INSIGHTS AND RESEARCH
The introduction of the Internet in 1983 has paved the way for changes within humanity that could never have been fathomed at its conception. The advancement and adaptation to technology is omnipresent and here to stay. Technological progress is a predicted megatrend with not only the Internet as a key player but big data, cloud computing, DNA sequencing, energy storage, advanced robot technology, the internet of things, artificial intelligence, mobile internet, internet payments, nanotechnology and 3D printing.
With the high volume and speed of technological progress it is a lot to unpack. However, these technologies are not possibilities but our reality therefore organizations which do not understand these processes must learn quickly. These technologies will increase efficiency and effectiveness; provide transparency and predictive ability and improve the general well-being of people by making new products and services fully available.
Technological progress can be taken for granted for our future and we are witnessing LATAM’s rapid digitization before our own eyes. When brick and mortar businesses go from pen and paper to SaaS inventories, education is conducted via Video, work becomes remote and 60 million more Latin Americas become banked, the old processes become obsolete and our manner of communication and life changes forever. Integra invests in disruptive technology because it is aligned with our thesis to improve 10 million lives in 10 years.
Over the next five to ten years the world will see an inevitable increase and change in the technologies we currently know and use. As such, there is not only a need for businesses and organisations to implement strategies for using the new technologies, but also to educate themselves and their stakeholders – thus developing an understanding and swift adaptation. Apt capability of deploying new technologies has proven to benefit companies greatly, more so if said companies readily invest into new tech opportunities.
Which technological breakthroughs will we see flooding markets soon?
The first of many is, of course, automation. Automation more broadly entails automated systems which replace or simplify human labour. We have of course already seen a glimpse of this as customer services and advertising have largely become replaced by online chat bots and tailored voice recordings designed to address customers’ needs efficiently and quickly, thus cutting labour costs significantly for businesses. In the near future error-sensitive tasks and jobs will be almost entirely replaced by artificial intelligence, robotics, and cloud technology. Thus, automating business models and organisations as a whole is a significantly profitable investment opportunity as for investors as for the businesses themselves. Employees, akin to consumers, have developed an increasingly high benchmark for digital apps, systems, and platforms they use daily, thus investing in a high-tech work environment and corporate technology will not only improve the efficiency of workers but also the efficiency of the entire business, without much cost-cutting.
Streamlining markets is also one to look out for. Technology which facilitates transactions, direct relationships between consumer, supplier and business ultimately enables markets to grow stably and competitively – driving costs down while increasing quality. Technology such as big data, ‘the internet of things’ and instant mobile payments further allow for businesses to be proactive by knowing their customers future needs, and therefore allowing to capitalise on those very needs and requirements in due course. The facilitation of such market innovation is the reason we invested in Sellrs, a Mexican SaaS providing omnichannel software solutions for SMEs in Mexico and Colombia and eradicating a market gap for brick-and-mortar SMEs’ access to credit, integrated point of sale solutions (POS), sales management tools, logistics and marketing.
Last but not by any means least is new products and services derived from technological advances. Those very products one thought, even five years ago, would be impossible to create and use, like 3D printers for example or self-driving cars, both of which now exist. One major technological breakthrough which is gradually becoming a megatrend on its own is nanotechnology and DNA sequencing. With the help of nanotechnology and DNA sequencing businesses will be able to create higher quality and completely sustainable materials and products at an affordable price. This megatrend is also rather broad in its reach – from medicine, air and space travel, agriculture and, finally, electronics – thus containing huge opportunities for investment into a large number of various start-ups breaking into these sectors.
Integra Groupe brings you closer to such incredible investment opportunities meanwhile providing a gateway for founders operating in these megatrends to exploit their full potential.
July 21, 2022
Potential for venture returns while changing the world.
