Biggest Investment Sectors of 2022

Who could have predicted global venture funding would break records in 2021, nearly doubling the year's prior number and hitting 10x relative to a decade ago? Investments hit $643BN, compared to 2020's $335BN. Factors like low-interest rates, competition from non-traditional venture investors, and outsize returns for companies going public all made it an exciting year to be a founder raising capital (or be reporting on the deal flows).

We're looking at the trends shaping the investment outlook for 2022.
                                                           
Real Estate
Real estate continues to be a hot market after a collective reshuffling of housing priorities spurred on by the pandemic. Families and investors interested in self-builds using the latest technologies and software companies promising ease & simplicity for property owners are among those start-ups standing to gain the most. AI-powered real estate investment platform Haystacks AI just raised a $5MM seed round, already valuing the company at $15MM. Perchwell offers data analytics for real estate brokerages and brought in $15MM last month.


                                                                             Image from Perchwell
Fintech & Crypto
The year has already produced a decacorn out of one crypto darling, the NFT marketplace OpenSea. The company has reached a $13.3BN valuation with its Round C, just six months after reaching a $1.5BN valuation. A16z and Coatue Management are active investors in the space, also making investments in competing NFT marketplace, Dapper Labs. 

Meanwhile, buy now, pay later (BNPL) startups are charting some of the biggest valuations in fintech. Klarna boasts a $46BN valuation, but its CEO cites market nerves as the reason behind the company's hesitation to go public. Affirm went public in January of last year at an $11.9BN valuation and is trading about 18% below its opening price. Expect more fintech companies raising with solutions for an ever-more digital global commerce.

Cybersecurity
After a headline-nabbing year of cyberspace security threats, international governments and investors alike are paying attention to cybersecurity. Recent investments signaling the interest include Xage, a "zero-trust" identity and access management system for the remote world. MetaMAP, Ermetic, and Sysdig raised huge funding rounds in December. For more cyber security fundings, search keyword cybersecurity in our Funding advanced search.

Biotech
While Covid boosters and vaccines for kids are front and center in the biotech industry, companies creating diagnostic tools, life-extending solutions, and data analytics software will capture the next wave of biotech funding. Korro Bio is studying how to genetically edit a treatment for disease-causing mutations. The company just closed a $116MM Round B from a host of hedge funds and VCs.

Stay tuned to see how these industries develop!