By Team Maveron
2025 has a lot in store for venture investors. We’re on the brink of a political administration that will inevitably spark new consumer behaviors. The IPO market may be opening up on a strong note thanks to ServiceTitan, bringing hope back to the ecosystem as investors continue hunting for liquidity. We expect to see more bubbly activity in AI, including big fundraising rounds at even bigger valuations. On the other hand (and likely outside of AI) the have-nots of the fundraising world will likely increase in number as Seed to Series A graduation rates continue to decline. Even still, software startup valuations are on track to reach 2021 levels.
Macro aside, 2025 also has a lot in store for consumers. Earlier this year, we shared our thoughts around the Age of Personalization, or the next generation of consumer investing. With that, we outlined four pillars across health, knowledge, productivity and power redistribution, each representing a structural change in the way consumers think, learn, spend and live. This post outlines the most compelling market opportunities and consumer behaviors we’re tracking in 2025, based on the Age of Personalization’s core pillars. We’re excited to share these below.
Health
Food Regulation
While Twitter parodies of RFK Jr. may no longer be fearmongering bans of Oreos, we can expect shake-ups in food regulation. The FDA may restrict some ingredients like Red40, while promoting others like raw milk. While reducing processed food intake has proven health benefits, this isn’t entirely net-positive for consumers — the FDA is already investigating raw milk products for bird flu. It’s also not entirely net-positive for brands, who may have to adjust their supply chains and manufacturing operations. 2025 should bring opportunities to help both brands and consumers navigate this new regulatory landscape.
Consumer Life Science
Today, the FDA approval process for drugs and other life science solutions is long and arduous, with a high burden of proof through Phase 3 trials. With DOGE’s desire to cut back federal processes and oversight in the FDA, there’s a chance that it becomes easier and faster for new drugs and devices to come to market. If DOGE pushes the FDA to allow the marketing and sale of drugs and devices after Phase 1 clinical trials, life sciences could become an investable consumer opportunity with the potential for venture-scale returns within a standard fund cycle.
Cravings x Convenience
Despite today’s research around GLP-1 patients eating healthier, we anticipate a flight to convenience as the drugs are more widely used. This typically means processed foods in the F&B world — think RTE / RTD meals and shakes like Fairlife. Big Food has picked up on this and is responding accordingly by increasing the nutrient density of fan-favorite processed foods in smaller portion sizes to account for GLP-1 preferences. While higher protein and fiber content may hit some “Better For You” notes, these food items are still, by definition, processed. Consumers are looking for the GLP-1 era’s 100-calorie snack pack, and F&B brands that can hit the intersection of cravings and convenience will thrive.
Note: You can read more about our POV on GLP-1s here, including why we believe community is so important for helping GLP-1 patients develop healthier habits.
Knowledge
Influencer Fatigue
Brands must find new ways to reach their consumers, as opposed to traditional influencer marketing strategies. 45% of people between the ages of 13–22 say influencers don’t have the same power they used to and 53% said they were more likely to trust recommendations from regular people online. The influencer marketing industry is worth $24B today and primarily consists of sponsored content, but we think organic UGC (or content that looks like organic UGC, but is actually AI-generated) will be the most lucrative moving forward. Take Chili’s — organic UGC drove overall sales up 70% YoY, with the Triple Dipper making up 11% of revenue alone. In 2025, authenticity will be key.
Supplement OS
There are over 95k supplements available to consumers and an average of 1k new products introduced annually. Supplement brands operate in a highly competitive space, constantly fighting for consumer mindshare by innovating on product and marketing claims through manual research. With access to more ingredients and manufacturing techniques thanks to RFK Jr.’s focus on wellness, competition could increase exponentially. We believe brands will seek out AI tools to optimize and accelerate product innovation to more effectively navigate these new market conditions.
Crypto’s Groundhog Day
The crypto winter has been dark, but AI is crypto’s Punxsutawney Phil. 2025’s crypto spring will be defined by new consumer experiences enriched by AI, which should embed them more deeply in our daily lives. This could be through personalization, content generation or data analysis and could sit across any industry ranging from healthcare to commerce. Polymarket and Kalshi are early examples of what’s to come — they’re so engrained in consumers’ lives that they accurately predicted the presidential election when most pollsters didn’t. With Bitcoin trading above $100k and AI tools like Sora on the market, the barriers to entry for building and scaling a generational consumer crypto x AI company are lower than ever.
Productivity
Next-Gen Unions
In October, we published an investment thesis focused on the opportunity to provide insurance and benefits to 1099 workers. The skilled trade 1099 workforce should grow even more rapidly as the gap between entry-level wages for blue and white collar workers increases. Students opting to join the workforce or attend a trade school in lieu of traditional four-year colleges could be another major accelerant. The need for economically attractive insurance and benefits for 1099 workers will only grow as the workforce does. We’ll be paying close attention to the fate of ACA and the Bipartisan Pell Workforce Act as we continue to track this space in 2025.
Restaurant-Friendly Food Delivery
Food delivery is broken. Restaurants face crippling fees that erode thin margins alongside an unpredictable workforce likely to be pressured by Trump’s proposed mass deportations. Consumers face inflated menu prices, delivery fees and hidden service charges. This misalignment creates a broken system, where short-term convenience comes at the expense of long-term economics. 2025 will see the emergence of new brands that reimagine a delivery ecosystem and workforce that works in favor of restaurants and consumers, while maintaining business fundamentals.
Power Redistribution
Dupe Economy
Gone are the days of hiding Canal Street designer bags. Instead, influencers are quitting their full-time jobs to build careers around finding the best priced, highest quality dupes across apparel and beauty. We think this pendulum will swing back in 2025. The focus on dupes will ultimately lead consumers to desire authenticity, as prices increase thanks to Trump’s tariffs and quality drops. Brands may finally get a reprieve from the plethora of knock-offs, but will still have to find new ways to reach customers.
House of Brands No More?
As social and commerce converge even further, we believe standalone CPG brands that deliver better benefits and drive traffic to the store through authentic online messaging will win. These standalone brands will replace traditional “Houses of Brands” who acquire or launch competitors to upstarts to remain relevant, like P&G or Unilever. We’re already seeing early data points, with Coca-Cola and Pepsi’s extremely delayed responses to probiotic soda brands Olipop and Poppi. The latter two standalone brands will win because their products and marketing strategy feels more authentic than Coca-Cola and Pepsi’s — which are really no more than dupes themselves!
The Business of College Sports
Since the NCAA changed its stance on NIL, college sports have become a business. Conferences are realigning and star high school quarterbacks are being flipped after the recruitment process for as much as $10M and the attention of major tech executives. College football is only one example — we’re also seeing similar trends in women’s gymnastics and basketball. As media rights and sponsorship opportunities shift, the landscape for venture investment in college sports could open up in a multitude of ways, including investing directly in new leagues or athletes.
We’ll be sharing more as the year progresses and our learnings evolve. Please make sure to subscribe to our Medium to stay up to date on our publications. As always, if you’re thinking about any of these predictions, please reach out to us! We’re excited to hear your thoughts, feedback and pushback.
