Sends
Top 5 emerging startup trends investors should watch in 2025
12.08.2025
Identifying the best startups to invest in 2025 is not only smart, but also necessary in today's rapid tech market. Understanding emerging startup trends 2025 provides investors with a distinct advantage in terms of long-term value and rapid growth.
This year marks a tipping point. As the global economy recovers from disruption and innovation rises in AI, climate technology, and decentralisation, startup patterns for investors have evolved dramatically. Startups that were previously considered futuristic are now raising billions of dollars and transforming entire industries.
Whether you're a VC veteran or looking where to invest in startups, understanding the top technology trends 2025 and industries poised for growth is crucial.
In this article, we break down the top 5 startup investment trends 2025 that are redefining value creation. These aren’t just new business trends; they’re movements backed by capital, traction, and global demand.
From AI-driven SaaS platforms to the rise of GreenTech, this guide gives you data-backed insights, real startup case studies, and expert commentary on how to anticipate change — not chase it. We’ll also explore why these are the disruptive startups 2025 investors are betting on, and how each aligns with long-term VC trends 2025 and evolving investor trends in tech.
💡 Stay ahead of the curve and position yourself for smarter portfolio decisions with these future-proof investment themes.
Artificial intelligence continues to drive one of the most transformative waves in SaaS, a key space among the emerging startup trends 2025 that investors should not ignore.
In 2025, the SaaS landscape is becoming increasingly intelligent. AI is no longer an add-on, it's embedded into core product design, user workflows, and even strategic decision-making. From autonomous customer support to predictive analytics, AI-driven SaaS is enabling businesses to scale faster, automate more processes, and deliver radically personalized user experiences.
This trend is especially relevant for those exploring the best startups to invest in 2025. AI-SaaS startups are capital-efficient, scalable, and typically have shorter paths to profitability, which makes them highly attractive to both angel investors and VC funds.
Dynamiq — Enterprise GenAI platform providing a low-code stack for creating custom AI agents, fine-tuned LLMs, and secure deployment. It allows enterprises to reduce implementation costs by up to 50% and accelerate rollout from months to hours. Backed by investors like TA Ventures, Dynamiq is an example of how Ukrainian-born innovation is solving global enterprise challenges.
Scalestack — AI-powered go-to-market infrastructure automating RevOps and SalesOps through AI agents. Their clients include MongoDB, Redis, and Remote, reporting faster lead qualification and up to 40% improvement in GTM execution. Seamlessly integrated with tools like MongoDB Atlas and AWS, Scalestack shows how AI-native SaaS can directly drive revenue growth.
AI-native platforms outperform traditional SaaS in customer retention, LTV, and upsell velocity.
AI allows SaaS startups to unlock future startup ideas that weren't feasible with human labor alone.
VC trends 2025 show a rising appetite for AI solutions with measurable operational ROI, not just flashy demos.
As compute costs decrease and open-source LLMs become more sophisticated, we’ll see more startups building domain-specific AI tools on top of SaaS infrastructures. Think: AI copilots for legal, AI CRMs for niche markets, or predictive ops platforms for SMBs.
This direction aligns closely with investor trends in tech that focus on pragmatic, revenue-focused innovation. It’s likely that the next unicorns in AI won’t be general-purpose models but AI-SaaS hybrids solving narrow, valuable problems and doing it better than ever before.
Looking for insights on where to invest in startups in 2025? AI-powered SaaS platforms should be at the top of your list.
Sustainability is no longer optional — it's a growth driver. In 2025, GreenTech is emerging as one of the most promising sectors, reshaping not just energy, but everything from agriculture to manufacturing. For investors, this trend is more than ethical; it's financial. Backing sustainability-focused startups is one of the smartest ways to tap into the best startups to invest in 2025.
With tightening climate regulations, rising energy costs, and growing consumer demand for accountability, GreenTech is quickly becoming a dominant force in the startup landscape. From carbon tracking to renewable energy storage, these solutions are answering urgent global challenges while opening the door to scalable, profitable innovation.
Among all emerging startup trends 2025, GreenTech stands out for its long-term value and policy-backed momentum. In fact, sustainability is now a core pillar in most institutional VC theses.
Dioxycle (France/USA) is pioneering a CO₂-to-ethylene electrolyzer that could revolutionize chemical production. In 2023, the startup secured $17 million in Series A funding from Breakthrough Energy Ventures Europe, Lowercarbon Capital, and Gigascale Capital. Their breakthrough solution enables industries to produce ethylene, a high-demand chemical with drastically lower emissions, opening up vast decarbonization potential.
VSParticle (Netherlands) is a deep-tech startup accelerating material discovery using advanced nanoparticle technology. In August 2024, they raised €6.5 million in a Series A2 round from NordicNinja and Plural. Their platform can reduce the typical 10-year R&D cycle for new materials to just one year, a game-changer for scaling green hydrogen, batteries, and sustainable electronics.
Carbon Clean (UK) is a global leader in modular carbon capture systems for heavy industry. The company raised $150 million in Series C funding in 2022, backed by Chevron, Samsung Ventures, and Equinor. Its flagship solution, CycloneCC, captures up to 97% of CO₂ emissions while reducing capital and operating costs by up to 50%, making it a practical choice for cement, steel, and energy players worldwide.
Sustainability is a capital magnet: Public and private money is flowing into climate-aligned startups, creating opportunities for high-ROI exits.
GreenTech aligns with global megatrends, including energy independence, ESG mandates, and the circular economy.
Many of the disruptive startups 2025 will be those solving real climate and resource efficiency challenges.
The next wave of best startups to invest in 2025 will likely include microgrid tech, bio-based packaging, and AI-powered emission reduction platforms. Investors can expect strong M&A activity, especially from corporate giants trying to accelerate their net-zero goals through startup partnerships.
If you're thinking about where to invest in startups with both impact and upside — GreenTech should be a top consideration.
Healthcare is being rewritten by code, data, and precision. As we enter 2025, the intersection of health and technology is producing some of the most disruptive startups 2025 and some of the most resilient investments.
This shift makes HealthTech and BioInnovation essential focus areas for anyone exploring the best startups to invest in 2025.
Graph Therapeutics (Vienna, Austria) is building an AI-powered platform focused on inflammation and immunology drug discovery. In January 2025, they raised €3 million (pre-seed) from Squareone and Merantix Capital to accelerate their AI model development and platform expansion in a market projected to reach €257 billion by 2032.
XUND (Vienna, Austria) delivers certified Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) to digitize the patient journey — from prevention to diagnosis — via their API-first Patient Interaction Suite. In March 2025, they closed a €6 million pre-Series A funding round, led by Lead Ventures and joined by J&T Ventures, alongside MassMutual Ventures, to scale across DACH and the UK.
Generate:Biomedicines (Cambridge, USA) harnesses machine learning to design new protein therapeutics for immunology, oncology, and infectious diseases. After raising a massive $273 million Series C in 2023 and partnering with Novartis in a deal worth over $1 billion, Generate is reshaping precision biologics development through generative AI.
Health spending is recession-resistant. Even in downturns, governments and insurers prioritize funding.
Many future startup ideas in this space are built on existing infrastructure (e.g., telehealth via WhatsApp), allowing faster go-to-market.
Precision medicine and genomics tools are becoming cheaper, enabling more personalized care at scale.
Expect a rise in vertical AI-health platforms, including:
AI-based fertility and hormone tracking apps
Remote diagnostics tools using computer vision
Digital twins for testing treatment efficacy in silico
Looking at the most impactful startup trends for investors this year? HealthTech delivers a rare combination of global need, high margins, and scalable tech.
Finance is evolving and the third wave is here.
What started as digital wallets and neobanks has now matured into something far more sophisticated. Powered by blockchain, embedded finance, and artificial intelligence, fintech 3.0 is a goldmine for investors looking to the future and one of the most significant new startup trends of 2025.
Let’s break down the transition:
Fintech 1.0 → Online banking services (1990s–2008)
Fintech 2.0 → Mobile-first & cloud-native (2008–2022)
Fintech 3.0 → Decentralized, AI-enhanced, composable (2023 – now)
Today, Fintech 3.0 merges trustless infrastructure, smart contracts, and personalized data layers to reshape how money moves, how credit is scored, and how value is stored.
Fintech 3.0 startups are cheaper to scale, faster to integrate, and borderless by design.
This makes them ideal best startups to invest in 2025, especially for investors looking to enter high-growth, low-friction markets.
Here’s how it compares:
Rapyd — a global embedded finance platform providing APIs for payments, payouts, cards, and FX in over 190 countries. In 2025, Rapyd closed a $375 million Series D round to accelerate expansion into India, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. This “banking-as-a-service” model enables startups to launch financial products quickly without building complex internal infrastructure.
Securitize — a global leader in real-world asset tokenization, enabling the creation and trading of digital securities on blockchain. Recognized in Forbes Fintech 50 in 2025, Securitize works with major investors like BlackRock, KKR, and VanEck. Their solutions streamline KYC/AML and fund management through smart contracts and alternative trading systems.
One standout example of a future-oriented platform is Sends.co — a digital payment and compliance solution helping startups scale financial operations across Europe. Their seamless onboarding, multi-currency accounts, and robust AML/KYC tools reflect a new wave of disruptive startups 2025 driving trust and efficiency in Fintech 3.0.
Here are the startup investment trends 2025 to watch in this space:
AI-driven credit scoring that uses alternative data
Synthetic asset platforms that tokenize stocks, real estate, or IP
Programmable money enabling conditional payments (e.g., escrow logic baked into tokens)
For those asking where to invest in startups with massive upside and short go-to-market cycles, Fintech 3.0 is the answer.
In 2025, we’re seeing a shift from digital nomad novelty to mature remote infrastructure ecosystems, making this one of the most important emerging startup trends 2025.
3 macro forces are driving growth:
🌍 Global talent arbitrage — Businesses hire across borders, increasing demand for remote-friendly payroll, benefits, and compliance tools.
🧠 Cognitive productivity tools — AI copilots and ambient productivity platforms (e.g., Notion AI, Mem.ai) streamline workflows and reduce context-switching.
🛠 Infra-as-a-Service — From VPN orchestration to time-tracking APIs, everything is becoming modular and embeddable.
These trends have turned “remote work” from a perk into a core operating system for modern companies.
Here are the most attractive categories where we’re seeing the best startups to invest in 2025 emerge:
Examples: Deel, Remote, Oyster
Unified HR, benefits, contracts, and taxes for globally distributed teams
High switching costs → strong customer retention
Opportunities in regional specialization & niche compliance (e.g., LATAM or MENA)
Examples: Reclaim.ai, Motion, Notion AI
Predictive scheduling & meeting prioritization
Natural language agents for task creation, inbox management
Foundational AI integrations = early mover advantage
Examples: Tailscale, WorkOS
Zero trust networks, federated authentication
Cross-device access orchestration (esp. for hybrid teams)
Huge demand in compliance sectors (finance, healthcare, legal)
💡 Note: Platforms offering interoperability, cross-border automation, and AI personalization are in highest demand.
Hopin is a leading platform for virtual events and online conferences, enabling seamless hosting of large-scale hybrid and remote gatherings. It integrates video, chat, networking, and analytics into a single user-friendly interface. With over $570 million raised from investors such as Andreessen Horowitz and Coatue Management, Hopin exemplifies how infrastructure supporting remote collaboration and events is a crucial part of the emerging startup trends 2025.
According to Anastasiia Pervushyna, Director and MLRO at Sends, a leading financial platform specializing in international payments,
"When deciding where to invest in 2025, it is critical to consider more than just creative ideas. Investors should prioritise businesses that exhibit excellent operational resilience, particularly in terms of compliance and scalability, because these aspects are non-negotiable in today's complicated financial and regulatory climate. Startups thriving in AI, GreenTech, and decentralised finance look good, but those who incorporate risk management early on will be the genuine winners. My recommendation to investors is to look for companies that combine innovative technologies with practical infrastructure – this combination is what encourages future growth and value."
Look for strong product market fit, rapid user growth, and a credible founding team. In 2025, startups with defensible technology, recurring revenue models, and global scalability stand out as prime candidates. Early traction, support from notable investors, and proprietary IP are also valuable signals.
Pay close attention to startups that address real regulatory or operational challenges, especially in sectors like finance, health, or AI. Platforms like Sends exemplify this trend: by streamlining cross-border banking and embedding compliance by design, they cater to a growing demand among European startups for reliable financial infrastructure. Solutions like these not only fill a critical market gap but also reflect where emerging startup trends 2025 are headed.
Yes. GreenTech remains one of the most promising emerging startup trends 2025, driven by government incentives, ESG mandates, and growing demand for sustainable solutions. While timelines for ROI may vary, the long-term upside is significant, especially in energy storage, carbon capture, and circular manufacturing.
Expect heavy focus on artificial intelligence, climate tech, fintech infrastructure, and biotechnology. AI will power both consumer and enterprise tools, while GreenTech and HealthTech will attract mission-driven capital. Startups that combine frontier tech with practical use cases will lead the way.
On 11 February, fintech leaders, regulators, and investors gathered in Dubai for the 8th edition of FiNext Awards & Conference – a one‑day, high‑impact event focused on the future of finance. Sends was honoured to be part of the conversation and even more honoured to leave with a significant recognition.
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