Slauson Studies: The Quick & Dirty of 2030
Challenges & Opportunities of the Next Decade: Economic and Demographic Shifts in the US
Slauson & Co. is dedicated to understanding the trends that will shape our future. Our goal is to anticipate how people will work, live, and interact, while identifying the tools and technologies that will drive these trends. Furthermore, we seek to identify the companies poised to become the leaders of tomorrow’s industries.
To gain deeper insight into the future and make informed investments, we conducted demographic research to understand the state of the United States by the year 2030. By synthesizing data from over 30 sources, these are our main takeaways.
2030 Snapshot of the US ♻️
While our research reveals an increasingly inequitable, older and transitional demographic and economic landscape in 2030, we still strongly believe in entrepreneurship as a driver of economic inclusion and generational change. Slauson & Co.’s investment thesis is focused on supporting SMB tech and culturally aligned consumer companies, but our primary aim is to support visionary founders who are uniquely positioned to shape the future.
Based on our 2030 research, we have identified additional verticals (below) that are of interest to us for potential investment(s).
Slauson & Co.’s Areas of Interest ♻️
Callout: 2030 presents a dramatic shift in the demographic landscape of the United States. Based on our research, we’re interested in learning more about startups addressing areas of elder care, personalized healthcare, immigration, and death.
By 2030, nearly a quarter of Americans will be over 65 — a historic demographic shift. Yet, there is a lack of critical infrastructure to support this burgeoning aging population.
The current U.S. healthcare system faces challenges related to sustainability, affordability, and timeliness. Our aging population will require solutions combining personalization and efficiency in healthcare. That is why we emphasize the need for culturally competent, fast, and affordable care, especially elder care, to improve the quality of life for all individuals.
Additionally, while immigration is poised to surpass the natural population by 2030, the U.S. is also projected to have the lowest life expectancy at birth in 2030 among high-income countries. Given these demographic trends, Slauson & Co. is interested in startups that leverage technology to offer faster, inclusive, and more affordable immigration solutions, as well as companies creating new and holistic end-of-life services.
Callout: Increased Divorce rates and dropping birth rates are just some of the factors leading to new types of family identities and individual lifestyles. Our subsequent areas of interest include leisure products for women, the pet industry, and solutions for diverse family structures.
Almost half of all women aged 25 through 44 will be single and childless by 2030. This demographic will have increased disposable income, time, and flexibility to spend on travel, leisure, and wellness products. Though people are having fewer children, the proportion of households owning a dog is expected to grow from 38% in 2020 to 45% by 2030 (even bigger for cat ownership). Pets are becoming the new kids, and we’re interested in startups that cater to the needs of pets and their owners.
As the demographic landscape shifts by 2030, we also foresee diverse family and co-living structures becoming increasingly common. “Gray divorce rates will triple by 2030” and with an 18% rise in elderly “orphanhood” (elderly who are childless), there will be a growing need for professional caregivers and perhaps new types of co-living structures for the elderly that are different from nursing or retirement homes. Additionally, with a projected 8% rise in American children raised by a single parent, we believe that community-based living such as mommunes will require unique solutions.
Callout: Although there will be a large wealth transfer by 2030, the U.S. will remain increasingly inequitable unless there are new innovations in insurance, housing, transportation, and personal finance.
Insurance is a significant expenditure for many, yet it often lacks transparency across the board. With the rise in immigration and aging people, we foresee the need for more accessible insurance services. Insurance should be easily accessible and navigable for new immigrants who may not be fluent in English, and there should be a wider range of health and life insurance offerings for our aging population.
Homeownership is also set to decrease for all age groups except for those over 75. As the demand for flexibility in housing options grows, we believe there is a need for new solutions driving change in ready-to-move-in, long-term rentals, sustainable housing solutions, and co-work/co-living models. Concurrently, people will require efficient, affordable, and reliable mass transportation solutions that enhance the way they commute and travel.
Finally, there is a significant generational wealth transfer that’s underway in the U.S. This poses unique opportunities to provide financial and legal tools and services that facilitate this transition.
Callout: Technology is creating more international businesses and a global workforce. There will be a growing need for translation technologies and employment solutions.
Effective communication is the cornerstone of human interaction. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected and people and businesses work internationally, we’re interested in startups that are working to enhance communication through innovative translation technologies.
Additionally, the changing landscape of work will see over 50% of work activities automated by 2030. Technology will inevitably disrupt the labor market, but we are interested in seeing startups that not only create jobs but also enable reskilling and leveraging technology into the workforce.
These are just some of the areas we are interested in currently, but we are open to any startups that are culturally aligned and positioned to become industry leaders. If you are a startup that fits what we are looking for, we encourage you to reach out to us here.
