Underappreciated Technologies: Leaders Share Their Top Picks
The tech world’s obsessed with the usual suspects, but what about the unsung heroes quietly brewing in the shadows?
Which game-changing innovations are getting slept on, starved of hype and cash despite their power to flip the script?
And which pint-sized breakthroughs are gearing up to unleash tsunami-sized waves?
We hit up a crew of tech titans and business sharp-shooters, asking them to spill the beans on the most overlooked gems in today’s digital jungle.
What we got back is raw, unfiltered takes—spotlighting the underdog technologies ready to punch above their weight.
These insights don’t just peek into the future—they demand that we align to it.
Read on!
Adhiran Thirmal
As someone deeply involved in technology and cybersecurity, I’ve seen many emerging fields with tremendous potential that don’t always get the attention they deserve. One such area is privacy-enhancing computation (PEC).
While we often hear about encryption and data protection, PEC is a relatively underexplored technology that allows us to process and analyze data without exposing sensitive information.
Techniques like homomorphic encryption and secure multi-party computation (SMPC) are key to this, enabling organizations to collaborate and run computations on encrypted data without revealing the raw data.
With privacy concerns growing and data breaches on the rise, PEC has the ability to transform how we share data securely and comply with privacy regulations like GDPR.
Despite its clear potential, PEC still lacks the investment and focus it deserves, making it an area that could greatly benefit from more attention and funding to unlock its full capabilities.
Adhiran Thirmal
Sr Solutions Engineer, Security Compass
Dennis Lenard
I believe the ableist majority has skewed perceptions of assistive tech, leading to it being undervalued and overlooked. Unlike AI or blockchain, assistive technology lacks the “cool factor” that attracts attention. There aren’t many tech bro types building devices that help the blind see.
Over 1 in 6 people globally live with some form of disability, according to the WHO. That’s more than a billion people who could benefit from tools that enable independence, employment, and full participation in society. Assistive tech has the power to change lives, boost economic productivity, and promote equity.
This isn’t just about convenience, it’s about ensuring no one is left behind. Technology should be inclusive, serving everyone, not just the able-bodied. The impact of assistive tech extends far beyond the individual. It creates a ripple effect throughout communities.
Dennis Lenard
CEO and co-founder, Creative Navy UX Agency
Egor Devlyashkin
As a representative of a face recognition solution provider, I believe we need more focus on ethical and privacy-centered tech.
Deepfakes, for example, highlight major privacy concerns in our industry. Facial biometrics can significantly enhance this protection, and our team is actively working to address the challenges posed by deepfakes.
So I would definitely say it’s the ways to safeguard privacy and reduce bias that are usually overlooked and underinvested. Privacy, once lost, is tough to regain, so it should be a key part of any tech development.
Egor Devlyashkin
Global Sales Director, Luxand Inc.
Jason Way
Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) is an underappreciated but urgent technology that demands immediate attention. The looming quantum computing revolution threatens to dismantle the encryption safeguards that protect everything from financial transactions to government secrets. Yet, despite clear warnings from experts and finalized NIST PQC standards, most organizations have not taken meaningful steps toward adoption.
The assumption that quantum threats are distant is dangerous. 22.7% of experts predict RSA-2048 could be broken by 2030, with a 50% likelihood by 2035—meaning encrypted data today could be harvested and decrypted later. The cost of inaction is immense: breached medical records, compromised financial systems, and national security risks.
With the PQC market projected to exceed $17 billion by 2034, forward-thinking companies must act now. Proactively investing in PQC isn’t just a cybersecurity measure—it’s a survival strategy for a post-quantum world. The question isn’t if organizations should prepare, but how soon will they.
Jeff Szur
Water is necessary for our survival, but our water sources have become deeply contaminated and destroyed globally. From microplastics and PFAS in our water to pollution and other chemicals, it is clear we can no longer rely on traditional sources to stay hydrated.
That is where Atmospheric Water Generators come in.
These machines are able to pull water out of the humidity in the air and transform it into immediately drinkable water. Additionally, the water produced is free of contaminants, and our machines are also built with storage tanks to ensure people have access to large amounts of clean water during disasters.
With this technology, people will never again need to rely on damaged tap water or wasteful bottled water to stay healthy. We are bringing to light a brighter future, and we need people to understand this technology is here and available to them today.
Tyler Maloney
One area I think doesn’t get enough attention is edge computing – specifically, the potential it has in improving the efficiency and speed of data processing by moving computation closer to the source of data, like IoT devices, rather than relying on centralized cloud servers.
The amount of data generated by things like sensors, smart devices, autonomous vehicles, and industrial machinery is only going to increase. Right now, sending all that data to the cloud for processing can create bottlenecks and latency issues. With edge computing, much of this data can be processed locally, allowing for faster decision-making, reducing bandwidth strain, and improving security by minimizing the amount of sensitive data that needs to be transmitted.
In fields like healthcare, for example, edge computing can enable real-time monitoring and faster responses to critical events, like alerting doctors to life-threatening changes in a patient’s condition. In the case of autonomous vehicles, it could make the difference between avoiding an accident or not. Plus, with the growing interest in 5G, the infrastructure needed to support edge computing is likely to expand, so it seems like a good time to focus more attention here.”
Tyler Maloney
CEO of TeachMe.To
Ger Perdisatt
One underrated area of tech is using NLP to spot mental health issues early by analyzing how people write—whether it’s texts, social media, or emails. it can pick up on subtle changes in language that might signal depression, anxiety, or other struggles, way before things escalate. early detection = early help. Early help = less acute issues, reduced demand for therapists etc.
The theory is decades old, we needed AI and cloud to realize it.
I ran a genuine-AI company in this space (we’re shutting it down right now actually due to funding), and I’ve seen how powerful it can be. Honestly, I think this is the biggest untapped diagnostic reserve globally. but after the post-covid mental health app gold-rush, a lot of investors got burned.
Too many companies were all fluff, no impact. Some crossed lines with bad monitoring practices using NLP—that’s got to stop. The potential here is still massive, though. We just need to focus on ethical, meaningful solutions that actually help people, not exploit them. Mental health is more important than ever, and this tech could be a game-changer if we do it right.
Ger Perdisatt
CEO, Acuity AI
Raymond Anto
One underappreciated technology that deserves more attention is AI-driven process automation for SMBs.
While large enterprises leverage automation, small businesses often struggle with inefficiencies due to limited resources. Investing in low-code/no-code AI solutions can streamline operations, reduce costs, and enhance customer experiences.
Personally, implementing AI-driven workflow automation significantly improved productivity in my business, reducing manual errors and response times.
The potential for AI to revolutionize SMB efficiency is vast, yet adoption remains slow due to a lack of awareness and integration challenges. More investment in user-friendly automation tools could bridge this gap and drive widespread adoption.
Raymond Anto
Founder, Congruen
Marc Bishop
Digital ethics and algorithm transparency tools are critically underfunded yet increasingly necessary now. As AI-driven decisions impact lives, ensuring fairness, accountability, and transparency is vital globally. Tools that audit algorithms for biases and ethical concerns are emerging gradually. However, investment in this space lags behind AI’s rapid growth significantly.
Ethical technology fosters public trust, brand reputation, and regulatory compliance seamlessly. Companies ignoring digital ethics risk backlash, legal issues, and customer distrust dangerously. Proactively addressing algorithmic bias is both a moral and business imperative today. The future of tech belongs to ethical, responsible, and transparent innovations universally.
Marc Bishop
Director, WytLabs
Dr. Gregory P. Gasic
One important area of technology that needs more attention is Quantum-Safe Cryptography. As quantum computers become more advanced, they could break the encryption that protects things like online banking, personal data, and even national security. With AI being deregulated in the United States, security is needed now more than ever to protect against misuse, data breaches, and privacy violations.
Quantum-safe cryptography is about creating new encryption methods that even quantum computers can’t break. Investing in this now is crucial to keep our data and digital systems secure as technology evolves. It’s not just about future threats—without stronger security, our personal and critical information is at greater risk in today’s rapidly advancing and less regulated tech environment.
Dr. Gregory P. Gasic
Co-Founder, VMeDx
On behalf of the Techronicler community of readers, we thank these leaders and experts for taking the time to share valuable insights that stem from years of experience and in-depth expertise in their respective niches.
If you wish to showcase your experience and expertise, participate in industry-leading discussions, and add visibility and impact to your personal brand and business, get in touch with the Techronicler team to feature in our fast-growing publication.
