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!
Meta is developing its first true AR glasses, set to launch in 2027. Before the public release, employees will test the device starting in 2024. The company is also releasing new generations of Ray-Ban smart glasses in 2023 and 2025 with enhanced features like a “viewfinder” display.
Specifications and Features
The AR glasses are expected to feature OLED displays and Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets, offering sophisticated AR and AI capabilities. They will enable users to interact with virtual objects and project high-quality holograms of avatars onto the real world.
Design and Competition
Meta aims for a sleek design, potentially building on its Ray-Ban partnerships. The AR glasses market is competitive, with Apple and Google also investing heavily. Meta seeks to make its AR glasses a game-changer by offering a unique user experience.
Future Plans
In addition to AR glasses, Meta is expanding its VR offerings with new headsets like the Quest 3 and exploring other wearable technologies. The company is focused on reducing costs to make the AR glasses more consumer-friendly by launch.
MobiKwik is venturing into the stock broking sector with the launch of its subsidiary, MobiKwik Securities Broking Private Limited (MSBPL), following approval from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs on March 3, 2025. This move aims to diversify MobiKwik’s offerings beyond its core digital payments services and compete with established players like Zerodha and Groww.
MSBPL will provide a range of brokerage services, including trading in shares, securities, commodities, and derivatives. The subsidiary has an initial capital of Rs 1 lakh, with plans for an additional Rs 2 crore investment to support its operations.
As MobiKwik enters this competitive market, it brings a substantial user base of 172 million and a merchant network of 5 million. Despite recent financial challenges, including a reported loss of Rs 55.2 crore in Q3 FY25, the company aims to leverage its existing infrastructure and user engagement to capture a share of the growing investment technology market, projected to reach $74 billion by 2030.
This strategic expansion aligns with MobiKwik’s broader goals of enhancing its financial service
Nazara Technologies has sold its entire 71.54% stake in Sports Unity Private Limited, the company behind the multiplayer quiz game ‘Qunami’, for INR 7.15 lakh. This divestment, effective March 25, 2025, signifies a strategic shift for Nazara, which had previously acquired a controlling interest in Sports Unity in 2019 for INR 7.5 crore.
The decision to offload the stake comes as Sports Unity has faced financial difficulties, reporting no active business operations and a negative net worth of INR 0.45 crore at the end of FY24. This move aligns with Nazara’s broader strategy to streamline its operations and concentrate on more profitable ventures within the gaming sector.
This sale follows Nazara’s recent divestment of a 94.85% stake in another subsidiary, Open Play, to Moonshine Technologies for INR 104.33 crore. Despite reporting record quarterly revenue of INR 544.7 crore in Q3 FY25, Nazara experienced a 53.5% decline in net profit year-over-year.
Nazara continues to focus on enhancing its portfolio through strategic acquisitions and investments in high-potential gaming platforms while navigating the competitive landscape of the gaming industry.