At StartUs Insights, we cover the cutting edge of startup-driven innovation in the media industry. This in-depth research is backed by our proprietary data-driven innovation scouting approach, in which we analyzed more than 30 000 startups and identified key innovation areas for the industry.
Our analysis reveals emerging trends and disruptive technologies that are transforming the media landscape, offering valuable insights for industry leaders. By leveraging our extensive database, we provide a comprehensive overview of the latest developments, helping stakeholders stay ahead of the curve and make informed strategic decisions.
This article was last updated in July 2024.
Dive into Our Data-driven Media Innovation Map
The Media Innovation Map includes six emerging technologies and the startups driving them. Media companies seeking to innovate in these disruptive surroundings need to pay close attention to these areas – so let’s see what’s next:
Ready to explore all 30 000+ Media Startups & Scaleups?
Personalized Content
Generating a higher probability of converting individuals into consumers, and delivering the right content at the right time has a significant impact on the effectiveness of content. According to Forrester, 67% of European- and US-based marketing executives already make use of behavior-based user data to generate content and increase revenue. Personalized content is one of the most promising innovation areas in the media industry.
Automatic Content Recognition (ACR)
ACR enables companies to determine the content that is stored or played on a device, delivering essential insights from image or video content. Automatic content recognition advances to a new generation of hardware and software, anticipated to strengthen the use of the Second Screen. Immersive interactivity, real-time TV commerce, and syncing tablets with a TV will be some of the opportunities resulting from this emerging technology.
Mixed Reality
The blend of augmented and virtual reality establishes mixed reality or hybrid reality, which functions by scanning a user’s surroundings and subsequently constructing a 3D map to locate an individual before optimally placing digital content according to the information detected. Involving users in this way sets new frontiers within the media industry, with 360° videos acting as the first step toward this progress.
Natural Language Generation (NLG)
A subfield of natural language processing, NLG deals with the translation of data into natural, human language. Drawing on artificial intelligence (AI), natural language generation is already used to create weather and simple sports reports as well as to assist journalists in more demanding tasks. NLG is a powerful technology, predicted to “win a Pulitzer one day”.
Looking for Specific Media Innovation Trends?
Live Streaming
Already popular on social platforms, live streaming is not a new phenomenon in the media sphere. Nonetheless, live streaming will dominate the media landscape due to its interactive nature and high entertainment factor.
Programmatic Advertising
Programmatic advertising refers to the automatization of buying and selling ad inventory, building a bridge between advertisers and publishers. This technology equips media companies to target the right audience at the right time. At the same time, analyzing user behavior becomes simpler with the support of AI making it possible to target users with ads optimized in real-time.
Meet Some of the Disruptive Media Startups
- Madrid-based Narrativa develops the NLG solution GabrieleAI, capable of enriching context in order to provide a point of view.
- Dutch startup Beatgrid Media offers three distinct ACR solutions to help broadcasters raise awareness, provide a real-time overview of TV and radio spots, and allow the audience to identify and engage with their favorite shows.
- Vienna-based Stereosense brings 360° VR video to media content by creating 360° video and image libraries, allowing users to stream or download the videos on-demand.
- Live streaming service Twitch reached a staggering 45 million unique users within its first two years by providing users with content related to video gaming, creative content, and music broadcasts (live stream and on-demand).
Explore Emerging Media Startups & Technologies
While these cutting-edge startups and technologies all make their mark on the media industry, there is a wide variety of innovation areas and emerging companies yet to be discovered. Digitalization is one of the most important innovation areas actively shaping the media industry. Collaborating and co-developing new solutions together with cutting-edge startups puts established media companies at a competitive advantage.
