Predicting tomorrow's tech
with today's leading signals
A quantitative trend index tracking 14 leading indicators across 240 cities to forecast which technologies, places, and sectors will dominate the next 24 months. We don't guess — we measure.
01 Top trend themes for 2026
Each theme is scored 0–100 from a weighted blend of VC inflows, patent velocity, GitHub stars, job postings, and academic publications. Above 80 = high-conviction signal.
Signal scores — top 8 emerging themes
| Theme | Score | YoY Δ | Drivers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Generative AI infrastructure | 96 | +142% | Compute, inference, fine-tuning platforms |
| Humanoid robotics | 91 | +118% | General-purpose embodied AI |
| Energy-efficient compute | 88 | +86% | Custom silicon, photonic, neuromorphic |
| Climate tech (industrial) | 85 | +74% | Decarb, carbon capture, grid storage |
| Biocompute / wet AI | 82 | +92% | DNA storage, lab automation |
| Defense AI | 80 | +58% | Autonomy, ISR, prime disruption |
| Vertical AI agents | 79 | +104% | Domain-specific autonomous workflows |
| Synthetic biology | 76 | +47% | Bio manufacturing, programmable cells |
| Spatial / AR compute | 72 | +38% | Wearable devices, scene AI |
| Quantum (NISQ era) | 68 | +29% | Error correction, niche advantage |
02 The funding pulse
Global venture capital deployed into emerging tech, by year. The 2024 trough is over — 2026 is on pace to match the 2021 peak, but with very different category leaders.
Global VC into emerging tech ($T)
03 Where to look next
Austin
Score 94/100. AI infra + semiconductors + climate convergence. East Austin garages are the new Mountain View.
Austin deep dive →Texas
Six metros tracked. Austin leads, but Houston's energy-tech rebound and DFW's defense AI cluster are the dark horses.
Texas rankings →US Tech Centers
12 metros ranked. SF Bay still #1 but its lead is narrowing. Austin closed the gap by 17 points in three years.
US rankings →World cities
24 cities across 6 continents. Asia now hosts 4 of the top 10. Africa's Lagos broke into the top 25 for the first time.
Global map →04 What we measure
- Capital signals: VC funding velocity, round size distributions, follow-on rates, exit multiples
- Talent signals: LinkedIn skill gravity, BLS occupation growth, university PhD output, founder migration
- Innovation signals: USPTO patent filings (filed > granted), arXiv publication rate, GitHub repo creation
- Demand signals: Job posting growth, salary inflation, enterprise procurement RFPs
- Network signals: Conference attendance, meetup density, accelerator throughput