Artificial Intelligence (AI) has a significant impact across industries and is a major driver of new technologies such as big data, robotics, and autonomous driving systems. Companies are using a variety of AI assistive technologies to automate business processes and significantly speed up operations. We give you a comprehensive view of global AI trends so you can follow the latest developments in the industry. For example, AI for IT operations (AIOps), generative AI, artificial intelligence of things (AIoT), and computer vision are some of the promising technologies. Read more to explore the key artificial intelligence trends and how they advance your business.
Innovation Map outlines the Top 10 AI Trends & 20 Promising Startups
For this in-depth research on the Top AI Trends & Startups, we analyzed a sample of 15 416 global startups & scaleups. The result of this research is data-driven innovation intelligence that improves strategic decision-making by giving you an overview of emerging technologies & startups in the data management industry. These insights are derived by working with our Big Data & Artificial Intelligence-powered StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, covering 2 500 000+ startups & scaleups globally. As the world’s largest resource for data on emerging companies, the SaaS platform enables you to identify relevant startups, emerging technologies & future industry trends quickly & exhaustively.
In the Innovation Map below, you get an overview of the Top 10 AI Trends & Innovations that impact 15 416 companies worldwide. Moreover, the AI Innovation Map reveals 20 hand-picked startups, all working on emerging technologies that advance their field.
Top 10 AI Trends
- Machine Learning
- Natural Language Processing
- Virtual Agents
- Robotic Process Automation
- AIoT
- Quantum AI
- Edge AI
- Computer Vision
- Digital Twins
- Generative AI
Tree Map reveals the Impact of the Top 10 AI Trends
Based on the AI Innovation Map, the Tree Map below illustrates the impact of the Top 10 AI Trends in 2023. Startups and scaleups are developing machine learning (ML) solutions to facilitate quality management and optimize business processes. Other AI technologies, such as natural language processing (NLP) and virtual agents, aid companies in improving customer experience and automating internal communication. Further, robotic process automation (RPA), AIoT, edge computing, and computer vision provide monitoring solutions and optimize industrial operations. Meanwhile, digital twins and generative AI address the growing demand for personalization and virtualization.
Global Startup Heat Map covers 15 416 AI Startups & Scaleups
The Global Startup Heat Map below highlights the global distribution of the 15 416 exemplary startups & scaleups that we analyzed for this research. Created through the StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, the Heat Map reveals that the US sees the most startup activity.
Below, you get to meet 20 out of these 15 416 promising startups & scaleups as well as the solutions they develop. These AI startups are hand-picked based on criteria such as founding year, location, funding raised, & more. Depending on your specific needs, your top picks might look entirely different.
Top 10 AI Trends in 2023
1. Machine Learning
Machine learning enables more efficient means to process databases. Hence, it powers a wide range of applications from stock tracking and scientific research to market forecasting and personalized healthcare. Companies use ML to reduce costs, improve quality control, enhance supply chain management, and enable data-driven decision-making. Startups are also developing solutions using automated ML (AutoML), low-code, and no-code platforms, as well as deep, reinforcement, and multimodal learning technologies.
Grid.ai simplifies ML Model Training
US-based startup Grid.ai creates GRID Platform, a no-code ML model training platform. It enables developers to quickly iterate through the model development life cycle of ML workflows by provisioning the ML infrastructure on the cloud. The platform enables companies to train AI models on hundreds of cloud graphics and central processing units from their laptops. Moreover, this eliminates the burden of infrastructure management required to rapidly prototype and train models, also saving time.
Agrinorm aids Food Supply Chain Management
Swiss startup Agrinorm develops a quality management platform for optimizing fruit and vegetable supply chains. Using machine learning, the platform collects and analyzes quality-related data points to provide product freshness information. It also gathers inspection results from the companies’ existing software, customer reports, and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. This allows food brands to track and predict the quality of their sourced ingredients and products while enabling smarter resource allocation, claim prevention, and storage.
2. Natural Language Processing
NLP is experiencing continuous growth due to the need for computers to better understand human languages. Startups offer NLP-powered solutions that recognize words, sentences, and parts of speech. Businesses use them to improve customer communication and conduct large-scale analyses. For example, HR, travel, and consumer goods companies are using NLP-based smart assistants to improve response times and provide product-specific information. Additionally, NLP enables automated communication with people in their native language. This, in turn, scales other language-related tasks like email filters, text prediction, digital phone calls, and text analytics into multiple languages.
Robin AI enables Automated Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) Reviews
UK-based startup Robin AI facilitates contract reviewing by providing automated NDA review software. It uses machine learning to enable automated clause identification for change tracking and precision editing. This significantly reduces contract review time. After the document analysis, the software identifies headings and provides a clickable table of contents. Robin AI thus allows companies to edit and negotiate contracts more effectively, replacing time-intensive manual workflows.
WriteWise aids Research Paper Checking
Chilean startup WriteWise offers research paper-checking software for academic writing. It corrects grammar, structure, verbs, transitions, and length of the text using AI, ML, and NLP. Additionally, the software checks each sentence, offers guided prompts, and provides section-specific instructional feedback. This speeds up an academic writing process and ensures the accuracy of scientific papers.
3. Virtual Agents
Virtual agents, also known as virtual assistants, automate day-to-day operations and allow employees to devote their time to more important tasks. AI-enabled voice assistants take over communication with customers and potential clients, improve product discovery, and deliver product recommendations. Hence, they find applications in various industries, including retail and food businesses. Additionally, they perform tasks such as onboarding, reviewing resumes, or identifying the most promising candidates for HR departments. Startups thus develop intelligent virtual bots to reduce the time spent on operational tasks and improve customer engagement through automated interactions.
Replikr creates Intelligent Avatars
New Zealand-based startup Replikr develops artificial intelligence-powered intelligent avatars. Through conversational AI, they guide customers through meaningful conversations and answer their questions. The avatars determine when to search the knowledge base for an answer, inquire for further clarity, or direct users to a person. Moreover, they recognize user emotions and build an emotional connection to better support customers. This allows companies to create new digital touchpoints and opportunities to engage with their customers, patients, and teams.
Auto Labs develops a Customer Experience Management Platform
US-based startup Auto Labs provides SophiCX, an AI-powered customer experience management platform. It targets campaigns for every stage of the customer decision journey, personalizes appointment reminders, and enables customers to efficiently schedule recalls. Additionally, the platform delivers real-time reports showing new appointments, confirmations, reschedules, and cancellations. The platform thus improves customer experience and retention through timely and personalized interactions.
4. Robotic Process Automation
RPA robots perform repetitive, rules-based, predictable, and time-critical tasks, allowing businesses to improve operational efficiency and effectiveness. For instance, intelligent process automation enables banks to improve accounts payable and closure processes and insurance companies to speed up registration processes. Further, it allows property owners to reduce the turnaround time. RPA also brings a variety of benefits such as financial benefits owing to low-cost robot licenses as well as improved accuracy, timeliness, and operational flexibility.
Rippey AI aids in Logistics Automation
US-based startup Rippey AI offers an automation platform for logistics and supply chain organizations that rely on documents, emails, and complex workflows. It automates shipping documents, manages and scales their workflow, and provides quotes and sailing schedules. The platform also communicates with all stakeholders using AI, NLP, and ML, as well as gains visibility over all containers and shipments. This allows supply chain companies to mitigate manual document processing and significantly reduce operational costs.
Tatesoft advances Low-Code RPA Development
Danish startup Tatesoft creates a low-code RPA platform. Besides the platform, the startup offers software bots for different purposes. For instance, some bots automatically search company emails and attached files to save files that contain the word “Invoice” in the title. Additionally, Tatesoft’s software robot reads comma-separated values and imports them directly into PowerPoint tables and graphs. These solutions allow clients to quickly automate processes using standard integrations that come with the Tatesoft RPA platform or automate processes by implementing existing robots.
5. AIoT
AIoT combines AI and the internet of things (IoT) to move computation closer to data sources and enable near-real-time data processing. This reduces costs and delivers greater efficiency in analytics workflows. Startups integrate AIoT into industrial and commercial spaces, including smart homes, cars, factories, and wearables. From temperature monitoring and control to traffic congestion management, AIoT aids businesses in making data-driven decisions. Lastly, AIoT supports task automation, provides customization, and improves security.
M8 Systems delivers AIoT-driven Irrigation Automation
US-based startup M8 Systems develops a smart agricultural platform for AIoT-powered irrigation automation. It allows farmers to monitor farms, detect leaks, and conserve water through a cloud-based dashboard. Using patented technology, the system enables remote irrigation and fertigation management from mobile devices. Moreover, the intelligence platform combines local sensors and controllers to simultaneously lower farming costs and increase crop output.
Butlr improves Occupancy Sensing
US-based startup Butlr offers a wireless, anonymous people counting and occupancy sensing platform. It provides real-time and historical information after data analysis for office desks, traffic, and occupancy management. The startup’s sensors also collect body temperature data without storing any personal identifiable information (PII). This empowers estate owners to create better workplaces and public spaces while optimizing their operations and associated costs.
6. Quantum AI
In the world of fast changes and quick decisions, it is critical to process large amounts of information quickly and accurately. Quantum AI advances complex task-solving and optimization, thereby improving business operations. Quantum computers provide enormous computational power, which enables high-performance AI. Innovations in quantum AI enable high-speed data processing that surpasses the limitations of traditional computers. Startups develop novel quantum algorithms and intelligent quantum processors to expand the application of quantum AI across industries. The manufacturing, life sciences, and finance industries are the key customers of quantum AI.
Quantica Computacao develops a Quantum AI Platform
Indian startup Quantica Computacao creates the quantum AI platform that uses proprietary algorithms to solve computational and data analysis problems. The startup’s common platform for various business owners focuses on quantum key distribution, cryptography, quantitative trading, quantum modeling, and asset management. For example, it develops quantum cryptographic tools that provide data protection for banking institutions. The solution also optimizes various algorithms for applications in research and industries.
Menten AI enables Quantum Computing-powered Protein Design
US-based startup Menten AI creates peptide-based drugs leveraging machine learning and quantum computing. The startup’s drug design platform delivers drug-like hit molecules in a single round of design, focusing on peptide macrocycles. Peptides are the ideal drug modality for undruggable and hard-to-drug targets which remain beyond the reach of small molecules and biologics. Menten AI’s platform thus speeds up the drug discovery process and improves the accuracy of molecule screening.
7. Edge AI
Edge computing reduces latency, bandwidth, and energy consumption by bringing computations closer to data sources. Implementing AI on the edge allows developers and businesses to significantly reduce the infrastructure requirements for real-time data processing. Companies integrate this technology in vehicles for autonomous driving systems, smart cities for system collapse avoidance, and factories for industrial automation. In collaboration with other technologies, such as 5G and high-performance computing (HPC), edge AI offers companies more information to make smarter decisions.
EdgeQ develops a 5G Base Station-on-a-Chip
US-based startup EdgeQ develops a 5G base station-on-a-chip that allows AI inference engines to run at the network edge. It is a specialized RISC-V architecture-based baseband processor which enables carriers to leverage a network functional application platform interface (nFAPI) to add custom extensions. The solution makes it less expensive to build enterprise-grade 5G access points while the radio and distributed blocks make up an open radio access network (RAN). It reduces the time and effort associated with the development of physical layer software and also features of an integrated 4G/5G network. This allows wireless network providers to eliminate in-house chip development and accelerate the time-to-market.
AiKaan Labs makes a Cloud Controller
Indian startup AiKaan Labs produces AiCon, a software cloud controller that receives operational data from edge devices. It correlates the data to offer insights into system, network, and application health. The cloud controller learns the IoT edge infrastructure behavior by processing data using proprietary machine learning algorithms. It also delivers alerts to all stakeholders upon detecting system anomalies. Additionally, the controller provides a secure connection for any IoT Edge devices while moving applications to the edge and securing remote access.
8. Computer Vision
is emerging rapidly and revolutionizing various industries in which companies operate. Computer vision algorithms understand both pictures and videos, making automotive manufacturing their primary customer in autonomous vehicles. The application of this technology is also seen in medicine, precision agriculture, security, robotics, retail, and media industries. More specific computer vision-based solutions include facial, emotion, and gesture recognition, motion detection, and eye and object tracking. Further, this AI technology detects and tracks unsafe employee behavior and enables many applications from cashier-less stores to virtual try-on experiences.
Kemtai facilitates Exercise Tracking
Israeli startup Kemtai makes an AI and computer vision-powered exercise tracking platform. It analyzes human motion and skeleton position during home fitness workouts and physical therapy sessions. The platform also provides real-time training feedback without additional wearables or fitness devices to create safer and more effective exercises. This enables a personalized and adaptive home exercise, allowing users to improve training outcomes.
VizioSense enables Motion-based Smart Parking
French startup VizioSense provides a motion-based smart parking solution by combining sensors, AI, and computer vision. The startup’s product, VizioPark, enables customers to monitor the vacancy of parking spaces without the need to deploy sensors in each parking space. It detects park place availabilities using AI deployed on the sensor and therefore respects privacy concerns. The solution offers accurate data analysis and low operating costs for park owners.
9. Digital Twins
Aiming to reduce physical prototypes and costs, companies implement digital twins in their processes. They allow for the creation of planned processes, predict their performance, and improve product designs. Advances in digital twins further enable the generation of human digital twins for drug testing and proactive injury prevention. Other applications are in the manufacturing and construction industries to enable real-time process optimization and assisted maintenance. By providing clear views of business processes, digital twins enhance supply chain agility while improving productivity and customer satisfaction.
Gradyent offers a District Heating Digital Twin
Dutch startup Gradyent develops a district heating digital twin. The startup’s software analyzes customer heat demand on a granular basis and combines this information with the hydraulic and thermo-dynamic losses within the network. It supports multiple simulation scenarios and analytics, thereby providing the most optimal settings for the heating system. This allows utilities to save energy and reduce emissions.
MindBank Ai creates a Knowledge Digital Twin
US-based startup MindBank Ai makes a knowledge digital twin that compiles a digital version of a person using historic data. The digital twin asks daily questions and learns to think like a user by analyzing their answers. This helps to understand different aspects of the mind and aids growth through self-reflection. After continued use, the knowledge digital twin answers many questions on the user’s behalf and has a meaningful conversation with other people. This allows people to keep in touch with their loved ones through the years by recreating their behavior and communication style.
10. Generative AI
Generative AI is an emerging sub-technology of AI that influences medicine, law, art, engineering, and more. It enables autonomous content creation based on existing text, images, or files. Therefore, generative AI offers inventive results without any biases resulting from human thoughts and experiences. Startups develop solutions for high-efficiency product designs, realistic photographs production, film restoration, and semantic image search. The technology also supports creative task performance and content piece production with little to zero human involvement.
Veesual develops Virtual Try-on Solutions
French startup Veesual advances fashion eCommerce by developing virtual try-on solutions. The startup allows in-store customers and online shoppers to navigate fashion collections online and try them in virtual fitting rooms. For this, Veesual utilizes generative AI-powered image creation. The startup’s solution increases customer engagement and aids effective cross-selling.
Variational AI offers New Molecule Generation
Canadian startup Variational AI leverages generative AI for new molecule generation. The startup’s technology allows the generation of de novo molecules with optimized properties. This enables pharma companies to discover efficacious, safe, and synthesizable small molecule therapeutics, saving time and costs. The solution supports drug discovery and brings new therapeutics to market for various disease areas and positively impacts lives.
Discover all AI Trends, Technologies & Startups
AI continues to evolve and integrate into many aspects of our daily lives. These changes will have a profound impact on our lives in the coming years. The combination of NLP and image recognition in applications is also rapidly evolving. Companies in the manufacturing, construction, and automotive industries leverage AI to predict, validate, and provide insights into operations, among other emerging applications outlined in this report.
The AI Trends & Startups outlined in this report only scratch the surface of trends that we identified during our data-driven innovation & startup scouting process. Among others, NLP, high-performance computing, and generative AI will transform the sector as we know it today. Identifying new opportunities & emerging technologies to implement into your business goes a long way in gaining a competitive advantage. Get in touch to easily & exhaustively scout startups, technologies & trends that matter to you!
