroughs in green hydrogen production and fuel cell technology will help us move further away from fossil fuels, providing a cheap, sustainable energy source for transportation, industry and power generation.

Long-Term Bets

And there are the stretch bets which are still under the radar:

• Synthetic Biology: new approaches to DNA synthesis and gene editing are enabling the design and creation of new biological parts, devices, and systems which could lead to new pharmaceuticals, sustainable biofuels, and synthetic foods.
• Metamaterials: development of materials engineered to have properties not found in naturally occurring materials may lead to applications in optics (invisibility cloaks), telecommunications (superlenses), and defense (stealth technology).
• Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs): non-invasive and invasive methods for connecting the brain to external devices will revolutionize communication for individuals with disabilities, enhance cognitive capabilities, and create new forms of human-computer interaction.

Any other major potential inflection that I’m missing? Which inflection(s) will you be betting on with your next startup idea?

Make Innovation Work

Core Strateji is a strategy consulting firm that specializes in supporting leading companies to transform into ambidextrous organizations. Are you ready to move your innovation activities forward?

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