From blockchain, quantum computing, AI/ML, VR/AR, and cyber security to IoT, 6G, and robotics, several exciting trends on the horizon are likely to shape the tech landscape in 2023 and beyond.
In this article, we will take a look at some of the key trends that founders from Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, and Serbia, predict will dominate the regional tech ecosystem in the coming year. They are more in tune with the local markets in sustainability, fashion, health, education, HR, and real estate, to name a few.
Sharing insights, in alphabetical order:
- Alex Burghelia – the co-founder of Flip (Romania/Circular Economy)
- Iulia Dorobantu – the co-founder of Charger (Romania/Green Tech)
- Ciprian Dudulea – co-founder and CEO of The Outfit (Romania/Fashion Tech)
- Iva Gumnishka – founder and CEO of Humans in the Loop (Bulgaria/Social Tech)
- Alexandru Holicov – founder and CEO of Adservio (Romania/EdTech)
- Georgi Ivanov, founder and CEO of Noble Hire (Bulgaria/HRTech)
- Georgi Kadrev – co-founder and CEO of Kelvin Health (Bulgaria/HealthTech)
- Anna Natsvlishvili – co-founder and CEO of Morphoses (Greece/EdTech)
- Bogdan Nicoara – founder and CEO of Bright Spaces (Romania/PropTech)
- Alexis Pantziaros – co-founder and CEO of Coffe-Eco (Greece/Circular Economy)
- Alex Poe – the co-founder of Chambr (Romania/EdTech)
- Mircea Popa – co-founder and CEO of Medicai (Romania/HealthTech)
- Nevena Sofranic – founder of Recrooit (Serbia/HRTech)
Whether you are part of the tech community or a tech enthusiast who wants to stay informed about the latest in the world of technology, get ready to learn about some of the most exciting tech trends to watch out for in 2023!
#1 Blockchain-based products expanding to different industries
Blockchain will continue to grow, even if the crypto is experiencing a low moment for a while. This trend comes with another buzzword: “decentralization”, and who doesn’t want transparency and access, right?
Alex Poe says he will be on the lookout for how “blockchain will be integrated within the EdTech sector. Diplomas and certificates can all be transformed into smart contracts and this makes it a lot easier to share and display them on our profiles.”
#2 Generative AI solutions
AI is having everybody hyped, from CEE tech startup founders to investors. We are all looking forward to seeing the future of language, image, and business models in this market. But let’s not forget the “copyright and privacy issues, AI-human creative collaboration, and model monitoring and auditing,” Iva Gumnishka reminds us.
#3 Anything HealthTech
HealthTech solutions will continue to draw attention due to their high impact long-term, Georgi Kadrev tells us. There are still many bridges to connect, like data fragmentation between patients and doctors. This vertical, combined with deep tech solutions, is a challenging one, with long funding funnels, and in need of funds and patience from investors for research purposes.
#4 Upcycling food for beauty tech
“For 2023 we will keep an eye on postbiotics ingredients that fit in the upcycle and microbiome-friendly zone. As past research shows, skin microorganisms are susceptible and significant for skin health and not only. We strongly believe that the future of skin care products combines upcycle food byproducts and postbiotics,” Alexis Pantziaros tells us.
#5 Digital Twins everywhere
Bogdan Nicoara believes that 2023 will be all about vertical Customer relationship management (CRM) and Enterprise resource planning (ERP), which means developing software for specific markets. Proptech players aim to solve many pain points with automation, and previsualization is striving to become more accurate and accessible for tech adoption to increase.
#6 Gamification is staying
With so many edtech players in our community of techies, the gamification topic rose on a few occasions. “I’m inquisitive to see how gamification and engaging activities will transform education and regain learners’ trust,” Anna Natsvlishvili shares. Professionals can use technology to automate repetitive tasks to free up time and learn new skills.
#7 Delayed payments
As the e-commerce trend continues to grow in our region, both founders and investors are keeping an eye on the underlying opportunities of different marketplaces when it comes to financial services. The BNPL (buy-now/pay-later) will most likely grow from a niche payment method to a must-have in the following years.
#8 Green Tech for 2023
Let’s make the world a better place that will never go out of style. Everybody is keeping an eye on everything “alternative” when it comes to energy, like prosumers, circular economy models, and even hyperloop travel.
#9 Low code platforms
Ciprian Dudulea ends on a low code note. Although not a new trend, its market size is projected to reach almost €150B by 2030. This could help nontechnical individuals create tech products, on various verticals, and might solve the developers’ shortages. Basic dev tasks could be developed through low code, while expert devs could focus on more challenging tasks.
