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Here are the top new hypergrowth industries Im focused on right now. My research shows all of them will soon have their breaking out moment in 2021:
1.Synthetic Biology
Synthetic biology is a brand-new sector where breakthrough technology allows scientists to program living things. Im sure youve seen the DNA double helix before.
Source: edn.com
DNA is basically your bodys unique set of instructions. Its what makes you, you. Your unique DNA makeup determines what you look like, how your body functions. Think of DNA as the source code of every living thing on Earth. Synthetic biology gives us the tools to edit and create the DNA of an organism to get it to do something entirely new. Basically, it allows scientists to alter the makeup of living things.
How does it work? In short, engineers design sequences of DNA on computers. Then they physically print out those sequences and insert them into living things. This can then add beneficial character traits to a living thing.
For example, scientists already use it to make self-fertilizing plants. Joyn Bio used fake DNA to modify the microbes of plants so they can pull nitrogen gas from the air and convert it into fertilizer. Using synthetic biology, scientists have also created a reliable source of artemisinin which is used in malaria vaccines.
Fake meat pioneer Beyond Meat also harnessed this new technology to create more realistic veggie burgers. It was first to use a DNA coding sequence from soybeans to create meat that looks and tastes like beef but is actually made from vegetables.
In short, this breakthrough tech allows scientists to reprogram the operating system of plants and other organisms. Synthetic biology is hands down the most cutting-edge industry on earth right now. Just as Intels microchips and IBMs computers underpinned Americas computing revolution,Twist BiosciencesDNA synthesis platform provides the building blocks for the biology revolution.
2.Genomics
DNA carries your genetic information. Think of it as a set of instructions for your body. Mapping your DNA allows scientists to decipher your bodys unique set of instructions. By learning the secrets hidden within your DNA, doctors can tell what diseases youre likely to get. This allows them to catch problems earlier and diagnose them more accurately.
In fact, the use of DNA mapping in healthcare is exploding right now. A new prenatal test based on DNA mapping can detect hard-to-find problems with babies inside their mothers wombs. Its the fastest-growing medical test in American history.
Invitae(NVTA)is using these breakthroughs to turn Americas healthcare system on its head. In short, its building an alternate healthcare industry around DNAor geneticinformation.
By the end of 2020, Invitae will have mapped the DNA of almost one million Americans. And its creating a system where this information is used in our healthcare decisions. For example, most cancers have a genetic link. In other words, mapping DNA can help detect the disease early. And when it comes to cancer, an accurate and timely diagnosis can literally save your life.
But right now, many cancers go largely undetected. Invitae is working to change this. I see genetic mapping ushering in the era of personalized medicine in America. If you havent heard about this yet, you will soon.
In short, DNA mapping will allow you, as an individual, to know which diseases youre most at risk for. Knowing this, youll better understand the perfect foods, the perfect drugs, and the perfect exercise regimen, just for you.
But thats only stage one. The genomics industry is evolving from mapping our DNA to editing it. Gene editing promises to transform how we treat and cure disease. Humans have between 20,000 and 25,000 genes that carry the DNA instructions for our bodies. But devastating diseases like cystic fibrosis and sickle cell anemia are caused by just one error.
Gene editing is making cures for certain diseases possible for the first time in history. It has the potential to cure thousands of diseases like cystic fibrosis, Huntingtons, sickle cell anemia, and hemophilia.
Space has always been a business dominated by governments. The Space Race between America and the Soviet Union kicked off back in the 1950s. And since then, the US government has pumped $600+ billion into NASA. That dwarfs the $20 billion that private companies have invested in space.
But over the past decade, theres been a quiet revolution in the space industry. The advent of reusable rockets and innovative launch methods have slashed the cost of going to space. The cost to launch a satellite into orbit has dropped more in the past 10 years than in the entire history of space!
Rapidly declining costs are transforming space travel into a thriving business. In fact, private space investment has jumped 400% since 2013. Elon Musks intergalactic company SpaceX has launched 20+ resupply rockets to the International Space Station over the past few years. And earlier this year SpaceX sent its first two astronauts into space on its Crew Dragon capsule. It was the first privately built rocket and capsule ever to put humans into space.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is also pushing private space exploration forward. His company, Blue Origin, recently won a NASA contract to put Americans back on the moon. In short, the era of private space exploration is here. Over the coming years, tourists will fly into outer space, companies will figure out how to mine asteroids, and companies likeMaxar Technologies (MAXR)will continue to improve their fleets of spy satellites.
Over the past decade, investors have poured a record $26 billion into 535 space companies globally. Last year alone $5.8 billion was investeda new record. In fact, data from the Space Foundation shows the space economy generated $415 billion in revenue last year. Current industry projections peg the 2040 global space economy at between $1 and $3 trillion.
And keep in mind, government activity in space is growing once again. The Commerce Department revitalized the Office of Space Commerce, which was established over 30 years ago to help enable commercial space activities. Last December, Congress approved a $738 billion defense policy bill to create a Space Force, the sixth branch of the US military.
The core idea of artificial intelligence (AI) is a machine that learns and thinks just like you or me. Most important, it learns all by itself, without human intervention. But please understand, AI isnt one single all-knowing machine like you see in the movies. Instead, it describes intelligent computers that do ultra-specific tasks.
For example, right now machines are learning to see for the first time ever. This is the basis of the flourishing computer vision industry. Medical imaging disruptor Paige is using computer vision to revolutionize the way we diagnose cancer. Paige fed millions of real-life medical images into its computer program and taught it to detect early signs of tumors.
And it recently tested the system by scanning 12,000 medical images for potential tumors. It had never seen these images before, yet achieved near-perfect accuracy. In other words, this computer has learned to recognize cancerous tumors better than human doctors. Paige is just one example of machines performing like superhuman doctors.
Stanford researchers recently built a computer that scans MRIs to detect Alzheimers disease with 94% accuracy. Other teams are teaching computers to drive. Amazon recently acquired top self-driving car startup Zoox for $1.2 billion. Zooxs computer on wheels is so good at driving it can zip through San Franciscos busy streets without a human driver.
Then you have firms developing checkout-free grocery stores, which turns your local Whole Foods into a giant supercomputer. Earlier this year, Amazon launched its Dash Cart. The shopping cart uses computer vision algorithms and sensors to identify the items in the cart. So you can simply grab items, throw them in the cart, and walk out.
In short, these are all world-changing technologies that will make many folks rich. Many new, unique disruptions are hiding underneath the misleading banner of AI.
Do you remember when every company had a dedicated payroll department?Now most businesses outsource it to companies like Paylocity and Paycom. In fact, offloading your payroll department makes total sense. Why do it yourself when you can pay a specialist to do it for less?
And as businesses outsourced their payroll needs, Paylocity and Paycoms stocks surged. This outsourcing phenomenon isnt just confined to payroll anymore. All kinds of functions that used to be done in-house like accounting, web design, IT support, and data storage are being offloaded now. For example, most companies that need to build a website no longer hire a whole web design team. Instead, they pay firms like Shopify and Wix to handle all their online needs.
Firms still employ armies of accountants to look after their finances. But this is rapidly changing. An upstart called BlackLine has created software that automates most accounts payable and receivable jobs. It now counts major firms like Nike, Costco, and Dominos as customers. And its stock has shot up 300%+ in the past couple years.
Remember when every office in America had a dedicated server room? The in-house IT department would look after the companys systems. And ensure hackers couldnt steal valuable data.
IT departments are now shrinking rapidly. Instead of employing dozens of workers to stop hackers, companies now simply pay cybersecurity firms likeOktaandZscalera monthly fee to protect their networks.
Then you have a company likeSmartsheet, which is automating much of what project managers used to do. Its app basically allows teams to collaborate, manage, and report on work in real time. And its stock has surged 150%+ over the past couple months.
All these jobs used to be done by in-house employees. Now they are being outsourced to specialist firms. And the firms pioneering new software products have been among the best-performing stocks in the entire market.
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Originally posted here:
The Top Five Hypergrowth Industries I'm Targeting In 2021 - Forbes