Tech Is Taking Over

Source: AngelList Talent Newsletter,
Photo: Drone

Tech’s influence continues to grow

Is it digital health? Perhaps trucking? Or maybe energy?

While hardly anyone agrees on what industry is most ripe for tech disruption, there’s nearly universal acceptance that tech’s not done “eating the world,” as VC Marc Andreessen famously penned a decade ago. In fact, software is still hungry and looking for seconds.

The past decade saw the upheaval of dozens of industries as entrepreneurs reimagined how people shop, socialize, exercise, and invest. Bitcoin did to finance what Shopify did for e-commerce, what Lyft did for local transportation, what Airbnb did for vacation rentals, and so on.

What’s next?

People often ask, “What industry will Amazon disrupt next?” as the tech behemoth extends its reach into areas like warehouse logistics, prescription drugs, and small business lending.

Armed with a decade of hindsight, Andreesen doubled down on his prediction, saying software companies will dominate in “every market” in the future. Advancements in technologies like blockchain, machine learning, and quantum computing create significant opportunities for companies savvy enough to use them.

No longer confined to PCs and mobile phones, software is growing arms and legs as well as wheels and wings, in the form of autonomous robots and drones enhanced by computer vision and AI.

All of that means top engineering talent of all types—including full-stack, Web3, and crypto—are likely to remain in high demand, along with the marketers who can accelerate growth.

Trending in tech

Food tech is sizzling hot with investors

The food tech industry saw record VC investment of $40B in 2021—doubling the previous high mark—as tech companies work to optimize how people grow, consume, and discard food. The spike in funding is spurred by trends including the popularity of online ordering and food delivery; shocks to the supply chain; global labor shortages; and growing demand for more sustainable food systems. Online grocery and other digital-first food providers attracted record fundraising in 2021, and this year Chipotle launched a $50M venture fund for early-stage food tech startups. Vegan products and non-cultivated meat alternatives are getting increased funding. Y Combinator, Techstars, 500 Global, Plug and Play Tech Center, and FoodBytes are active investors in the sector.

Agtech takes bloom

Across the $7.4B global agriculture tech (“agtech”) market, entrepreneurs are crafting solutions to some hefty challenges. Faced with the prospect of feeding nearly 10B people by 2050—which would require a 60% increase in food production—tech companies are working to help farmers and other food producers boost their supplies while protecting ecosystems. Companies are deploying automation and robotics to face down a global farm labor shortage. They’re also leveraging things like satellite imagery, genomics, and drone-based precision farming to raise healthier livestock and crops.

Tech for better education

Covid-19 quarantines and restrictions led to a wave of new education tech (“edtech”) startups during the pandemic. They hustled to give students, parents, teachers, and other staff new tools and resources to learn in virtual settings. Everything from classrooms and parent-teacher conferences to books and fundraising got a digital makeover. A host of online certification platforms from companies like Google and LinkedIn, as well as traditional universities like Harvard and MIT, that compete with traditional degree programs. The market is expected to grow to $600B in the next 5 years, thanks to opportunities presented by AI, augmented reality (AR), and other tech. These could lead to new ways of learning and engaging in school.

Social media goes ‘meta’

Twitter’s $44B price tag is evidence of the power and popularity of social media, a space that’s attracting a torrent of tech talent these days. At their best, social media platforms empower people to cultivate relationships, expose them to new perspectives, serve as a tool for building personal brands, and much more. Though a third of the world is on Facebook, there’s plenty of room for startups to appeal to niche communities—as Grindr does for LGBTQ folks and Chief does for boss women. Blockchain technology, too, has the potential to revolutionize how people interact online.

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