I’ve no investing checkbook to speak of but that doesn’t mean I don’t have an idea of where I’d place some bets in the early stage tech ecosystem were a pot of money to magically appear! :) Feel free to borrow, elaborate upon, or debate any of these seed investment ideas.
1) Identity – Username/password authentication is woefully inadequate to protect us yet it is still the standard for authentication on the internet. I can’t see the current state of affairs lasting another 5 years given the growing sophistication of cyberattackers. Plenty of room to innovate in this space (probably leveraging some of the latest / greatest mobile tech) and therefore room for some young companies to make a name for themselves.
2) Marketing for recruiting – The recruiting tech space has been pretty staid for a while. Recruiting has typically operated as a sales-like function within companies but I think there is a big opportunity related to candidate marketing and/or helping recruiters build relationships with passive candidates. Think Eloqua or Marketo – for recruiters.
3) Integration software for Normals – Products like Zapier and Ifttt are just scratching the surface in allowing Normals to integrate their cloud-based services together. There is room for a big company, or a few big companies, to be created in this space.
4) Tablet Music – New paradigms of music creation and performance are available through the tactile interface of a tablet. We’re seeing traditional vendors like Korg (I love the iKaossilator!) take advantage of this and repackage their physical products into tablet apps. This not only opens up new avenues of music creation for experienced musicians but allows novices (guys like me, for instance) to fairly quickly make music that sounds good and is fun to make. Plus, by virtue of being on an internet connected device, it opens up a world of possibilities for collaboration and shared performances. Bottom line – this is a huge market where a startup could make a splash.
5) Data Estates – Throughout our lives we create a huge amount of digital content through photo sharing, social networking sites, and use of other internet services – our ‘data estate’. What happens to that data when we pass on? I want to ensure that when I pass on my data is provided to those I care about – namely my family and friends. Estate planning is a very well understood concept in the physical world and it’s only a matter of time before that concept is brought to the virtual world. It’s Day 1 in the Data Estates space, which is why I’d love to place a bet there.
How about you? Do any of these investment areas seem compelling to you? Or am I way off of the mark?
Let me know either way – I’d love to hear from you.