Polish startups — the most important trends in 2021

The social and economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic has changed the face of many industries. In order to survive, companies had to demonstrate much greater flexibility and ability to adapt to difficult conditions than before. Polish startups also found themselves in a similar situation. How has their reality changed and what can we expect in this industry in the coming year?

What has 2020 changed for Polish startups?

While some companies were plunged into crisis, others were in bloom. According to the Polish Startups 2020 report, 34% of young companies positively assessed the impact of the pandemic on their business development. These include organizations dealing with cyber security, medicine and e-commerce. 39% of startups stated the negative impact of the pandemic on business. These were mainly companies from the tourism and transport industry, which suffered most from the global lockdown.

The year 2020 brought, above all, accelerated digitalization of many spheres of life. Remote working and learning have become a new standard — numerous companies, universities, sports activities and even medical services have fully migrated to the network. The need to limit contacts also forced startups to look for new solutions in the field of customer service. Many of them made it possible, for example, to sign and forward documents remotely and to verify identity online, usually based on AI technology. Some companies also had to improve the customer service process, which in the case of some industries, such as tourism, had to cope with the increased number of requests caused by cancellations.

Last year also brought changes unrelated to the pandemic. In recent months, we have seen an even greater increase in interest in eco-products and environmental care. Consumers are also increasingly interested in buying from companies that act ethically — towards their own employees, animals or the planet. Sustainability is therefore another trend that will be of interest to investors and funders in the coming years.

Key trends for startups in 2021

By far the most important trend on the startup scene is progressive digitalization. Most companies will increasingly develop processes and services that can be performed remotely. However, according to the Polish Startups 2020 report, almost half of young companies in Poland offer products. So it is to be expected that in 2021 many of them will also be digitalized, and even more e-books, courses and other forms available online will appear on the market. However, more and more physical products will be sold over the Internet.

Companies in 2021 should also be expected to be more flexible and open to innovative solutions than before. The players who best handled the crisis were those who were able to react quickly to changes. Many companies will also verify their approach to risk and work on increasing their adaptability.

Hope for many startups also brings information about available vaccine against COVID-19. Especially those operating in the tourism industry count on quick recovery. However, it is still unclear when the pandemic will end, so showing too much optimism would be careless. Therefore, in 2021 we should expect further development of the trend of work and remote learning, which will determine the main direction of development of startups in the coming year.

Startup-friendly industries in 2021

Due to the current situation in the world, there are several industries where we can expect an increased development of startups. These are among others:

1. Remote work

Companies providing internet connectivity in 2020 have broken financial records. Zoom, today’s most popular video conferencing tool provider, achieved revenue of $328 million between February and April 2020. This is about 70% more than in the same period last year. Although many solutions already exist, the market is still not saturated. Many employers have found that employees can work from home as effectively as from the office. Thus, they have become more open to finding solutions that will help them further improve the work of remote teams.

2. Telemedicine

The excessive burden on health care caused by COVID-19, associated with the restriction of going out of the house, significantly accelerated the development of telemedicine. The ability to talk to a doctor or receive a prescription from a distance made life easier for many patients in quarantine. Accustomed to new forms of medical consultation, we will more and more often use these services, which will certainly be used by companies operating in the medical technology industry.

3. Well-being i psychotherapy

The pandemic has caused more and more people to start struggling with psychological problems. Stress, isolation, and fear for the future are conducive to the development of anxiety, depression, sleep and eating disorders. The necessity of taking care of mental health is already noticed not only by individuals but also by employers. In 2020, many of them noticed how important it is to maintain the commitment and motivation of employees, especially those working at a distance. Therefore, more and more often they try to take care of the well-being of team members and facilitate their adaptation to new conditions. Mental health and work-life balance tools such as Talkspace, Moodfit and Sanvello applications will therefore become increasingly popular.

4. Online Education

In 2020, during the global lockdown, education at all levels, including state universities and the teaching of grades 1–3, moved online. Quarantine and reduced socializing have made many people try to spend their isolation time productively, acquiring new skills. Thus, the popularity of language courses, business courses, chess lessons, and even sports or handicraft-related instruction has increased. Online education is an important trend that generates demand for ebooks, online courses and other materials available online.

5. Online Entertainment

In the era of pandemic, online games and film platforms have also become popular. Boredom and isolation in the home environment created a space for the development of digital entertainment companies, which achieved record revenue growth during the lockdown. Detailed data on the development of this industry is available here.

Summary

Although the reality of technology startups in 2020 has changed significantly, the pandemic has created many opportunities for them to develop in many promising industries. For those companies that respond fastest and decide to follow the evolving trends, 2021 could be a breakthrough year and the beginning of a spectacular success.

If you would like to learn more about the possibilities of running a startup in 2021, please contact us — we are constantly monitoring the situation on the market and following technological innovations. Regardless of the industry in which you plan to operate, we will help you choose the solutions that will develop your project.

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