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Deep tech predictions 2025

The turn of the year puts us one year further into the future. Tautology? Sure, but with innovation across the deep tech ecosystem continuing at whiplash pace, it’s never felt more accurate.

Last year we took a peep into the crystal ball to see what 2024 might have in store, revealing a breadth of exciting new horizons, from AI and space to quantum computing and semiconductors. We banged the drum for RISC-V and cautioned against complacency for semiconductor incumbent, NVIDIA.

We also called ‘No major breakthroughs’ in quantum computing – Google’s Willow chip may turn out to be a last-minute refutation of this, but elsewhere our predictions held true: the lukewarm reception of Apple’s Vision Pro has exemplified a general lassitude in the AR space.

So what are we highlighting this year? Spoiler alert: there are a few repeats, space and AI among them. But we’re also flagging some emergent fields we think will keep the needle moving, as well as a few ‘deeper cuts,’ some of the trends we see coming out of leftfield that might just reset the deep tech agenda. Without further ado, then, here’s our pick of deep tech trends to track in 2025:

Mainstream trends to track

1. AI (duh!)

While we don’t expect to see the AI market pop in 2025, we do anticipate a shift in the most interesting areas of development, from centralised super models to the following:

  • Agentic AI (think: autonomy unlocked)
  • Specialist Generative AI (we’re talking systems optimised for the likes of material discovery, 3D design and ASIC modelling)
  • Edge AI / Small Language Models (putting AI in people’s pockets without reliance on the cloud)

2. Next-Gen Energy

As decarbonisation efforts accelerate and energy demands increase (looking at you, AI Data Centres), innovations in nuclear fusion, solid-state batteries, green hydrogen and carbon capture will continue to gain momentum. Start-ups that integrate AI and IoT into industrial energy optimisation and grid management will also flourish.

3. Orbital Infrastructure

Late last year, SpaceX snatched their Starship Booster stage out of the sky like Danny LaRusso catching a fly – an important milestone in bringing down the cost of getting a payload into orbit from the current $1,500 per kg on a Falcon Heavy rocket to the target $100 – $200 per kg.  We expect this tenfold reduction in launch costs to further democratise space access, with Orbital Infrastructure plays to follow. Think fuelling stations, research labs, factories and data centres in space.

4. Neuromorphic Computing

As mentioned above, Google recently generated a lot of noise around Willow, its new Quantum Computing chip. But of the emergent computing paradigms to really galvanise interest, last year it was neuromorphic that won out, and we’re expecting lots more in 2025. Neuromorphic computing mimics the brain’s neural architecture for energy-efficient processing. Historically, the field has been held back by a lack of commercial opportunity and high barriers to entry, but neuromorphic systems could play a critical role in enabling real-time, energy-efficient AI processing in ways traditional silicon chips can’t achieve. We see opportunities related to ultra-low-power AI, advancing edge computing, robotics, and IoT devices turning up the heat in this sector over the next 12 months.

… and the ones flying under the radar:

1. Water harvesting/purification

Water is the source of all life on Earth, and whether it’s threatened by drought, freshwater/saltwater contamination, or chemical proliferation we expect to see 2024’s low-key trend in water technologies hitting the main stage. Mission-led businesses, including Octopus Ventures’ portfolio company, Purafinnity, have already started tackling the challenge, but there’s still plenty of room for innovation. Emerging technologies like atmospheric water harvesting, membrane-less desalination and decentralized purification systems are becoming more scalable and affordable. Hydrogels, in particular, may have an interesting role to play.

2. Microscale 3D printing

While microscale 3D printing, capable of fabricating structures at the micrometre or even nanometre scale, has been quietly advancing, so far it’s been stuck in the shadow of larger-scale additive manufacturing technologies and high-profile industries like space tech or AI. 2025 may be the year it finds the spotlight, however, as breakthroughs in materials science and precision engineering unlock applications in health, microelectronics, and optical technologies. This year, start-ups developing microscale 3D printing technologies will likely begin to attract more attention as industries demand highly customised, small-scale components for everything from medical implants to quantum devices.

3. Programmable matter and metamaterials

A real outside bet for 2025, this one. Research into materials that can change shape, properties, or functionality on demand is progressing. The resultant materials hold the potential to revolutionise industries including healthcare (adaptive implants), construction (self-healing materials), and aerospace (lightweight, shape-shifting components). The catch? Development timelines are lengthy. Still, 2025 may be a good year to take an early position in the sector, with opportunities around advanced AI’s capacity to accelerate product development cycles.

So there you have the Octopus Ventures deep tech team’s picks for the trends and technologies set to make waves over the next 12 months.

At Octopus Ventures our commitment is to backing the people and ideas that will change the world – we’re lucky that deep tech rarely promises anything less. Check back for more from us throughout the year, and if you want to tell me about something we’ve overlooked from our predictions, get in touch. You can reach me on [email protected]

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