2021 Predictions

2020 was a difficult year. At the same time, it did facilitate extraordinary progress in digital transformation. Against this backdrop, here are some of the biggest predictions for 2021:

  • Companies will start to consider listing their IPOs in Europe, instead of the US. This will be great news for the European ecosystem and help stimulate further investments.
  • We will keep pushing to even greener places. With climate change on the forefront of many minds, ClimateTech 2.0 looks set to one of the standout successes of 2021.
  • Productivity and collaboration apps will become among the most important apps. There is strong need for community environments, even in an online world. This has made demand for collaboration and productivity tools skyrocket…a trend likely to continue well into the future.
  • Supply chain startups will begin to make their mark. With supply chains disrupted by the events of 2020, new startups will start to drive new supply chain setups using technologies ranging from artificial intelligence (AI) to data analytics and the internet of things (IoT).
  • Crypto will drive B2B cross-border payments. The global financial system is very poorly connected, with many financial institutions lagging well beyond modern technical capabilities in this respect. As the crypto economy becomes more well-known and more trusted, expect many businesses to switch to this new financial system that is free of legacy constraints.
  • Data ethics will drive competitive advantages. Data ethics is one of the hottest topics in the world right now. Most companies are considering including data ethics into their brand to foster trust and bring them closer to consumers.
  • Banking will get “uberized”. With Uber reigniting its focus on finance (with the launch of Uber Cash), banking-as-a-service (BaaS) is likely to be one of the most important trends of the year as other companies follow suit to take advantage of their unique positions in the market.