[Internet of Things Opportunities in 2020]
With technology advancement in all layers of IoT, from cloud computing to sensors and connectivity modules, to LTE and now 5G, the industry is poised with more opportunities than ever before. And with continued reduction in implementation cost, we are close to crossing the chasm to mainstream use, as the world sees more and more uptake from small and medium businesses, what are the opportunities on the horizon?
#Opportunity_One_Device_Enablement
Without device enablement, there will be no IoT. Rather than building an IoT device from scratch, some of the fastest growing startups in this space are building solutions which can enable all types of devices to connect with the internet, building the enablement layer means helping any smart device, machinery, or even household appliances to efficiently connect to the internet. Although the challenge lies in consolidating standards against big brands and country specific regulations, this layer is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 24% p.a and poised to be a US$ 30 billion market by 2023.
#Opportunity_Two_Cloud_Computing
It goes without saying that cloud computing has been one of the fastest growing spaces in the last decade. Companies like AWS/GCP/AZURE provide large data storage capacity and computing power to fuel sophisticated functionality, security, and analytics. The real opportunity here is to apply existing research data with cloud computing and IoT devices to provide results previously impossible to execute. Agriculture is currently at the frontier of these applications, by applying plant nutrition data from Ecology, Philips Lighting’s Growiser Center can monitor, track, and control the environment that influence a plant’s growth, however, manipulating the environment comes at a cost, but by leveraging IoT to optimize the environment whilst balancing the cost, Philips have managed to maximize yield profit and quality for their growers like never before.
#Opportunity_Three_Business_Applications
With steady advancement in technology and investment in the lower layers of IoT, the requirement to explore business applications has become much lower. However, due to the high financial opportunities, the business application layer will continue to be very fragmented. It is up to the founders to study, explore, and consolidate the possibilities that lie within the application layer, and to build something that businesses and individuals can truly benefit from to reap the rewards.
If you are a founder working on any layers in IoT, or a founder that is interested in working with other IoT founders, we welcome you to join our network of over 1,100 founders from around Southeast Asia and Taiwan. The application to join AppWorks Accelerator will open in May, you can check out more information by following this link here: https://bit.ly/3eLDKWk
by Jack An, Analyst
