Rapidly Trending Topics, Insights, and Analysis Update on July 27, 2022

Dealcoholized Wine

Dealcoholized wine, as the name suggests, is a wine that contains almost zero alcohol.

Dealcoholized wine tends to have a weaker taste. Which is why many amateur wine drinkers use dealcoholized wine as a way to adapt to the taste of traditional wine.

This product is trending also due to the fact that it has significantly fewer calories than wine.

What’s Next

Dealcoholized wine is part of the Functional Alcohol meta trend.

Functional alcohol is a fast-growing segment of the greater functional beverage space.

Functional alcohol, like other functional drinks, is enhanced with specific ingredients (like vitamins, mushroom extract and chamomile).

Ritual Zero Proof, Curious Elixirs and Kin Euphorics are examples of trending functional alcohol brands.

Qiskit

Qiskit is an open-source SDK for quantum computing developed by IBM.

The project simplifies certain elements of coding quantum computing applications. Specifically, this SDK allows users to program on quantum computers directly from their programming device.

Which, theoretically, allows anyone to build quantum circuits, run quantum algorithms and study various quantum phenomena.

Qiskit has over 6,000 stars on GitHub.

What’s Next

Qiskit is part of the Quantum Computing Goes Commercial meta trend.

Although not a practical technology yet, a growing number of companies are working to commercialize quantum computers.

For example, Google has estimated that they will deliver a commercial quantum computer by 2029.

Visa, Goldman Sachs and Volkswagen have also started looking for ways to incorporate quantum computing into their operations.

According to Gartner, 40% of medium-to-large organizations will implement quantum computing initiatives by 2025.

This is why Honeywell forecasts that the commercialization of quantum computing will create a $1 trillion industry over the next decade.

Nixit

Nixit is a DTC menstrual cup startup.

The startup is gaining traction because their menstrual cups are suction-free and made of silicon, meaning they last longer than traditional menstrual cups (up to five years.)

The startup currently sells six core SKUs.

Nixit’s products has seen significant traction TikTok (the #letsnixit hashtag currently has 28 million views on the platform.)

What’s Next

Nixit is part of the DTC FemTech meta trend.

FemTech is becoming a fast-growing segment of the feminine care industry.

In fact, VC funding in FemTech startups reached $1.89B last year— an increase of 65%. Funding for these startups is projected to reach $9B by 2024.

DTC is a key channel for this segment. Around 38% of the 831 FemTech companies tracked by Pitchbook are categorized as DTC startups (a 42% increase from 12 months earlier).

Elvie and Awkward Essentials are examples of trending DTC FemTech startups.

SecOps

SecOps (short for “security + operations”) refers to the collaboration between operations and IT security in an effort to automate security and operations tasks.

Traditionally, security and IT departments have worked in silos.

SecOps is gaining traction in the enterprise space as a way to improve collaboration between these critical departments.

This is especially important considering that a recent survey found that more than 50% of organizations sacrifice cybersecurity for speed.

COVID-19 made cybersecurity even more important, considering that over 80% of organizations made changes implemented during the pandemic increased their risk and threat exposure.

This explains why 85% of enterprise organizations say that SecOps initiatives are part of their future strategy.

What’s Next

SecOps is part of the SOC Goes Mainstream meta trend.

SOC (security operation center) is an organization’s dedicated cybersecurity hub.

Studies show that 47% of traditional IT departments are not prepared to deal with cyberattacks.

Many companies have experienced this weakness firsthand as cyberattacks have become much more frequent (Accenture estimates that the number of cyberattacks increased by 125% in 2021).

SOCs are growing in popularity as they work closely with major departments in the organization, which allows them to identify and deal with threats faster.

Connected Air Fryer

A connected air fryer, also known as a smart air fryer, is an air fryer that can be connected to WiFi and operated through a dedicated application.

Interest in this product category is mainly driven by the air fryer 2.0 trend where traditional air fryer brands are introducing new, connected versions of their products.

Two of the most popular connected air fryers currently on the market are the Cosori air fryer and the Proscenic air fryer.

For example, the currently extremely popular Cosori air fryer generates around $66K/day on Amazon.

What’s Next

Connected air fryers are part of the IoT Kitchenware meta trend.

This meta trend is starting to gain traction for two main reasons:

First, IoT can make the cooking process significantly faster. With more than 58% of people reporting that they spend at least 30 minutes cooking a single meal, products that promise to speed this process up are always in demand.

Finally, at-home cooking is responsible for around 40% of all food waste. IoT innovations that can help reduce food waste are especially appealing to eco-conscious consumers.

These are some of the main reasons we are seeing increased interest in IoT kitchenware products such as automatic composters, 3-in-1 food processors and smart mugs.

Exhale Wellness

Exhale Wellness is a DTC cannabis products startup.

They sell various cannabis products such as CBD, HHC and Delta 9.

However, the startup is mainly known for their Delta 8 products.

Their core delta 8 SKUs include gummies, oils, capsules and edibles.

The variety of products they sell has pushed them to make the bold claim that they’re the “#1 Delta 8 brand in the world.”

The startup saw a 213% increase in their YoY revenue in 2021 (Pitchbook).

What’s Next

Exhale Wellness is part of the Delta 8 Products meta trend.

Searches for “Delta 8” have increased by 660% over the past two years.

Demand for Delta 8 is so high that it has become the fastest-growing segment of the THC industry.

This is because the substance has less potent side effects (i.e., paranoia and drowsiness) than traditional Delta 9 THC (which is why Delta 8 is often called “marijuana-lite” or “diet weed”).

Some examples of trending Delta 8 products include delta 8 gummies, delta 8 oils and delta 8 drinks.

This growth in demand has attracted many startups to enter this market.

Delta Extrax and Area 52 are examples of trending startups that sell Delta 8 products.

Sea Moss Gummies

Sea moss gummies, as the name suggests, refer to sea moss in gummy form.

This supplement category is gaining traction because sea moss is an excellent source of fiber and live bacteria, which helps improve gut health. Sea moss may also aid in weight loss.

And like many supplements, modern consumers want to consume sea moss in gummy form.

A popular brand of sea moss gummies generates approximately $23K/month on Amazon.

What’s Next

Sea moss gummies are part of the Sea Moss Supplements meta trend.

Searches for “sea moss” are up 2366% over the past 5 years.

And we’re seeing increasing interest in sea moss supplements such as sea moss gel and sea moss powder.

However, interest in these products is also driven by the increasing number of sea moss product launches.

According to the Mintel Research database, the number of products containing sea moss increased by more than 40% in 2021.

Woojer

Woojer is an audio device startup.

What makes Woojer unique is that their devices focus on audio responsiveness through haptic feedback.

This means that, in addition to hearing audio, users can also feel the vibration of the audio.

Woojer makes two products: a belt and a vest. Their vest is the main reason that the startup is currently trending.

The vest raised over $1.9M in funding from more than 10,000 backers on Kickstarter (the goal was to raise $20K).

The startup is also trending thanks to TikTok. In fact, the #woojer hashtag has over 3.4 million views on TikTok.

What’s Next

Woojer is part of the Haptic Technology Devices meta trend.

Haptic technology is already a feature in many devices (smartphones, cars, gaming controllers and more).

However, haptic technology is still mainly used to deliver relatively simple simulations.

But this is expected to quickly change.

The rise of the metaverse has given way for advanced haptic devices that are designed to simulate real-life touch.

In fact, several companies are developing these devices. For example, Meta has unveiled their haptic gloves that allow users to feel what they touch in the metaverse.

This new application of haptic technology is primarily why the market for these devices is forecasted to triple in the next five years.

Libido Gummies

Libido gummies help increase sexual desire and/or sexual drive.

These gummies usually contain ashwagandha and vitamin E (often referred to as “the sex vitamin”).

Olly is a startup that sells a pack of very popular libido gummies.

Their libido supplements bring in an estimated $122K/month on Amazon.

What’s next

Libido gummies are part of the Everything Gummies meta trend.

Gummies are becoming the de facto delivery method for many supplement categories.

In fact, certain gummy categories, such as magnesium gummies, are growing at around 130% YoY.

Gummies are thought to be the “perfect DTC product” because they can be easily advertised and easily shipped.

This is illustrated by the fact that gummy sales across Amazon are increasing approximately 60% YoY.

This is why we are seeing an increase in trending gummy products such as sea moss gummies, hair gummies and melatonin gummies.

Userlytics

Userlytics is a remote UX testing platform for websites, apps, and competitor assets.

According to Userlytics’ CEO, demand for their services in non-English speaking countries is growing at a rate of 25% annually.

One reason behind Userlytics’ rapid growth is the fact that they have access to a network of 1 million+ testers for qualitative and quantitative tests.

The startup generates $3M in annual revenue.

What’s next

Userlytics is part of the UX Research Platforms meta trend.

UX research testing has traditionally been conducted either by using someone’s professional network or by hiring expensive testing service agencies.

On the other hand, UX research platforms operate similarly to survey audience platforms: audiences are defined based on a set of screening questions.

Growing startups such as AppQuality and UberTesters have created UX research platforms to capitalize on this demand.

This is why the market for UX research is expected to double in the next five years.

Sejda

Sejda is an “advanced PDF management tool”.

For example, in addition to common features such as merging, converting, splitting, compressing and more, Sejda also offers an online PDF editor.

Another reason why Sejda is gaining traction is because of their Sejda SDK. This is an open-source Java library that aims to simplify various PDF-related tasks.

What’s next

Sejda is part of the Document Management Systems meta trend.

Finding and optimizing documents is a growing problem for many businesses.

In fact, studies have shown that 54% of office workers spend more time looking for files they need than responding to work emails and messages.

And around 20% of office workers cite “looking for files” as the number 1 issue that needs to be solved to support a future work-from-home setup.

This is why the demand for more advanced document management systems is increasing. In fact, the market for these systems is forecasted to double in size within the next five years.

Bamboo Tumbler

A bamboo tumbler is an insulated mug made primarily or exclusively from bamboo.

Tumblers made from bamboo can keep drinks cold for up to 12 hours and hot for up to 24 hours.

Being made from sustainable bamboo, tumblers are also eco-friendly, which largely explains growing interest in this product category.

A highly-rated bamboo tumbler brings in approximately $59K/month on Amazon.

What’s next

Bamboo tumblers are part of the Sustainable DTC meta trend.

People’s interest in eco-friendly products continues to increase—64% of customers are willing to pay more for sustainable products.

To capitalize on this opportunity, an increasing number of DTC startups are focusing on sustainability as one of their main selling points.

According to the Pitchbook database, the number of sustainable DTC startups increased by more than 118% last year.

Reusable sandwich bags, bamboo food containers and microfiber beach towels are trending examples of sustainable DTC products.

Self-tanning Drops

Self-tanning drops are added to moisturizers or face oil, which helps create a natural-looking tan. This product category initially gained traction after Isle of Paradise’s self-tanning drops went viral on social media. (In fact, the hashtag #isleofparadise has over 66 million views on TikTok). But they’re not alone: a popular DTC self-tanning drop brand generates around $84k/month on Amazon.

What’s next

Self-tanning drops are part of the Alternative Tanning meta trend. Here are examples of trending alternative tanning products:

• Home tanning lamps are small sunlamps that release UVA and UVB light.
• Self-tanning sprays are sunless tanning sprays that darken dead skin cells to mimic a natural-looking tan.
• Tanning serums, similar to self-tanning sprays, work with dead skin cells. However, they come in the form of a lotion instead of a spray.

Yogasleep

Yogasleep is a DTC startup that sells various sleep aid products, such as mattresses and bedding accessories. However, the brand is mainly known for their sound machines. Yogasleep sells 37 different sound machines for various use cases (travel sound machines, baby sound machines, night light sound machines and more). One of their more popular machines brings in approximately $12K/day on Amazon.

What’s next

Yogasleep is part of the Sleep Tech Devices meta trend. Sleep disorders are on the rise. For example, the number of people dealing with narcolepsy has increased by around 14% in the last few years. And people are increasingly turning to sleep devices to help combat these disorders. This is why we are seeing growing interest in sleeping tech devices such as sleep headphones, sleep oxygen monitors and smart night lights.

Boric Acid Suppositories

Boric acid suppositories are used to treat vaginal yeast infections and help relieve burning and itching. Depending on the infection, boric acid suppositories can eliminate symptoms within a day. One very popular boric acid suppositories brand generates an estimated $15K/day on Amazon.

What’s next

Boric acid suppositories are part of the Vaginal Therapeutics meta trend. The vaginal therapeutics trend is primarily driven by the fact that female intimate health is becoming less taboo. This, in turn, is leading to a growing supply of advanced vaginal care products. Examples of trending vaginal therapeutics include vaginal dilators, vaginal moisturizers and vaginal probiotics.

Blazor

Blazor is a client-side UI framework built on Microsoft’s .NET web framework. Two factors make Blazor unique:

• For one, Blazor is an open-source project. The source code is owned by the .NET Foundation but can be used by anyone.
• However, the second reason is perhaps what is most attractive about Blazor: the framework changes how application frontends are developed.

Traditionally, frontends are developed using JavaScript. However, Blazor allows developers to write interactive application frontends using HTML, CSS and C#.

What’s next

Blazor is part of the Open-source UI Frameworks meta trend. New, more advanced frameworks have led to an increasing rate of open-source framework adoption (44% of companies say they have plans to increase open-source adoption within their organization). Cost reduction is the primary reason behind this increased adoption rate (68% of companies cite cost savings as the main reason they plan to use open-source frameworks). Vue.js, React and Svelte are examples of popular open-source UI frameworks.