Expert Predictions For Tech Trends That Will Shape 2023 – Part 1

We’ve collected industry expert predictions on tech trends that will shape 2023.

 
As we enter 2023, it’s hard not to reflect on the evolution of technology over the past year. From crypto to AI, through to emerging sectors in the startup space and the expansion of blockchain, it has certainly been an eventful year.

We asked a panel of industry experts to give their predictions on what trends they think will shape this year…

For more predictions, see part 2 here.

 

James Murphy, Director at TechVets

 

 
“The emergence of ChatGPT has set the tone for others to follow. This capability has the potential to change the way we process, and subsequently use, mass data and we will likely see the further development of AI and the adoption of machine learning across all industries as well as a greater reliance placed on automation.  

“Another area set for continued growth will be cyber security, with more focus on a greater use of automation for lower risk activities and more focus on prevention. The skills required will be dominated by a better integration of DevSecOps to remove the reliance on large scale and resource intensive cyber security teams.  

“There will be a critical requirement for more skilled people, particularly in data engineering, and data analytics, as well as a far greater demand for data scientists. This ties in with the likely uptrend in development and adoption of AI and machine learning.  

“Finally, the push for better access to digital will be a critical requirement for all further gains in tech to ensure the infrastructure and training is in place to support adoption. This also includes more accessible internet access across the globe with the reliance on satellite infrastructure.” 
 

Tim Annis, UK Managing Director at Bluechain

 

 
“In 2023, mobile technology will continue to give consumers easy and convenient access to information. Consumers want digital capabilities, simple and flexible and have many options at their fingertips. If they are frustrated, inconvenienced or feel they lack control, then they will switch to a competitor with the click of a button. The current economic climate is volatile. Times are tough and a lot more expensive, so delivering a best-in-class customer experience will determine business retention and loss.”

“We will also see an increase in Artificial Intelligence (AI) as businesses aim to surprise and delight customers with personalised value that distinguishes them from a crowded market. Customer service teams will look to an Amazon or Deliveroo-style approach to managing queries and disputes. Automated rules will help with routine queries to free up resources. Connected real-time data-led insights will help businesses to be proactive in improving the overall customer experience whilst empowering customers through personalisation.”
 

Kevin O’Connell, Chief Product Officer at Trust Payments

 

 
“There will be a shift in tech deployment throughout business operations, with a subscription-style, pay-for-what-you-use approach as businesses try to manage costs. We’ll see the layering of tech infrastructure, making bespoke processes to meet the digital needs of a new generation of businesses navigating the economic crisis.”
 

For any questions, comments or features, please contact us directly.

 

Petru Metzger, Head of Payments at Endava

 

 
“As consumer cashflow reduces, we will not only see a surge in the use of credit and products like Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL), but we’ll also see new industries adopting subscription models. Consumers will have the option to spread the cost of products and services for everything from fresh groceries to car subscriptions inclusive of embedded insurance and maintenance services. However, although BNPL will continue to be popular, it will come under pressure due to fluctuating interest rates. As a result, the B2B sector will see a boost in cash advance and other models to help businesses.

“Beyond BNPL and subscription models, more businesses will move into the FX and money movement space and embedded models will increase – a development that will require complicated B2B2C and C2B2B models”
 

Nick Wood, Executive Chairman and Co-Founder at Com Laude

 

 
“Public tolerance for poor security measures around private information and data reached its limit in 2022. That is why this year we will see businesses prioritising how they can hold their data as securely as possible – especially when this valuable information is highly susceptible to attacks.

“Web domains are one of an organisation’s most valuable assets – often holding the keys to the entire company’s data and information. Domain related cyber-attacks compromise a business’ access to and availability of critical services – seen when Twitter was taken offline for 2 hours due to a DDoS attack on its domain provider, Dyn.

“However, the domain name system (DNS) is all too often not afforded the due diligence it warrants, leaving consumer trust, brand reputation and the financial health of the business in the lurch.

“As trust becomes more important to consumers in 2023, businesses will need to be more vigilant with their DNS security approach. Portfolios must be audited to identify risk, and any domain name that carries business infrastructure, such as client data, must have the appropriate security measures in place to protect assets from a data breach or attack.”
 

Alex Saric, Smart Procurement Expert at Ivalua

 

 
“2023 is the year that words must turn to action on sustainability. Organisations have a vital part to play in combating climate change by creating more sustainable supply chains, as scope 3 emissions are the source of approximately 70% of business carbon emissions. Despite bold plans to cut emissions being put forward at COP26, the UN has warned they fall far short of what is needed to avoid catastrophic climate change. More regulations will also come into force, including requirements for listed businesses to start publishing their net zero plans. Firms now have no choice but to ensure they have concrete proposals in place to improve sustainability.

“Turning words into action starts with assessing suppliers and improving visibility into tier one and sub-tier suppliers to ensure unsustainable practices do not slip through the net. Not only will this prevent organisations being caught off-guard in the short and long term, but is significant for laying out an organisation’s green future in 2023 and beyond. Failure to do so could see businesses alienate customers increasingly sensitive to “greenwashing,” fall foul of regulations and become irrelevant in an eco-driven world.”
 

For any questions, comments or features, please contact us directly.

 

Jason Foster, CEO and Founder at Cynozure

 

 
“As data becomes more prolific and infiltrates more areas of business, organisations will need to pay more attention to how it’s stored, managed, and used. In 2022, we saw a surge in demand for data and tech experts, with data showing that more than two million vacancies in the sector were advertised over the last year, more than any other area of the UK labour market.

“In 2023, it’s safe to assume that data experts will be in even higher demand, with their work increasingly clearly recognised as a key enabler of productivity and growth.

“Over the past few years, we’ve seen the launch of many new vendors that offer more niche data services to organisations, for example Monte Carlo, which seeks to make data more accurate and reliable, data.world, which creates ‘data catalogue maps’ to give organisations an unified body of data-based knowledge, and Kleene, which combines data sources, standardises them into one language to create a central database for teams to work with.

“Now, as we come into 2023, it’s likely that many of these start-ups will be snapped up by bigger players looking to expand their offering and provide agile, scalable platforms to organisations. Expect to see a continued rise in merger and acquisition activity in 2023.”
 

Alex Tatham, Global Head of Clients and Marketing at NSC Global

 

 
“IT will continue to buck any recessionary trends as companies continue to invest in efficiencies that technology creates. 

“The shortage of enterprise networking products and budgets will lead many end-users to pay for maintenance services on one of their most important assets. 2023 will see businesses increasingly demanding equipment as a service reducing initial cash outflows and even the expense line in their budgets. 

“Current high prices and looming economic recession will make 2023 a tough year for business in general with post-pandemic debt, inflation and war driving recessions across the world.  However, IT will do better as companies invest in efficiencies as opposed to people.  There will remain a continued focus on cost reduction leaving nice-to-have innovation firmly at the door.”
 

Roi Amir, CEO at Sprout.ai

 

 
“Artificial intelligence (AI) is driving significant changes in what is possible today, versus what was possible with traditional software development. Deep learning and other AI techniques allow the automation of processes that were once considered too complicated. With good use of AI, many decision-making processes in insurance can be automated or assisted by software.

“Understanding the circumstances that led to a customers’ insurance claim and cross-referencing this with the terms of the current insurance policy is a complex task that can now be automated. We are seeing more and more insurers leverage this type of technology. In 2023 and beyond, we will also see more and more insurers use IoT and wearable devices to better track customers’ behaviour to identify and mitigate the risk of claiming on insurance.

“For example, technology can be helpful in tracking driving patterns and behaviours, or to monitor health and activity levels for health insurance customers.”
 

For any questions, comments or features, please contact us directly.

 

Roger Walton, Chief Revenue Officer at Resistant AI

 

 
“The explosion in Embedded Finance means that financial transactions and services are now built-in to many offerings from ‘non finance’ companies. Of course, an increase in such super-apps and embedded financial transactions needs to lead to an increase in ’embedded AML’, otherwise there will be a spike in nefarious activity.”
 

Guy Sear, Country Lead for UK at Payhawk

 

 
“Companies that were once pioneers in digital transformation and early tech adoption are now looking towards better-connected solutions, and even super apps.

“Super apps, described by Gartner as “like a Swiss Army knife, with many tools that serve a purpose,” mean that teams don’t have to jump from tool to tool to complete and manage business needs. Instead, they can rely on the multiple tools within the ‘super app’ to deliver one connected experience.

“What are the pros of super apps? Increased efficiency and centralised governance and control, plus only one place to worry about security and data. The cons? Again, it’s that there’s only one place to worry about security and data. And the potential risk for a large data store to be abused.”
 

Richard O’Connor, Strategic Marketing Director at First Mats

 

 
“2023 is going to be a huge year for AI, especially in the field of Search Engine Optimisation. ChatGPT took the online world by storm when it launched in November. ChatGPT provides users with a way to generate great-looking content by simply asking it to, and some of the tool’s functionality looks set to be incorporated into Bing search in March.

“But search engines, especially Google, are wary of how accurate and useful content written by a machine can be, with AI detection tools and algorithms already becoming available. Meanwhile, many SEOs argue that good content – which the search engines crave – is still good content regardless of who or what wrote it, but a crackdown on content that appears to be mostly AI written could have dramatic effects on the industry later in the year.

“Beyond written content, AI tools can now generate high-quality images on demand, and deepfakes are now more convincing than ever. By the end of 2023, we could be reflecting on emerging AI technologies as either the best thing to happen to the industry or the worst.”
 

For any questions, comments or features, please contact us directly.

 

Victoria McLean, CEO & Founder at City CV

 

 
“More movement at senior level: We’ll see more movement with senior level candidates seeking new opportunities. There’s currently optimism in terms of new roles because of high employment levels, and a thirst for increased remuneration in light of the cost of living crisis. 

“Increased focus on fresh talent streams: Some 72% of tech teams currently have a skills shortage. Companies will be investing more in talent they want to engage and retain to prepare them for bigger and broader roles in the future. An uncertain outlook requires future leaders to be upskilled.

“Gen Zs will feel a squeeze: There’s also been a lot of movement amongst Gen Zs, who are demanding roles on their terms and with flexibility. However, this has been limiting their learning opportunities, ability to network and get involved in exciting new projects. I predict this will change as we move into a recession and the job market becomes tighter.

“Doubling down on DE&I: This will become even more essential in tech, especially when it comes to equality. According to government-funded growth network Tech Nation, nearly three million people in the UK are employed in the UK tech industry – yet just 26% of them are women.”
 

Anastasios Papadopoulos, Founder and CEO at IMS

 

 
“In 2023, the SaaS market will continue to grow as SMBs increasingly recognize the power of investing in technology.  All in one and end to end solutions will become increasingly popular as companies try to streamline operations, automate processes, and adapt to remote work. For example, savvy real estate firms know that investing in technology might be the only way they can attract/retain top sales talent (after all, this is what their business model relies upon). Better tech = better chance of closing deals = happier agents = better for businesses’ bottom line.

“The web3 landscape will begin to mature as entrepreneurs think beyond the hype and create sustainable business models that answer real industry needs. As web3 tech accelerates, the need for security will continue to rise as well. Most of us don’t know it yet, but a revolution has begun. Similarly, blockchain is more than a fad, it’s the future. Consumers and businesses are demanding more security and transparency.”
 

Nada AliRedha, Founder and CEO at Plim

 

 
“Embedded Finance: This trend line is very likely to continue into next year, with consumers increasingly familiar with the flexibility it offers. A growing number of online vendors are adding payment solutions to their offer, with Amazon perhaps the most notable.

“This creates an issue for legacy banking providers, as businesses and consumers alike vote with their feet to avoid paperwork and charges in favour of more convenient digital solutions.

“However, with enormous players like Amazon now offering their own one-stop solutions developed in-house, this also creates a challenge for providers like PayPal and Klarna as they miss out on these companies’ vast user bases.

“One way to meet this challenge is for payment solution providers to start providing their own marketplaces, or work in deeper collaboration with external partners.

“Alternatively, it’s feasible that we could see some industry consolidation – it’s very easy to imagine large brands buying out some of the smaller firms and integrating their solutions into their offer.

“Finally, it’s no secret that the economy is likely to face a tough 2023. However, embedded finance solutions are well-placed to weather this storm, as at a time of financial stress consumers are very likely to appreciate the flexibility and control they offer over their cash flows.”
 

For any questions, comments or features, please contact us directly.

 

Ellen Whyte, Performance Marketing Lead at HANX

 

 
“I predict D2C marketing will see a creative overhaul – homogenous Meta ads will be out the window, with brands increasingly pushing boundaries when looking for ways to stand out from the crowd. 

“Vanity metrics will return in the form of a demand for virality, particularly on platforms like TikTok, and as a result, budgets will continue to shift from Meta to TikTok, spread across paid and organic content. We’ll increasingly see brands use influencers and team members in the content itself, humanising their creative, and make it easier and more natural than ever to build relationships directly with customers. Given the current economic situation, startups struggling for investment or growth will find that reducing the budget available for expensive shoots is invaluable.

“Live shopping will continue to grow, albeit very slowly, but consumers will become more receptive if brands can prove it’s worth their time. Likely, the inclusion of influencers and additional authenticity in these lives will help, making it more appealing for the younger demographic.”
 

Harish Malhi, Founder at Goodspeed

 

 
“2023 will be the year of no code. The majority of MVPs will be made using no code tools such as Webflow, Bubble and Airtable. This low barrier to entry will in turn lead to a rise in the number of entrepreneurs.

“Also, more mid-market & enterprises will also start using no code. As we approach tougher economic times, larger companies will be forced to be more efficient with time, money and resources. These companies will turn to no code to reduce costs by automating tasks, leveraging cheaper development and hiring more digitally savvy employees.”
 

Matt Smith, CEO at SteelEye

 

 
“Fintech funding outlook – B2B comes into focus: After a decade of growth and record fundraising in fintech, with fintech companies accounting for 21 of the UK’s 44 unicorns today, we predict that in 2023 we will see this slow down to a much more modest pace. Last year, the number of new fintech firms founded was down 85% and funding dropped significantly, but M&A in the sector spiked with 591 recorded deals in the first half of the year. So, it is possible that we are now on the other side of the fintech sector ‘boom.’

“Of course, the UK’s rich fintech ecosystem still presents exciting investment opportunities, and there is no shortage of available capital. But in the current economic environment, investors will be much more cautious about where, when, and how much they invest. The higher cost of capital coupled with a tougher business environment in general will force some fintech firms out of the market, as we have already seen, and create a smaller sector. Those who do make it through will emerge stronger and more resilient.

“Before the pandemic, neo-banks and consumer-centric fintech businesses dominated the conversation. Now, amid recession fears and following a period in which fintech valuations fell faster than any other tech vertical, technology that powers back office and control functions is coming into focus. Tightening budgets and scrutiny of performance are driving this trend, and the financial services industry is under pressure to improve operational efficiencies while proving it has learned from past mistakes.

“However, as the financial landscape becomes increasingly digital, so too does the risk of fraud, cybercrime, money laundering, data breaches, and market manipulation. In response, the RegTech market will continue to grow and evolve to meet the challenges of an ever-more tech-driven economy. SteelEye’s 2022 State of Financial Services Compliance report showed that almost half of firms (44%) are planning to invest more in RegTech solutions in the next year.”
 

For any questions, comments or features, please contact us directly.

 

Frederik Mennes, Director of Product Management & Business Strategy at OneSpan

 

 
“Changing consumer preferences have always driven the evolution and growth of the financial sector. In the past few years, we’ve seen a reliance on mobile and online services which has sparked a need for fully digital and seamless identity verification and authentication. This will be a key theme throughout 2023 as decentralised identities enter the mix.

“Decentralised identities meet consumer desires to better control personal information while also maintaining seamless online experiences. Unlike centralised identities, which are managed by big tech providers or financial institutions, decentralised identities will return control to the user.  A core tenet of Web3 , these new forms of identity will be enabled by digital wallets housing verified personal information from certified issuers. 

“What makes this new form of identification so powerful is that the user can control which piece of personal information is shared from the wallet and to whom. For example, want to prove you’re over 18 without giving away your exact date of birth? A decentralised identity wallet will allow this.

“However, like any new form of technology, to enjoy mainstream adoption, decentralised identities will need to be underpinned by robust and highly secure authentication methods. It’s likely this will require a mix of adaptive authentication methods, such as hardware tokens, biometrics and PINs. Once this security is assured and consumers feel they can trust this new form of identity management, expect decentralised identities to increase rapidly in popularity.”
 

Gabriel Pizzolante, UK Growth Marketer at Ironhack

 

 
“The tech industry is seeing a shift from specialists to generalists and we can now see generalists thriving as data professionals. Our bootcamps prepare people for a wide range of skills within the field that they choose, making it easy to become a more generalist professional with the option to specialise if that’s what they require in future.

“For example, our Web Development bootcamp equips students with a full-stack development skill set that can then be developed towards front-end or back-end development in any industry of their choice. Our UX/UI Design bootcamp provides concepts and frameworks of user experience, user interface and basics of front-end development. These can then be used in a multitude of roles as the Ironhack graduate finds opportunities and gains more experience.

“We’re predicting that tech bootcamp uptake will exponentially increase not just from career changers but from school leavers. While we are very focused on the career-changer, we are starting to see more applicants who are dropping out of university because it wasn’t right for them. What we’re observing is that Gen Z is taking a new approach to higher education. They value professional development at a faster pace over and above a traditional career path.  This year, we expect to see an increase in school leavers taking tech bootcamps like Ironhack as a fast-track alternative in just nine weeks, as opposed to taking years to study for an undergraduate degree.”
 

Brice Dondelinger, Co-Founder at Balloonary

 

 
”AI is set to transform businesses like never before. Creating new opportunities for small businesses and entrepreneurs in particular by using AI technology to automate business processes. AI tools are able to memorise and follow set protocols of tasks. And, as a result, they can help businesses become more efficient. Through the power of AI, Balloonary makes the process of creating, launching and analysing online ad campaigns fast and simple, and gives business owners the confidence that their online ads are being taken care of.

“No design or marketing skills are needed, simply enter a business URL and Balloonary’s Ai will analyse the website and create high quality ads by providing users the best images to choose from and writing all the text for them, that they can tweak as they see fit or simply go with what Balloonary suggests.’’
 

For any questions, comments or features, please contact us directly.

 

Darryl Sparey, Managing Director and Co-Founder at Hard Numbers 

 

 
“2023 is set to be a challenging one for VC-backed start-ups and scale-ups as the difficult macro-economic environment impacts investor decisions. Investors will want to have a greater level of confidence in the management teams that they’re backing, and their understanding and expertise within the markets they’re addressing.

“As we start a new year, we can expect to see entrepreneurs focusing on profile building to prove the value not only of their business but that they, as a leader, can bring. People buy from people and nowhere is that more true than in the VC world – in fact the numbers speak for themselves. In our recent Coverage to Capital research we found that UK unicorn companies whose founders have the largest LinkedIn following secured 20% more investment than average UK unicorn business. As belts tighten, the successful founders will be the ones that sell their vision for the future to VCs, their customers and crucially their network.” 
 

 Nikki Dawson, Head of EMEA Marketing at Highspot

 

 
“In 2023, sales enablement will be mission critical. Businesses increasingly won’t want to work without sales enablement, as the amount of time these tools save on a daily basis and the results they drive make them essential to the work sales and marketing teams do.

“Having the ability to see the impact of marketing materials created and the ROI generated is an effective way of measuring what content is working with customers and which informs decision making for marketing activities across the full funnel.

“Our latest research shows, 69% of UK marketers say that implementing sales enablement to support sales and marketing is something they believe their company should consider in the near future.

“For businesses to optimise their work and maximise profits, they need to focus on driving change from the front by aligning the way their sales and marketing teams work together. Having no ‘single source of truth’ for their work is a common obstacle for over a quarter (29%) of marketers as it means results are hard to find and analyse.

“Without access to this data, marketing teams are unable to improve content for greater success and can struggle to drive content adoption by their sales team.

“This is an issue which can be eliminated through the adoption of sales enablement, and in 2023 I’m sure we’ll see many businesses investing in this technology as a way to drive sales and ROI from marketing activity.”
 

Jack Richards, Consumer & Brand Intelligence Expert at Talkwalker

 

 
“2023 will see AI continuing to soar, especially in helping glean real-time insights to aid planning; ideation; reporting, and so on. MarComms professionals will be able to monitor and analyse millions of relevant social conversations accurately to draw actionable insights immediately.

‘”Take large language models for example. The next wave of LLMs represent a major advance in the consumer intelligence space. Up to a thousand times more functional than first-generation models currently used by the majority of consumer intelligence platforms, they remove the need for manual processing.

“We’re agreed pretty much the world over that insights are invaluable. But in today’s digital age, where we’re inundated with so much data, AI-powered large language models will provide the essential insight brands need.

“Through elevated social listening, brands and agencies will get even closer to consumers faster, and more effectively.”
 

For any questions, comments or features, please contact us directly.

 

 Dr Stefano Goria, CTO and Co-Founder at thymia

 

 
“It’s fair to say that AI gets a bad rep. It’s a powerful tool: and when used incorrectly or irresponsibly, can have far-reaching negative consequences. In the last few months alone, tech behemoths Microsoft and Meta have retracted AI models following legitimate safety and inaccuracy fears. But this year, I hope these companies (and many others) will join the ethical AI revolution so that using AI responsibly is no longer the exception, but the rule.

“Deploying AI ethically and responsibly shouldn’t be so hard, and is critical if people and businesses are to trust the technology. It requires building ethics into your AI models from day one (instead of trying to retrofit), as well as building AI models that are ‘explainable’, being transparent with users about how and where you’re collecting data, and ensuring your models are scientifically validated and rigorously tested for safety.

“This year, I think we’ll see the ethical AI movement pick up significant pace, with companies and legislators making huge progress to ensure AI is being used safely and ethically everywhere. This is immensely exciting, as it will mean we can finally start wielding AI to transform health outcomes, speed up administrative processes and enhance how we do business safely, rather than feeling wary of its unpredictability and its potential to cause harm.”
 

Nathan Moore, Co-CEO and Co-Founder at Live Tech Games

 

 
“One of the largest rising technology trends that Live Tech Games believes will shape 2023, is Artificial Intelligence. 0-70% of certain tasks will become easier to complete, like developing designs and writing copy. Instead of being the original creator of this content, you will eventually become the checker and approver. Visualising and ideating will be easier, as well as brainstorming, as you will be asking a computer to mock things up for you, rather than spending long periods of time doing it yourself. 

“Artificial Intelligence allows the minimisation of your workload and the effort you give for difficult tasks. Through the use of this advanced technology, you get the first part given to you, which avoids mental block and gives you the ability to develop your ideas further. This is particularly important and helpful for startup companies, as it saves time and lets you work more efficiently – crucial for when you are growing the business.”
 

Peter Wallace, General Manager EMEA at GumGum

 

 
“It feels like the excessive power of walled gardens can’t help but be a big theme for this year – particularly given the growth of some and contraction of others. Certainly, the way these walled gardens continue to operate in arguably monopolistic ways – such as developing their own cookieless targeting solutions which are clearly self-serving – seems to put the user experience on a secondary footing.

“One thing I would like to see, as a counterweight to all that, is a continued move towards open, equitable digital ecosystems that are user-first and sustainable, and within which it is possible to unlock appropriate targeting strategies. For an online world founded on the principles of freedom, anything else feels wrong.

“In terms of predictions, when you look at the investigations in the US and Europe into the monopoly power of Google, for instance, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that we will, at some stage, see Google broken up. Is this the year that really gets rolling? What does it mean for the industry if that happens? Either way, it really feels like this year needs to be one in which we all work hard to strengthen the cause of the open web.”
 

For any questions, comments or features, please contact us directly.

 

Jo Eckersley, CEO at Bubbl

 

 
“It’s critical that retailers ensure they are optimised to mobile given how central these devices are to our lives and our shopping habits. Looking ahead to 2023, we will almost certainly see continued growth in this area.

“The aim must be for brands to deliver relevant, situation-specific content and offers to their audiences – driving engagement and delivering ROI thanks to dynamic, context-based messaging delivered across push notifications, video or audio. Today, it is possible to use a variety of contextual triggers including geofencing – and, given the economic climate, shoppers will be receptive to well-targeted deals.

“Consumers today also demand a convenient, friction free shopping experience. Seamless service and intuitive, responsive design is not a nice-to-have; it’s essential for any modern retailer. Meanwhile, social media also continues to grow in importance, with hyper-targeted content holding the potential to drive sales, footfall and return on ad spend as communities talk amongst themselves.

“In this way, differentiating brand experiences can be delivered on the move, driving new levels of engagement.”
 

Owen Hancock, RVP EMEA at impact.com

 

 
“Faced with huge shifts in audience behaviour, conventional digital advertising has been struggling to keep up. In 2023, we expect to see brands turn to innovative partnerships for more personalised and trusted interactions. This, in turn, will usher in a new era of commerce.

“Certainly partnerships can offer a more authentic call to action, through reviews sites, bloggers or influencers. For instance, if you want to sell more running shoes, there is an obvious synergy in partnering with content creators who focus not just on fitness, but specifically on running. You can even get more niche than that and there are technology platforms out there to help you find those creators that have the best fit with your product.”

“Meanwhile, technology-enabled automation can free up time for marketers to focus on strategy. For instance, while defunct links and out-of-stock items rapidly deplete the value of e-commerce content, automatic link updates ensure content remains relevant, up to date and profitable. Integrations with e-commerce platforms such as Shopify can also give small and medium business owners access to global partners in just a few clicks.”
 

Stephen McAllister, Head of Business Intelligence at Absolute Digital Media

 

 
“Increased usage of conversational AI chatbots – this will create dynamic customer experiences 24/7, whereby the machine learnings can continuously improve responses and best serve users. For 2023 to put the user first and provide a rich UX with an emphasis on interactive and personalised experiences.

“An increase in privacy first technology and in gaining more user consent (1st part data), the push on cookie-less this will shape how marketing operates. Especially around audience profiling and attribution of marketing.

“Within social media marketing to see a continuing trend towards video and story-telling advertising on a more granular level on niche topics.

“A further increase in omni-channel experiences where we combine online and offline activity and market across multiple channels.

“The overall trend for 2023 will be putting AI front and centre and in leveraging user data, with 1st party data as the new gold standard for tech companies. Those who can capture 1st party data will be better positioned to understand their audiences and can make much more informed decisions. With this data, companies will be able to more accurately predict future behaviour and gain a competitive advantage.”
 

For any questions, comments or features, please contact us directly.

 

Larry Gadea, CEO and Founder at Envoy

 

 
“Those promoting a return to the office have been vilified, yet 76% of employees believe that going into the workplace is good for their mental well-being. It makes sense because we’re social beings who build better relationships face-to-face. Most people don’t work well in isolation nor do they have the discipline to do so.’

“Next year, companies are going to have to make a clear decision regarding office policies – whether in-office versus versus remote. This limbo that everyone’s in isn’t working. For the past year, employers have told their people they need to be in the office X amount of days, and then walked back that decision weeks or months later.

“This time, they’ll be more certain about their policies and stick to them. This means that leaders will be stressing collective success over individual convenience. The challenge for workplaces and their leaders will be to make office life as easy as possible. A big trend you’ll see more of is worktech that helps people interact with the physical office, helping them plan their days, and connect with coworkers on-site.’
 

Paul McKenzie, CEO at NexOptic

 

 
“I absolutely anticipate a shift towards more sustainable cloud computing energy use as 2023 begins. Back in November, Microsoft announced more power purchase agreements (PPAs), meaning it buys renewable energy to power its data centers, which enable the ‘cloud’. Renewable energy will be one way for organizations to reduce their carbon footprint, but it’s far from the only way for tech companies to achieve this.”

“As organizations look to meet ESG (environmental, social, governance) goals, leaders will search for innovative approaches to cut emissions. One way is to actually ‘shrink’ the information stored in the cloud. The technology exists to compress image and video data to save space while retaining the quality. This means it’ll take less energy to compute, potentially leading to significant cost savings, and by extension, lowering emissions associated with powering the cloud. I can see this trend gaining traction for organizations that rely heavily on cloud computing and cloud storage (streaming giants, for example).”
 

Clément Aglietta Co-Founder & CEO at Edda

 

 
“Fundraising is becoming tougher for fund managers and takes longer than usual as LPs are re-evaluating their capital allocation. What will be important to effectively communicate and build trust with your LPs? How can data transparency / analytics help with this?

“In the months to come, it will be important to re-evaluate capital allocation, because those PE firms who are not transparently disclosing their portfolio data will have to rely solely on exceptional fund performance when raising fresh capital.

“To me, it seems like the funds who are investing in impact are still raising capital while investors raising classic funds are struggling. The funds that are currently raising money for impact appear to be the only ones that get good answers from LPs.

“In addition, the recent negative headlines about very large funds – like Tiger Global and Softbank – show that they performed more poorly than expected, which means it will likely be very difficult to raise new funds of that size in 2023.

“Part of this problem is that there is no standardised way to measure impact. Every investor sets their own KPIs which makes it difficult to track and compare the impact of different funds. We need to work together to develop a universal set of  KPIs to be used by all investors to gather the insight and data necessary to assess impact.”
 

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Ian McLennan, Partner, Triple Point Ventures

 

 
“Across the board valuations took a hit this year. Investors will hope things start looking up in 2023. For early-stage tech companies, I expect we’re pretty close to the bottom of the curve. In the SaaS market, some indicators suggest that revenue multiples have dropped from a peak of 19x in mid-2021 to 5.1x more recently.

“That brings us back to where we were in 2016. This is bad news if you invested while valuations were still high and are now realising a loss, but it has its upsides for the venture ecosystem more generally. More realistic valuations mean more sustainable growth, and hopefully fewer dramatic blow-ups of the sort we’ve seen recently with FTX. That’s no bad thing.

“The story for big tech is gloomier. While the challenges from the energy crisis and rising bond yields may be peaking now, some of the consequences like a weaker jobs market and slow US economic growth will be felt in 2023. These factors, combined with a continuation of disappointing profit figures from big tech, indicate it’s likely that big tech has further to fall”.
 

Matthew Cockerill, Independent Design Consultant

 

 
“Fantasy glasses – AR smart glasses stuck in demo mode: Whilst mixed reality glasses are in the market from Qualcomm – Snapdragon AR2 Gen 1, Nreal – Air and even Meta’s – Quest Pro in passthrough mode, they are all still only giving you a demo. Promising things like big screen viewing, when what you get is floating screens with resolutions and size that make it difficult to read. This is because the current and emerging products are still prototypes despite often being promoted as consumer ready.

“I’m expecting to see new valuable use cases developed not by the platform makers and tech firms but by content creators. Delivering things like immersive and social content experiences to enhance existing content or deliver new forms in limited time duration experiences. We’ll be much more prepared to put on smart glasses to enhance a live venue experience like BTS’s live augmented reality stage. Or perhaps use them when we pay to bring the Abba Voyager virtual concert into our homes to share with our friends. 

“Whilst the tech companies continue to build tech to enable our mixed reality future, we should be looking to the imagination and creativity of content creators to lead the way in discovering their true value to us.”
 

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