Investing
A trader in the S&P 500 options pit at the Chicago Board of Trade looks at the trading boards, shortly before the Federal Reserve`s decision to leave the fed funds rate unchanged, in Chicago September 23, 2009. Reuters Photo

You can count on 2022 being a year of massive change driven by a variety of tech breakthroughs and economic shifts.

How can investors cut through the noise and decide where to get involved and place bets?

As the head of a venture studio on a mission to create lots of innovative companies, I’m always looking ahead for new opportunities.

Last week I shared three lenses I use to make investment decisions. Now I want to spotlight a few markets I’m looking at and what’s so compelling about them.

Health and Wellness

It’s no secret the healthcare system in the U.S. is not optimized for wellness. It’s optimized for acute physical trauma and profit.

We’re two years into a pandemic, and people are in urgent, dire need of something different. They’re demanding more convenient and automated healthcare services that meet them where they are.

McKinsey reports telehealth use exploded during the pandemic to 78 times previous levels before stabilizing at 38 times. Mental health issues have skyrocketed. As many as 30% of adults are experiencing significant levels of stress-related symptoms. That means we all know people who are suffering.

The big shift I see in health and wellness is about empowering the patient to take more control over their well-being. This must include:

On-demand access to care and prescriptions.

Direct-to-consumer solutions.

More robust community networks to share experiences.

Emerging treatments.

There’s a lot of money going into the space to bring more of these options to people.

Mental health startups raised a record $2 billion in equity funding in 2020, only to follow up with $3.1 billion in 2021, according to Rock Health.

Blockchain

Whether you love it, hate it, or just feel confused, blockchain is revolutionizing business, finance and innovation.

This is going to impact every part of your life and global business whether you realize it or not, and the investment opportunities coming out of it will be massive. It’s not just about the price of bitcoin. Blockchain is empowering creativity and community.

Artists have used blockchain technology to engage fans in new ways. Timbaland recently started sharing blockchain-based chunks of his music that fans can remix. Other artists are using blockchain to fund their work and share the proceeds with their fans.

High-caliber, blockchain-based communities called decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) are acquiring assets, building products and curating experiences. Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban called DAOs, “the ultimate combination of capitalism and progressivism.”

There’s a lot happening here and it’s important to start getting educated. Before you buy in, however, consider the risks and avoid getting caught up in the coolness factor or the latest fad.

Collectibles

The global market for collectibles has, since the start of the pandemic, been exploding. Estimated at $370 billion, it is expected to reach $522 billion by 2028. In the last few months alone:

A Michael Jordan-autographed trading card sold for a record $2.7 million. Only 23 copies exist.

An unopened Super Mario Bros. game cartridge for the original Nintendo sold for $2 million.

Rare Pokemon cards are regularly changing hands for $300,000 a pop.

All things pop culture are fetching incredible sums, with prices growing at an exponential pace.

The video game category has shot up from next to nothing a few years ago. Games that sold for a few thousand dollars 16 months ago were selling for over $1.5 million by this past summer.

There is significant crossover with the blockchain market due to the extraordinary rise in value of many works of digital art called NFTs.

These are by no means the only markets worth watching right now.

With so much innovation happening simultaneously in so many areas, there are virtually limitless opportunities.

Whatever catches your attention, be sure to connect with others in the space, educate yourself and keep a level head.

Mark S. McNally is the founder and chief nobody of Nobody Studios, a globally distributed high-velocity venture studio bringing together investors, founders and creatives to forge companies with purpose, real-world value and a human connection. For more information, contact McNally at MarkSMcNallly@nobodystudios.com or visit www.nobodystudios.com.