2017 is about to see a lot more IPO activity thanks to a quiet 2016 and an improving appetite thanks to political and economic pressures lessoning. Snap will most likely be the highlight but as the big boys go bigger, the small guys are still slogging away trying to change the world. Who are the ones to watch though? In a sea of new startups and increased funding activity, these are my picks for big things in 2017 and 2018:
1) Real-time Smartphone Webcams by Look App
When I read the description for this app I finally saw a future I had imagined for many years. Essentially, Look enables you to utilise someone’s smartphone if they are near the place you want to see (and they are part of the network). I met the CEO out at Slush and I think there’s real potential, especially considering the year the media is about to go through and the recent CNN/Beme acquisition. Look out for a deep dive on LLM from me over at Reuters very soon.
WHY IT’LL SUCCEED: Lots of interest in live video, technology is already available and there are lots of use cases.
2) Walkie-Talkie Messaging by Marco Polo
Snapchat, Facebook and others all have messaging offerings but none…