Entrepreneur Stories
Startup Industries To Keep An Eye Out For In 2019
While the year 2018 was all about major acquisitions and controversies, the year 2019 will be about discovering new fields and embracing different startups. From the beauty industry to virtual reality, here are the hottest areas for startups in the coming year!
1. Personalized nutrition
Diet conscious individuals the world over are slowly realising there is no one diet which can help you lose weight. With over 15 million people around the world going through genetic testing to see what diet suits them best, it comes as no surprise that the next hot industry in town is the nutrition industry! Knowing what your genetic blueprint looks like is a good way to avoid falling ill and incidentally, nutrition is also considered to be one of the major disease reducing fields. Companies like Arivale and Family Tree DNA started realising the benefits of a nutritious diet. The growth in this field is tremendous and the industry is expected to generate a revenue of $ 19.1 billion in 2021 as opposed to the $ 9.5 billion earned in 2018!
2. Drones
While drones were initially invented for security purposes, they have gotten a lot more slick and affordable since their launch, making them accessible to the general public as well. With the potential to be used in areas like agriculture, construction, firefighting and cinematography, drones are the next big thing in tech right now! From inspecting crops to delivering goods, drones can quite literally be used in any field! At the moment, DJI is one of the major manufacturers and they upped the game by partnering with the Rwanda Government in order to deliver blood and other supplies as needed by the people in rural villages!
3. Beauty Tech
The combination of the beauty industry and the tech industry is opening the doors to innovation of a new kind. This new merger is helping in influencing the kind of products people buy and the way they buy them as well! From creating ready for pictures make up, to providing highly customised products for consumers, the beauty tech industry is definitely booming! Seed Beauty, a Los Angeles based firm, has already produced products which took the world by a storm! Another beauty company called Glossier is also doing really well in this field!
4. Digital Payments
While Paytm set the ball rolling for digital payments, the field is picking up pace since the last year. From in app purchases, to mobile payments, to enabling online purchases, digital payments have simplified the process of online transactions. In fact, since the rise of cryptocurrencies, online transactions have become extremely simple and also opened the doors to a new form of payment!
5. Flipping websites
Flipping websites is a new trend which is growing with a steady and fast rate! A quick and easy way to make money, website flipping works in a way which lets you make money by selling domains or websites on existing websites. Almost an art which involves specific research, one can either auction the domain or sell the entire website on different platforms for a particular price. With websites like Flippa.com and FreeMarket.com on the rise, there is an increase in startups like these!
With startups branching toward different ideas, the year 2019 is going to be exciting to say the least! If you think we missed out on any other ideas like these, comment and let us know!
A decade ago, the success of a startup was measured largely by its ability to raise capital. Today, a different metric is gaining importance: the ability to generate meaningful exits for investors. Large stake sales by early backers are becoming increasingly common, not because growth opportunities have disappeared, but because India’s startup ecosystem is entering a more mature phase where capital is expected to complete its full cycle from investment to returns.
This evolution is particularly significant for consumer brands that have successfully blended technology, retail, and strong brand-building. Companies that were once viewed as high-risk startup bets are now attracting institutional investors capable of absorbing large transactions. Such developments indicate that these businesses are no longer being valued solely on future potential; they are increasingly being assessed on operational performance, market leadership, and long-term profitability. In many ways, investor exits are becoming a validation of a company’s ability to create lasting enterprise value.
The broader implication extends beyond a single company or investor. Successful exits encourage more global capital to enter India’s startup ecosystem because they demonstrate that liquidity opportunities exist at scale. As more venture-backed companies approach public listings, secondary transactions, or strategic investments, the focus of founders and investors alike may shift from chasing headline valuations to building durable businesses. The next chapter of India’s startup journey will likely be defined not just by the creation of unicorns, but by the creation of companies capable of delivering sustained returns to all stakeholders.
Apple has unveiled the new MacBook Air with M5 chip, starting at $999 for 13-inch and $1,299 for 15-inch models. The MacBook Air M5 boasts a 2nm M5 chip with 12-core CPU, 18-core GPU, and 50 TOPS Neural Engine for seamless AI tasks like real-time translation and 8K editing. Up to 22 hours of battery life, Thunderbolt 5, and Wi-Fi 7 make it the ultimate ultraportable, now 10% thinner at 0.44 inches with fanless cooling.
Key MacBook Air M5 features include Liquid Retina XDR display (500 nits, nano-texture option), 12MP Center Stage camera, and six-speaker Spatial Audio. Colors like new Sky Blue join Midnight and Starlight. Pre-orders are live today, with macOS Sequoia 15.4 enhancing Apple Intelligence and iPhone Continuity for students, pros, and remote workers.
Why buy MacBook Air M5 now? It outpaces Snapdragon X Elite rivals with ecosystem magic and future-proof performance, eyeing top 2026 laptop sales. CEO Tim Cook calls it “more capable than ever.” Visit apple.com for M5 MacBook deals and specs.
Delhi NCR-based gaming startup Zupee has acquired Mumbai-based microdrama platform Vertical TV in a deal valued under INR 40 Cr. This move strengthens Zupee Studio, its short-video arm launched in September 2025, by integrating Vertical TV’s expertise in bite-sized dramas like romance and thrillers.
Facing challenges from India’s 2025 real-money gaming ban, Zupee valued at $1 Bn after raising $120 Mn has pivoted to non-gaming content, including recent layoffs of 40% of its workforce. The acquisition builds on its November 2025 purchase of Australian AI firm Nucanon for interactive storytelling, targeting its 200 Mn+ users with engaging, mobile-first formats.
This deal underscores the rising microdrama trend in India, helping Zupee diversify amid regulatory pressures and compete in the short-video space dominated by quick, shareable content for on-the-go audiences.
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