A “create your own Netflix” tool + 3 more topics taking off

Exploding Topics scours the internet to find emerging trends before they take off.

Here are four of the latest developments, along with some insights and analysis to help you take advantage.

1. Uscreen

Uscreen is a tool for “creating your own Netflix”.

In other words, it’s a platform for building, hosting and monetizing video-on-demand services.

Streaming services made with the platform include Wanderlust TV, STAGE, Horse TV, Magic Stream, and Bodyrock+.

Other growing platforms in the “create your own Netflix” space include Conviva, Vimeo OTT and Kaltura.

What’s next:

Uscreen is part of the “Over-the-top” media meta trend. “Over-the-top” (OTT) media is any streaming media that bypasses traditional TV and cable. About a year ago, 44 million households streamed OTT content. Today, that number stands at 300 million.

The most well-known OTT streaming services are Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Video, Hulu, and Disney+. These 5 players alone make up 83% of the market (as measured by total viewing time).

But there are dozens of startups launching OTT streaming services to compete with the Netflixes of the world, including Crunchyroll (anime), Britbox (English TV), and Shudder (horror movies).

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2. Portable Blender

Searches for “portable blender” are up 538% over the last 5 years.

What is it?

A portable blender is a small, USB-powered version of a traditional blender.

Fitness influencers on Instagram and TikTok have been increasingly featuring portable blenders in their posts — 23.4k posts on Instagram currently have the “#portableblender” hashtag. Which has led to skyrocketing demand for the product.

(In fact, Self Magazine refers to them as “Instagram Blenders”.)

Leading portable blender brands include BlendJet, Zwilling and PopBabies.

What’s next:

Portable blenders are part of the “Portable Appliance” metatrend. Other examples of this trend include portable ovens, portable fridges, portable bidets and portable washing machines.

3. Magnetic lashes

Magnetic lashes are false eyelashes that are applied magnetically.

Unlike traditional glue-on lashes, magnetic lashes are reusable. And they can also be applied more quickly and easily.

One Two Cosmetics claims a patent on their original design for magnetic lashes. But there are many other competing brands on Amazon (many of which are best-sellers).

What’s next:

The global false eyelash market is expected to grow to $1.6 billion by 2025.

But with magnetic lashes invented only 6 years ago, and with the benefits mentioned above, it’s possible that the product category will grow much faster. (The same way Spanx helped take shapewear from an industry worth under $100M to over $2 billion.)

4. Nanit

Nanit is a brand of smart baby monitors. Their monitors feature HD video, temperature and humidity monitoring, and baby sleep tracking.

The paired app also makes sleep recommendations, records watch time-lapse videos, and resurfaces video memories.

And like Peloton, Nanit also has a monthly subscription model (for access to their baby sleep analytics software).

Nanit has raised $54.2M in VC funding to date. And recently cracked Deloitte’s list of fastest growing US startups.

What’s next:

Nanit is part of the “Peloton for X” meta trend.

Approximately 20% of Peloton’s annual revenue comes via monthly subscriptions.

Which is why dozens of startups are attempting to replicate Peloton’s business model in different product categories.

Other examples of this trend include JaxJox, CLMBR, and Zwift.