As 2025 begins, industries are evolving at unprecedented speed: robots are revolutionizing manufacturing, terabytes of earth observation data are driving new possibilities, and gaming technology is transforming how we design, train, and innovate across sectors.

In this episode, a16z General Partner Erin Price-Wright, Engineering Fellow Millen Anand, and Partner Troy Kirwin discuss the trends reshaping the future of hardware, software, and beyond.

We explore:

• How robots and full-stack engineers are driving the next industrial renaissance.
• The explosion of Earth observation data and its potential to revolutionize industries.
• How gaming technology is moving beyond entertainment to reshape training, design, and more.

This is just the beginning of our four-part series on 50 Big Ideas for 2025—don’t miss the full list at a16z.com/bigideas.

Resources: 

Find Erin on X: https://x.com/espricewright

Find Millen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/millen-anand/

Find Troy on X: https://x.com/tkexpress11

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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.