Here’s this week’s list of latest trending topics, insights and analysis.
Diffusion Models
Diffusion models are machine learning models that generate new content based on training images.
These models train by distorting an image and then learning how to recover it.
This way, they can create a number of new images based on a single sample.
For example, diffusion models can take a picture of the Eiffel Tower and generate a number of new, but similar images.
Interest in diffusion models has exploded mainly because they tend to produce higher-quality images that outperform those created by GAN models (one of the most popular models available).
AI image tools like Dall-E and Stable Diffusion use diffusion, further accelerating interest in this machine-learning model.
What’s Next
Diffusion models are part of the Generative AI for Business meta trend.
(Searches for “generative AI” have increased by 1150% in the last 6 months.)
And we’re seeing generative AI increasingly used by SMBs and enterprise businesses.
Once trained, generative AI can produce diverse content at scale, which can significantly reduce content creation costs.
AI art generators, AI music generators and AI video generators are three examples of trending generative AI products.
Whereas Nightcafe and Soundraw are trending generative AI startups.
Coverless Duvet
Coverless duvets are made from washable materials which are designed to fit inside a washing machine.
This eliminates the need for a traditional duvet cover.
One example of a popular coverless duvet is the Night Owl made by the Fine Bedding company.
(Searches for “Night Owl coverless duvet” have increased by 600% over the last five years.)
Coverless duvets have also become popular on social media. Videos mentioning the product have over 137 million views on TikTok.
What’s Next
Coverless duvets are part of the #bedroom meta trend.
People are increasingly turning to social media to share bedroom organization and product tips.
The hashtag #bedroom, where users show off their bedroom organization, accessories and design, has over 11.4 billion views on TikTok.
Bedroom mini fridges, green sheets and portable LED tables are bedroom products that are trending largely thanks to TikTok and Instagram.
KDP Books
KDP books describe books published through Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) service.
These books are self-published for free, which is why a growing number of independent creators are using the service.
While people can use KDP to publish any type of book, growing interest in KDP books can be mainly attributed to low-content books, like planners and journals.
(Searches for “KDP low content books” have increased by 240% in the last 24 months.)
What’s Next
KDP books are part of the Low Content Books meta trend.
Planners, journals, notebooks, agendas, and guest books are examples of popular low-content books.
Low content books are becoming a popular DTC product category, mainly because they’re relatively easy to create and can be easily self-published through platforms like KDP.
Low-content books are also becoming popular in online communities like “booktok”. Videos mentioning low-content books have amassed over 93 million views on TikTok.
Figma Wireframe
Figma wireframes are wireframe plugins created specifically for use in Figma.
(Wireframing is a process of visualizing UI elements that will be used on different web pages.)
Specifically, wireframing plugins make it easy for designers and UX teams to brainstorm and develop potential user flows directly in Figma.
MockFlow and Oblique are examples of trending Figma wireframe plugins.
What’s Next
Figma wireframes are part of the Figma Plugins meta trend.
Searches for “Figma plugin” have grown 9100% over the last five years.
There are now approximately 750 plugins developed by the Figma community.
Demand for these plugins is growing because they can enhance Figma’s capabilities, making it easier for designers to complete tasks.
Figma fonts, Figma animations and Figma illustrations are examples of in-demand Figma plugin categories.
Whereas Content Reel and Breakpoints are specific trending Figma plugins.
Early bird companies: Airalo (eSIM service startup), ZebraCat (AI video generator), Jobspresso (remote job board), AISEO (AI-powered writing assistant).
Tomorrow’s products today: Kojic acid soap, electrolyte drops, Fadogia Agrestis, mermaidcore.
Early Bird Companies
Airalo
Airalo is a global eSIM service for frequent travelers.
(An eSIM is a digital SIM card embedded in a mobile device that can connect to any cellular provider with eSIM compatibility.)
Specifically, travelers can purchase eSIMs for various countries and regions worldwide, which can be activated and used on compatible devices.
Airalo currently provides eSIMs for 200 countries.
Their platform has more than 1 million users.
The startup has raised $7.3M in funding to date.
What’s next:
Airalo is part of the Travel eSIM meta trend.
Search volume for “travel eSIM” has increased by 4900% over the past 24 months.
eSims allow users to access local networks without needing to physically swap out SIM cards or pay expensive roaming fees.
Travel eSIMs can be purchased online or through mobile apps, and they typically offer competitive pricing compared to traditional roaming plans offered by mobile carriers.
Holafly, Nomad eSIM and Ubigi are trending travel eSIM providers.
ZebraCat
ZebraCat is an AI video generator optimized for marketing campaigns and tasks.
The user selects the campaign’s objective (sales, awareness, etc.) and enters the prompt, and ZebraCat automatically creates a short-form video.
For example, you can enter the following prompt for a fitness app:
“Create a workout motivational video. Emphasize weight loss, muscle gain and confidence boost. Explain how our app helps keep track of your fitness journey and your calorie intake.”
ZebraCat will automatically use stock footage and select the best soundtrack for the video.
Then, it adds the most important information as text in the video.
What’s next:
ZebraCat is part of the AI Editor meta trend.
Searches for “AI editor” have increased by 1566% over the past two years.
Here are a few trending AI editors:
Krisp is an AI audio editor that reduces background noise for recorded videos as well as during live video calls.
Synthesia serves as an AI video generator with integrated editing features.
Nova AI, similarly to Synthesia, is an AI-powered video editor. Users can add subtitles, translate, and edit videos with a few clicks.
Jobspresso
Jobspresso is a job board focused on remote job opportunities.
It aggregates remote job listings across various industries, providing a single platform for people to find these jobs.
The platform currently has over 1,000 posted jobs.
And it is used by 100,000 remote job seekers.
What’s next:
Jobspresso is part of the Remote Jobs Marketplace meta trend.
Searches for “find remote job” have grown by 1120% over the past five years.
And several startups are trying to capitalize on this opportunity by building remote job marketplaces.
Here are a few trending startups operating in this space:
Remote.co is an online remote job community. In addition to their remote job marketplace, they also provide a number of resources designed to help remote workers.
JustRemote, similarly to Jobspresso, is a job board with information on more than 2,000 remote job vacancies.
We Work Remotely is basically Indeed for remote jobs. The site is visited by around 4.5 million job seekers a year.
AISEO
AISEO is an AI-powered writing assistant.
While the platform can summarize text, improve grammar, improve readability, etc., the tool is best known for generating blog content.
Specifically, the startup claims their platform can generate “human-like” search engine-optimized copy.
Their Chrome extension has over 10,000 users.
The platform supports 26 languages and is utilized by over 50,000 users.
What’s next:
AISEO is part of the Niche AI Tools meta trend.
Many new startups are launching generative AI for specific use cases.
Here are a few examples of trending AI generators for niche purposes:
AI content detectors refer to systems that can detect if a piece of text has been generated by large language models (LLMs).
AI code generators can develop complex code based on a description of the problem.
AI game generators create game assets, characters and backgrounds.
AI interior design tools can generate interior design ideas based on uploaded pictures of their rooms or offices.
Tomorrow’s Products Today
Kojic Acid Soap
Kojic acid soap is a skincare product known for its skin-lightening and brightening effects.
The product is also often used to treat hyperpigmentation because it slows down melanin production.
Interest in this product category is growing largely due to the brand Kojie San.
Searches for the brand have increased by 58% over the past 24 months.
The hashtag #kojiesan has over 120 million views on TikTok.
Kojie San’s kojic acid soap brings in approximately $65K/month.
What’s next:
Kojic acid soaps are part of the Kojic Acid Skincare meta trend.
Kojic acid is a natural compound derived from fungi, such as mushrooms and fermented rice.
It is becoming an increasingly popular skincare ingredient because it reduces the production of melanin, the pigment that gives skin its color (which might help with discoloration, hyperpigmentation and uneven skin tone).
Examples of trending products in this category include:
Kojic acid serums are typically lightweight and fast-absorbing, making them ideal for use alongside other skincare products, such as moisturizers and sunscreen.
Kojic acid lotions are typically thicker in texture than serums, making them better suited for people with more sensitive skin.
Kojic acid powders may provide brightening and hydrating benefits when mixed with other skincare products.
Electrolyte Drops
Electrolyte drops are a dietary supplement containing concentrated levels of minerals and electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium.
These drops are usually added to water or other beverages to replenish electrolytes lost during physical activity, illness, or dehydration.
Electrolyte drops are becoming increasingly popular among the keto diet community.
Keto diets, and their low-carb requirement, often lead to electrolyte deficiency (because a low-carb diet causes electrolyte levels to drop).
And people have turned to electrolyte drops to supplement their low electrolyte intake.
This popular bottle of electrolyte drops generates around $70K/month on Amazon.
What’s next:
Electrolyte drops are part of the Electrolyte Supplements meta trend.
Here are a few examples of trending electrolyte supplements:
Electrolyte water is water with small amounts of additional electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium.
Electrolyte tablets can be added to water or other beverages to replenish electrolytes lost during physical activity or dehydration.
Electrolyte powder is popular among those who prefer a more customizable way to control their electrolyte intake, as the amount of powder can be adjusted to meet individual needs.
Fadogia Agrestis
Fadogia Agrestis is a West African plant used in traditional medicine for its potential aphrodisiac and anti-inflammatory properties.
There is limited scientific research on the effectiveness and safety of Fadogia Agrestis as a dietary supplement, and its long-term effects are not well understood.
However, the plant is increasingly gaining popularity as a dietary supplement for bodybuilding.
Specifically, limited studies have suggested that fadogia agrestis might lead to a boost in testosterone.
This pack of Fadogia Agrestis capsules brings in approximately $10K/month on Amazon.
What’s next:
Fadogia Agrestis is part of the Testosterone Supplements meta trend.
Studies have shown that testosterone levels in men have been declining for several decades (and are forecasted to continue to do so).
Which is why many men are turning to testosterone-boosting supplements.
(Searches for “testosterone supplements” have increased by 77% over the past five years.)
Turkesterone supplements and tongkat ali supplements are in-demand testosterone-boosting products.
Mermaidcore
Mermaidcore is an aesthetic trend centered around themes of mermaids.
This trend is largely thanks to TikTok (videos mentioning mermaidcore have over 200 million views on the platform).
This community is identified by the phrase “MermaidTok” (videos mentioning mermaidtok have over 16.6 billion views on the platform).
The hashtag #mermaidsoftiktok, where self-proclaimed mermaids share tips, tricks and products, has over 100 million views.
What’s next:
Mermaidcore is part of the TikTok Aesthetics meta trend.
Videos featuring various aesthetics have over 147 billion views on the platform, illustrating that TikTok has become a go-to platform for people to share their styles.
Some examples of trending TikTok-inspired aesthetics include:
Cottagecore is a trend that celebrates an idealized rural life. The aesthetic has over 16 billion views on TikTok.
Goblincore has over 1.8 billion views on the platform. As the name suggests, it is an aesthetic inspired by the folklore of goblins.
Naturecore is a trend that integrates the theme of nature (animals, flowers, trees and more). With over 43 billion views, it is one of the most popular aesthetics on TikTok.