2021 Emerging Startup Opportunities for Investors
Forbes articles are on my LinkedIn feed these days.
To many, business has been tough, especially in the physical retail space. For others, a pandemic is perceived as THE perfect time to create a new business as VCs and Angel investors are looking to invest in the next big tech startup or innovative idea.
Small Business Contributor at Forbes, Bernhard Schroeder’s wrote a piece about: “What Covid Has Taught Us Could Be Six New Business Opportunities In 2021”. This intrigued me because A) I am an huge optimist and B) it touched upon the silver lining in business opportunities as a result of COVID despite confinement and lockdowns.
Being a digital expert and entrepreneur, I’ve been working from my home office before the pandemic began. For years I understood that I can run a global business from the comfort of my own home. I always felt there were opportunities the physical space wasn’t tapping into. So when I crossed Bernhard’s article, it resonated. Bernhard proposes new business opportunities such as: Camping grounds, Baking bread kits, Electric bikes, Certification program, and Virtual tours.
When the pandemic emerged, I too saw an opportunity for new business markets and ventures, and this prompted me to revive a tech startup concept I was working on the year before. I see countless relevant business opportunities. After joining the Founder Institute in 2020, I was privileged to be a part of this new wave of tech startup BOOM. Here are business concepts our world needs today:
1. OUT-OF-THE-BOX OUTDOOR PROGRAMS
AI powered outdoor experiences, adventurous activity programs, outdoor fitness trails... Whichever it is, outdoor activities are today’s go-t0 way to interact with others and get that adrenaline pumping.
2. MARKETPLACE CONNECTING LIKE-MINDED CONSUMERS
More and more creative marketplaces are set to empower smaller or local businesses. Leapsaver is the startup I created with the goal to disrupt the wholesale price-club industry and empower emerging household brands that would never have the option of finding its shelf space in the leading price-club. As the internet of things seems to be overwhelming and pulling consumer attention spans right-left-and-center, more and more brands are looking into marketplaces as a means to connect directly to their target consumers - minus the middlemen fee.
3. SPECIALTY SUBSCRIPTION BOXES
Find a target market that loves a specific product or good, and create a subscription box. Subscription boxes are great ways to generate revenue from your home. Create a box for coffee lovers, for cosmetics or pampering, or even for monthly motivation. My personal favorite is Scentbird, a perfume subscription kit.
4. ONLINE COURSES
We’ve seen “Start your own course” experts emerge with ways you can generate residual income by creating and launching your own courses. Courses you can share on Udemy, Teachable or LinkedIn Learning. There is an explosion of new and exciting content that is meant to educate and give people the how-to skills to create a solopreneur “instructor” type of business. This is great if you love entrepreneurship and teaching but are not a fan of managing a large company.
5. NEXT GENERATION SCHOOLING
Ever since the pandemic hit us, it seems like the traditional schooling system is slowly becoming obsolete. What once were lessons and reading that were important to instill in our children or teenage kids seems irrelevant in the tech world. Today’s teens have an opportunity to create their own online books, Influencer accounts, e-commerce stores… and make money faster than baby boomers. I believe there is a need for online schools that mandate daily meditation, tech-life balance courses, tax system 101, coding, robotics, e-commerce. It’s time we teach skills beyond knowledge, that.. in my opinion wont really generate money.
6. AI POWERED VIDEO CONFERENCING
There is no denying that Zoom has saved us buy enabling online connections. Nonetheless, there is a grand need for dynamic and secure video conferencing. Especially in the following industries:
Election system: The political and especially voting landscaping where people can wait in line virtually, validate their ID and then vote in a virtual cubical.
LIVE-stream Customer service: Video customer service especially for bureaucratic offices, telecom providers and even tech startups. (I am personally tired of email customer support and bots) I think its time to personalize customer service via video conferencing.
Education: Schools are in need of platforms with easier document sharing, AI features that automatically monitor attendance, participation, homework and assignment submission.
What do you think the next tech start up should be? What kind of tech startup are you working as a result of the pandemic shift? Feel free to leave a comment down below.
