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HSBC Funding the Future Survey
- Investors feel more bullish on the outlook for venture capital activity and high-growth public equities heading into 2025
- Rapid take-up of AI and supportive rate environment are among perceived tailwinds…
- …with political risk seen as a key headwind
Poised for growth in 2025
The third edition of our proprietary Funding the Future Survey shows investors are bullish on the outlook for both venture capital (VC) activity and public high growth equities like healthcare and tech in the coming year.
The poll, captured by Survation, aggregates the views of 225 global investors representing a significant portion of the VC and high-growth investment community. Survey participants represented a total AUM of USD1.89 trillion with 58% (just over USD1 trillion) attributed to VC and private equity (PE) investors. Their opinions give a valuable insight into sentiment on high-growth sectors and the VC/PE space as we head in 2025.
The fieldwork took place from 28 October to 22 November 2024 in a fast-changing external environment, with the US Federal Reserve’s rate cutting cycle beginning in September, and financial markets anticipating and reacting to the results of the US election.
Investor sentiment has improved markedly
Against this backdrop, investor sentiment has improved markedly. Some 83% of private investors now expect a pick-up in VC activity in the coming year, the highest reading in our three surveys to date. Investors in high-growth public equities also feel more confident, with 62% of listed equity investors bullish on the outlook for tech, and 56% bullish on healthcare.
We also asked respondents for their views on:
- Key tailwinds: Rapid take-up of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and a supportive rate environment are among the perceived tailwinds
- Key headwinds: Political risk, including uncertainty over the evolution of US trade policy, is seen by survey respondents as a key downside risk
- Nine themes: Among the investment themes we track at HSBC Global Research, Disruptive Technology and Automation are the two favoured by survey respondents. Energy Transition and Digital Finance are also in focus
- Exits: Investors’ preferred exit route is currently trade sales or buyouts, with relatively little interest in IPOs and mergers, suggesting enthusiasm for IPOs has waned
- Tech subsectors: AI software and cloud are the preferred investments within tech for investors, while VC investors have focussed more on software and automation tools
- Health subsectors: The investment focus for VC/PE respondents within healthtech is women’s health; within biopharma, platform and oncology; and within diagnostics, treatment/therapy investments
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