Tech Is Still Killing It: Investment Guru Talks 2017 Trends

Wondering if it still makes sense to invest in technology companies?

Every year, financial analysts wait anxiously for Mary Meeker, one of Silicon Valley’s top thinkers, to offer her insights.

The venture capitalist recently revealed the latest trends in her much-anticipated 2017 trend report report.

So who is Mary Meeker?

Mary Meeker is a partner at the venture capital firm called Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byer, one of the most powerful tech industry financing companies in Silicon Valley.

Many consider Meeker to be a guru in the tech sector, and she typically ranks as one of the most influential women in the world.

Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byer placed early bets on companies like America Online, Amazon and Compaq. More recently Meeker guided it to make investments in Airbnb, Slack, and Spotify.

Here are the key takeaways from her 355 page report:

Smartphone growth is slowing globally.

• Total shipments of smartphones for 2016 grew just 3%, compared to a 10% growth rate a year earlier.

Digital growth in China is going strong.

• The amount of time that people in China spent on the Internet grew 30% in 2016, compared to 2015. Users there are logging more than 2.5 billion hours a day, according to the report. The number of Internet users increased 12% for the year, compared to 11% a year earlier.

Gaming is on.

• China is also the number one place globally for online gaming revenues, with software makers hauling in $25 billion in revenue there in 2016.

The ad game is changing. 

• Internet advertising is expected to outpace TV ads in the next six months, with Google and Facebook hauling in the most advertising revenue. Internet advertisers are expected to spend more than $200 billion by the end of the year.

What do Mary Meeker’s insights mean for you?

• Globally, we may be reaching a saturation point for smartphones, but Internet user growth is still strong, particularly in China.
• China is the number one spot globally for online gaming.
• Internet advertising is set to surpass TV advertising in the next six months.