Any business feels financial decline in times of economic or other crisis. This time, the world was significantly affected by the well-known Coronavirus. Many startups have lost any funding from cautious investors, and many projects are on the verge of bankruptcy and complete liquidation. But, nevertheless, many startup projects are gaining popularity. Consider some innovative products from companies that will significantly ease the harsh everyday life in 2020.
Startups in the field of medicine
In Switzerland, KRY's medical app is gaining popularity. The startup calls itself a " digital platform and medical center." The development of the project allows many patients to enter data about themselves and their symptoms of ailments, after this simple procedure, the application connects the person for a 15-minute conversation with the doctor, with both parties using a video link.
In March of this year, app downloads increased by 62% compared to the same period last year. The number of consultations increased by 80%, and appeals related to the virus by 240%. The company significantly expanded its staff, as the server side of the service simply could not withstand the increased load.
Robotics
Since robots can’t get sick, they are an ideal replacement for performing work in hospitals and other institutions, as well as help those who can’t leave the conditions of self-isolation. The Danish company Blue Ocean Robotic has succeeded in this field. The startup develops robots that have a number of features. Recently, the demand for disinfection robots, which contribute to killing of bacteria and viruses in medicine institutions, while they use ultraviolet radiations.
In just a year, the company's growth was a crazy 400%. At the height of the pandemic, the project received an order from the Chinese authorities for 100 robots, each of which costs 60 thousand euros. It may seem that this is a huge amount, but the care of each patient with the virus costs the authorities 4 thousand euros. The payback period comes in about 5 months, so the company's unique development is in demand.
Services for video conferencing:
Virtually all major events have been canceled worldwide until 2021. This is why video platforms have exploded in popularity. For example, London-based company Kantree has launched a video collaboration platform for organizations to provide a comfortable remote experience for users.
Some projects use a rather cunning strategy and "lure" the user with free versions of their applications. For example, Klaxoon is temporarily offering a free version of its meeting platforms, demand for startup services has increased by more than 90% in the past few months.
The well-known video hosting service Zoom has also been in demand recently. The startup is getting more expensive with each new day of quarantine. Recently, the project has taken care of increasing the bandwidth of the server side of its product.
In March of this year, a startup Run The World was launched, which helps conduct educational lectures for students, the project has attracted more than $ 4 million in investment.
Biotechnical projects:
British start-up project Benevolent AI is trying to find a vaccine against the virus, using developments in the field of artificial intelligence. The project has attracted attention and funding from the authorities. The state believed that in the fight against the disease, AI may well help. Smaller projects in this area also do not sit still. The Swiss company Sky Cell has received more than 200 orders to ship 50 tons of drugs to China (total order was $ 234 million). And finally, the medical mask sector has grown several times, with the Asian startup Kawamoto particularly successful.
Messengers:
Due to the fact that most people now work without leaving their homes, the demand for messenger services has grown several times. The most popular enterprise application right now is the Slack Technologies startup. The company's share price is on the rise due to the massive trend of remote work. The pandemic helped the app to become the market leader quite well.
The messenger comes up with a proven distribution model. Initially, the service provides a trial period, after which it recommends subscribing. The application is extremely user-friendly and easy to learn for people of all ages, therefore, it is very easy to organize online events in it. Now, the company is introducing a number of new functions into its service and hopes for a constant trend in its financial growth.
Media services:
Many people who are in quarantine are wondering how to entertain themselves. Many streaming services have already benefited from these requests. Analysts argue that this market will also cover the sports industry, as all fitness clubs are now closed and people will work out at home, and therefore the growth of home sport applications is inevitable.
In the light of recent events and recommendations of the WHO (World Health Organization), the field of video gaming shows tremendous growth. In China, for example, the video game market literally "exploded" and showed an incredible growth rate. Publisher Tencent is the main startup that has benefited financially from the virus. The European and American markets are dominated by start-up projects such as EA, Activision, Take Two and Blizzard Entertainment.
Conclusion:
Despite challenging times for everyone, many startups have benefited and introduced a range of unique products. Until the summer period, most projects, one way or another, will be retrained for the current realities, and standard startups will fade into the background. If you have a fresh idea that will "shoot" during a pandemic, then it's time to implement it! Good luck to everyone and stay at home if possible.