As the new year gets underway, CB Insights has put together a report on some of the top tech trends that will be shaping 2019. In particular, advancements in fintech detailed in the report will be of interest to business people such as Matthew Ledvina, director for a fintech company in London which focuses on asset-backed lending.
Hyper-Personalisation
Personalisation technology has been used for a long time to customise experiences for consumers when shopping online, playing games, streaming music, and all sorts of other activities. In 2019, it is predicted that personalisation will reach hyper levels, with an increase in collaborations across different industries. This prediction has been influenced by the 2018 collaboration between music streaming platform Spotify and Ancestry.com, which means data from DNA can be utilised to create personalised playlists linked to different regions and ethnicities. The beauty industry could also be exploring image recognition technologies to cater products tailored to individual customers. Both Apple and Amazon have received patents for personalising features such as responsive settings for automated vehicles.
Smart-Home Technology for Senior Citizens
As technology becomes ever more pervasive and tech-savvy generations get older, the market for technologies tailored to meet the needs of senior citizens is beginning to open up. While asking older people to actively input data on a regular basis may still be unlikely to catch on, there are a variety of emerging technologies that can assist with healthcare in the home passively, or by transmitting data directly to a carer if programmed to do so.
Sleep Technology
There are already smart products on the market that aim to help us get a better night’s rest by tracking sleep patterns, including smart pillows and mattresses. New wearable technology will be introduced into this category in 2019, such as sensors that monitor heart rate, blood oxygen levels, sleeping position, and other events that may cause sleep disruption, providing users with a sleep score.
Smart Buildings
It is not only our homes that are increasingly becoming equipped with smart technology. In 2019, we can expect to see a rise in smart buildings everywhere. The emphasis is on providing intuitive, comfortable work stations and offices that adapt to the individual needs and preferences of the user. These include technologies such as sensors that can track the number of people in a room, which will then be able to adjust the lighting levels or temperature accordingly. Occupancy metrics such as this not only help maintain a constantly comfortable level of heating or cooling, but also help increase energy efficiency by detecting when the room is empty and switching off accordingly.
Greener Transport and Logistics
The costs of buying and owning an electric vehicle, along with related factors that can cause inconvenience, mean that selling them to individuals is still not an easy task. However, areas where we may see a large increase in the use of electronic vehicles include public transport and logistics. The upfront costs to companies have been shown to pay for themselves over time, while aspects such as predictable routes and infrastructure that is easier to plan for make increased electrification in buses a strong likelihood in 2019. Greener vehicles are beginning to gain more traction in the logistics industry as well, with an increase in hydrogen fuel cell-powered trucks.
Increased Opportunities for Tech Apprenticeships
Many tech companies are now beginning to offer their own training courses and apprenticeships to bridge the gap between academia and employability. Students can train to learn the specific skills they need to enter a specific job, while only having to pay tuition fees once they reach a certain pay range.
