As we hurtle rapidly towards the end of 2024, the new year is well and truly on the horizon, which means there’s no time like the present to start looking ahead. For investors, that means gaining a clear picture of the industries that could be set to see significant growth and thus present exciting new opportunities in 2025 – and thanks to ongoing global shifts, there are several digital industries that deserve particular attention.
Driven by continued technological innovation, shifting consumer attitudes and more, here are the top four to have on your radar.
Smart home technology
Smart home technology has transformed the way we live, becoming an essential tool in high-end luxury homes and offering new levels of comfort and convenience by allowing residents to control everything from their heating and lighting to their entertainment systems via a smartphone app, from anywhere, anytime. The demand for smart home technology continues to rise, and is expected to see the market exceed £174 billion in 2025, and once again, machine learning will play a key role. Allowing systems like these to learn residents’ unique habits and make tweaks and recommendations based on their lifestyles, it has made it possible for individuals and families to reduce their carbon footprints and household bills, and as the interest in home automation and energy efficiency continues to rise, smart home tech is set to enjoy its most successful year yet.
Online education
The online education sector has evolved dramatically over the past few years, spurred on in part by the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. The resulting lockdowns and government furlough schemes saw people with an unprecedented amount of free time at home on their hands, and many opted to fill it with increasing their knowledge, gaining a new skill, learning to set up their own business or retraining for a complete career change. It was all made possible by the diverse array of online courses, webinars, tutorials and ebooks, amongst other things, that are now available for instant digital access, and sparked a fresh trend for online learning that is set to continue as we head into 2025.
With online search traffic for phrases like ‘write essays for me’ surging, online platforms such as DoMyEssay.com are in particularly high demand, and by the end of next year, the global e-learning market is expected to surpass an eye-watering $375 billion. Fuelled by the growing adoption of digital learning platforms by providers and users alike, as well as an increased understanding of how traditional teaching methods can be translated effectively through digital mediums to achieve the same desired learning outcomes, plus the ongoing technological innovations and the need for continuous skill development in a rapidly evolving job market, and the market’s upward trajectory is showing no signs of slowing anytime soon.
Fintech solutions
The financial technology (fintech) industry is also enjoying a boost at present, with the latest cutting-edge takes on how consumers manage their finances and relate to financial institutions such as banks and building societies set to see the global fintech market top $300 billion by the end of next year.
Blockchain technology is one of the key drivers behind this, with its continued integration making transactions safer and more secure than ever before, as well as offering new levels of speed and efficiency. By facilitating peer-to-peer payments without the need for intermediaries, costs are cut and transactions are faster than ever before, and through decentralised finance (DeFi) platforms, a raft of innovative new financial products and services have been made available.
The role of AI and machine learning is not to be overlooked, either, and by allowing organisations to better cater to their clientele’s unique needs through tailored advice and personalised service, it’s also set to prove pivotal to the industry’s rapid growth over the next year.
Renewable energy technology
On the subject of environmental impact, it will likely come as no surprise that the renewable energy technology sector is also poised for significant growth in 2025. As investments in solar, wind and other renewable sources of energy continue to rise as the world works towards a greener future, the market will continue to gain rapid momentum, creating new business opportunities in the process.
Areas of particular interest will likely be electrical vehicles and the infrastructure on which they rely – which requires substantial investment if we’re to reach ambitious government targets on reduced carbon emissions by 2030 – and energy management systems, and we’ll see a continued uptake of greener practices and thus, technologies by individuals and organisations overall.
The bottom line
From online education to fintech solutions and beyond, 2025 is set to be an exciting year for digital industries of all kinds, transforming life as we know it even more dramatically than they already have – and these are the top industries to take note of.
Disclaimer: Investing money carries risk, do so at your own risk and we advise people to never invest more money than they can afford to lose and to seek professional advice before doing so.
