Future industries and investing

Anyone who thinks about longevity automatically thinks further ahead: what will the world look like in ten or twenty years? Leipzig futurist Sven Gábor Jánszky has been working on exactly this question for 25 years. In an interview from October 2026 he says, in essence: never trust a futurist who does not invest his own money in his own forecast. He has been doing so himself for some years.

His key message: over the next 10 to 15 years, humanoid robots will be the fastest-growing product. By 2040 he expects around 10 billion humanoid robots, more than there are people. He also names other technologies on the verge of a breakthrough. I find these ideas exciting and have looked at which listed companies work in these fields.

The future industries

1. Medicine: gene therapy, rejuvenation, replacement organs and stem cells

Gene therapies aim to treat diseases at the root, and some companies even want to reverse ageing itself. Then there are replacement organs, such as gene-edited pig kidneys, and stem cell therapies, including for Parkinson's. Listed examples are Intellia and CRISPR Therapeutics (gene editing), United Therapeutics (pig kidneys in clinical trials), Bayer with its subsidiary BlueRock (stem cell therapy for Parkinson's) and Sumitomo Pharma (stem cell therapy for Parkinson's, conditionally approved in Japan since March 2026). Many of the best-known rejuvenation companies, such as Altos Labs, NewLimit or Retro Biosciences, are not yet listed.

2. Humanoid robots

This is where Jánszky sees the greatest growth, and Chinese companies are currently in the lead. Examples are Tesla with its Optimus robot, XPeng with its IRON robot, UBTech and Xiaomi from China, and Hyundai, which owns Boston Dynamics. Then there are suppliers of chips, gears and drives such as Nvidia, Harmonic Drive, Fanuc or Schaeffler. Well-known makers such as Figure AI or Agility Robotics are not yet listed.

3. Brain-computer interfaces (BCI)

Implants that translate thoughts into commands could help paralysed people first. The best-known companies, such as Neuralink or Synchron, are private. On the stock market there are so far mainly indirect options, such as ClearPoint Neuro or Medtronic. Several BCI companies in China are preparing to go public.

4. Nuclear fusion

In laser fusion, laser beams are fired at a tiny fuel capsule until the atoms fuse. The leading laser fusion companies are private, including Focused Energy from Darmstadt and Marvel Fusion from Munich. Since July 2026, General Fusion has been the first listed fusion company, although it uses a different technology.

5. Computer chips with living brain cells

Companies such as Cortical Labs from Australia connect semiconductor chips with living nerve cells. This is still very early, and there are no listed companies in this field so far.

6. AI in space and energy from space

Data centres in orbit could use solar energy directly. SpaceX has been listed since June 2026, and Google is testing AI chips in space with Planet Labs. Other space companies are Rocket Lab, AST SpaceMobile and Firefly Aerospace.

My view

Like Jánszky, I believe we are facing an enormous technological upswing. Medicine and robotics in particular will change our lives a great deal, including for people with Parkinson's. At the same time, many of the most exciting companies are not listed at all, and pure future stocks fluctuate extremely. Price losses of 50 to 80 percent are possible at any time, as is a total loss.

Important notice

This page reflects my personal opinion and is for information only. It is not investment advice, not a buy recommendation and not a solicitation to buy or sell securities. The companies mentioned are examples, not recommendations. I am not a financial adviser. All information without guarantee, as of October 2026. I accept no liability for decisions made on the basis of this page. Anyone who wants to invest should do their own research or seek independent advice and only invest money they can afford to lose. I may hold shares in some of the companies mentioned here myself.