Every year Hemargroup attends CES 2021, to scout for interesting solutions and assess new market trends.
In this article we present 3 important lessons we learned from this year's CES, in the hope that they will be useful to all members of our community
1) COVID has fostered the development of the medical industry far beyond vaccines
The global pandemic context has focused mankind's efforts on finding possible solutions and cures. This has generated a considerable impetus throughout the medical and non-medical industry, leading to the development of new medtech equipment.
An early sign of this is the development of "smart wearable" solutions on standard equipment such as the Apple watch or the full development of new hardware products. One example is Razer, a company famous for developing gaming-oriented PCs, which has used all its hardware expertise to create Project Hazel, a smart face mask that combines UV sterilization, voice projection, and even some design solutions, such as multicolored LEDs.
We also saw a great emphasis on so-called "digital therapeutics", a category of hardware and software that identifies all the strategies and solutions to diagnose and manage symptoms and diseases. Furthermore, in an increasingly digital approach to medicine, they are an additional weapon in the hands of patients and doctors to detect and treat illnesses more quickly, monitor health conditions in a comprehensive manner and offer increasingly personalized treatments for patients.
If you still don't have any ideas for your own startup, imagine that this market is expected to be an $11.7 billion business by 2027.
Finally, we would like to mention all the new monitoring and sterilization technologies, useful for controlling and fighting pandemics, developed by companies such as Kinsa and LG.
2) AI and technology at the service of human beings
Another big trend this year is the general development of AI-based technologies to serve human beings and improve our lifestyle.
One example we really appreciated this year is Nobi, a startup that has built a series of smart lamps with elderly monitoring functions. The elderly care sector offers huge business opportunities, also considering the global trend of an ageing population. Among other things, this trend is raising doubts about the viability of Western welfare systems, especially pensions.
We have seen various technologies in this field: technologies that improve sleep, that take care of our clothing, and even within the robotic/automated delivery sector.
It is therefore undeniable that technology has today taken a supportive trajectory, for all the daily activities of us human beings.
3) Greentech and e-Mobility are on fire
A core theme of 2020, which has only amplified with the outbreak of the pandemic, is the care for our environment.
From AI agriculture, to new technologies for creating and conserving energy, there are plenty of companies and startups trying to build solutions and products to solve the environmental problem.
This year at CES we saw a strong concentration especially in the e-mobility field, which is not surprising given the launch of fully electric models by many car manufacturers.
What is different from previous years, however, is a return to personal and/or private forms of transport, a leap from a trend that has so far focused on ride-sharing.
Along these lines is GM's personal electric Vertical Take-Off/Landing (VTOL) Cadillac. A battery-powered one-person aircraft that is extremely futuristic. Similar vehicles already exist and operate as autonomous taxi services, so it seems that the industry is moving towards this form of transport, so popular among science fiction fans.
GM has also come up with its Halo self-driving car concept, a pod car designed to carry the passenger in luxurious comfort and using biometric sensors to adjust lighting, temperature, humidity, and even scent to their liking. Once again the focus is on the human lifestyle rather than the product itself.
There is also news from Germany, with Sono Motors and its Sion solar-powered car that uses 248 panels to generate the electric power to drive around 22 miles per day (if you live somewhere sunny) at up to 87 mph. This is an initial experiment in energy-autonomous means of transport, which are also dependent on clean sources of energy.
No surprises, however, with "micro-transport", which is still a strong trend, with companies such as Segway launching a new range of models designed for a revolution in private transport, especially for commuters.
We hope you enjoyed this brief overview of CES and that it has given you some insights into the trends that will impact the near future.
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