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2025 Predictions: The Year Start-ups, VCs, and Tech Got Their Mojo Back
As we step into the new year, the tech world finds itself at a crossroads. In my latest Forbes article, I made 10 bold predictions for what’s to come in 2025 – an era that promises both thrilling innovation and existential crisis.
Phishing-as-a-Service (PhaaS) is now a thing, democratizing digital crime and making it easy for anyone to become a scammer without technical skills. The cat-and-mouse game between fraudsters and cybersecurity professionals will continue, but with AI-powered tools on their side, criminals are getting more powerful by the day.
However, this isn’t all doom and gloom. On the bright side, I predict that the IPO market will start to show signs of life in 2025. European unicorns like Klarna, Bolt, and Revolut are preparing for public listings, which will bring significant liquidity pay-outs to early investors in hubs like Stockholm and Tallinn. The US may remain the IPO juggernaut, but London is making a push to attract smaller cap companies.
Another area that’s heating up is defence technology. As global security concerns continue to rise, the sector has become hotter than TikTok dances. Defence-tech start-ups are commanding eye-watering valuations, and defence conferences are massively oversubscribed. However, let’s not forget that valuations built on conflict are inherently fragile.
Venture capitalists (VCs) have also had a change of heart. After years of throwing money at marketing-driven start-ups with the lifespan of a housefly, they’re rethinking their role. The spray-and-pray approach is out; thoughtful investing focused on solving meaningful problems – like climate, health, and global infrastructure – is in.
Lastly, low/no-code software has finally arrived, promising to revolutionize how businesses operate. AI-powered tools will enable implementation in a fraction of the time without consultants needed. It’s about time – we’ve been waiting for this promise for years.
As I wrote in my article, technology and its backers are searching for a new narrative. Will they find it? Or will history repeat itself with exuberance, crashes, and bubbles? One thing is certain: 2025 promises to be an exciting and unpredictable ride.
Source: http://www.forbes.com
