? The Future Normal: Fast Forward #22

Single serve coffee pods. Giant pickup trucks. Tobacco.

Three things that typically get a bad rap. But I love nothing more than when someone comes along and reimagines or reframes something that is widely considered ‘bad’, as it highlights that there’s little that is objectively good or bad, instead our perspective depends on the context.

Learn more about how innovators are rewriting what is good and bad in the stories below and ask yourself, “who is transforming our industry’s biggest villains into something positive?”

CoffeeB: single-serve pods, without the packaging

???FutureNormal // After five years of research, Swiss retail giant Migros has launched CoffeeB, a pod-like coffee system where the single-serve coffee capsules are encapsulated in a transparent, flavorless and edible coating derived from seaweed. This means that after brewing your coffee, the residue can simply be discarded as food waste or even tossed into your garden to compost naturally.

???So what??// 63 billion (!!) coffee pods are used each year, and most will end up sitting in landfill for hundreds of years. While using infinitely recyclable materials like aluminum is better than single-use plastic, eliminating packaging altogether is even better as it means zero hassle for the consumer and zero resources to collect and recycle. CoffeeB’s big drawback is that it is currently only compatible with proprietary machines, but there are plenty of other zero packaging solutions being tested – check out Xampla’s edible stock cube packaging and Apeel’s plant-based coating for fresh fruit for starters.

BioBetter raises $10 million to transform how cultivated meat is produced.

???FutureNormal // Tobacco is bad, mkay?! But if BioBetter has its way then we might celebrate the long-demonized plant. The Israeli foodtech startup announced its Series A funding round with an eye-catching claim: it can reduce the cost of growth factors from “[the current] USD50,000 to USD500,000 per gram of FGF2…BioBetter's technology has the potential to bring these costs down to just one US dollar per gram.” Growth factors are a key building block in the production of cell-cultured proteins, but they are currently sourced from animals (fetal bovine serum) or via precision fermentation, both which are problematic, expensive and complex. Sourcing from tobacco plants would shift the industry towards an animal-free, regenerative and easily-accessible source of cell growth media.

???So what??// Moving away from animal-based proteins will be one of the most transformative and environmentally positive shifts in the history of the global food system. However skeptics have challenged whether cell cultured meat will ever be scalable, so an exponential cost reduction on this scale is exactly what’s needed.

The world’s first Rivian-powered vasectomy.

???FutureNormal // In a beautifully ironic twist, Texas-based urologist Christopher Yang suggested that he performed what was likely the world’s first Rivian-powered vasectomy, thanks to the EV’s onboard power outlets.

???So what??// The technical term is bidirectional charging – encompassing V2H, V2G and V2L – meaning that vehicles can supply power to appliances, homes and even the main electricity grid. While this might seem relatively innocuous, enabling individuals to store and supply power will be game-changing as we shift towards decentralized, clean and resilient energy systems. Imagine if every EV becomes a mini-power plant, able to power your home for up to 10 days?

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Will robot manicures shake up the nail industry?

?? FutureNormal // Clockwork’s MiNiCure robots offer a basic nail polish manicure, in under 10 minutes, via an automated kiosk. The machine uses AI to scan a user’s nail bed, before printing the polish directly on to the nail. The service costs USD 8 and takes less than 10 minutes.

???So what??// We know the robots are coming, but how they will transform industries remains uncertain. It is easy to see how this will open up a new segment of the market that just wants a basic, quick and cheap treatment, but most manicurists will be able to rest easy, at least until the technology can handle trimming, filing, shaping and nail art. How long until that threshold is reached? Most likely sooner rather than later.

Google Maps extends its AI-powered eco-friendly route suggestions

???FutureNormal // Last year Google Maps started highlighting more energy efficient routes to US users. Now, as the feature rolls out in Europe, it has also been upgraded to enable people to select their engine type (diesel, gas, hybrid or electric) in order to receive better route suggestions. For example, routes factor in that diesel engines are usually more efficient at higher speeds than petrol or gas engines, while hybrid and electric vehicles perform better in stop-and-go traffic.

???So what??// The quest for relevant data-driven insights will never stop. But two additional takeaways here: first, note how Google positions this – “More ways to drive sustainably and save money with Google Maps”. Saving money > sustainability. Second, there might be a whole load of complex number-crunching going on behind the scenes but people just want to know how and why they benefit. Google’s clear and accessible language does just that – “save 26% petrol by driving 9 more minutes”.

The Future Normal?is an exploration of how we will live, work and thrive in the coming decade. But nothing is pre-determined.

We must work to build a cleaner, fairer, better future – so please do share this with anyone you know that can run with these weak signals!

Thanks for reading,

Henry