Catalyst for deep tech: ‘SuperShifts’ shaping the age of intelligence

We are no longer inching toward a future defined by artificial intelligence. We are living in it. Across labs, launchpads, and boardrooms, AI has shifted from being just another tool in the innovator’s toolkit to becoming the architect of entirely new paradigms. It is transforming quantum computing, next-generation communications, robotics, and materials science. For R&D leaders, founders, and venture capitalists navigating this rapidly evolving landscape, understanding the interplay between intelligence, speed, and systemic shifts is no longer optional. It is essential.

In our new book SuperShifts, we describe the Age of Intelligence as a tectonic transformation and a reconfiguration of how we live, learn, and build. At the heart of this change is IntelliFusion, which combines human, machine, and networked intelligence. This convergence is not just improving workflows. It is redefining the very boundaries of innovation.

Quantum leap: AI meets the subatomic frontier

Quantum computing is shifting from theoretical potential to high-stakes reality. At this level, AI becomes indispensable. Machine learning is now driving advances in qubit architecture, decoherence prediction, and post-quantum cryptography. These capabilities enable quantum companies to transition from concept to insight more quickly than ever.

For start-ups, this unlocks shorter development cycles. For investors, it offers a rare intersection of defensibility, first-mover advantage, and platform-level disruption. As we explore in SuperShifts, AI is learning from complexity instead of being confounded by it.

The communication superhighway, reimagined

AI is transforming communication from infrastructure to interface. Edge AI is pushing intelligence onto devices, reducing latency and enabling real-time decision-making in environments where milliseconds matter. Applications range from autonomous drones to augmented reality headsets and Internet of Things (IoT) medical devices. AI-driven spectrum management is also optimising 5G performance and paving the way for 6G. This allows communication start-ups to create leaner, smarter platforms while offering infrastructure investors a foothold in next-generation systems.

Robotics: the shift from automation to autonomy

Technology is moving beyond traditional automation toward adaptive autonomy. Robots are gaining the ability to perceive, reason, and act in unpredictable environments. Reinforcement learning and advanced perception stacks are creating machines that respond with agility and intelligence. From warehouse operations to surgical assistance, robotics is being redefined. The opportunities for venture capital are now expanding into embodied AI, intelligent swarm systems, and service robotics that integrate deeply with human systems.

Smarter materials for a smarter planet

Artificial intelligence is accelerating discovery in materials science. Generative models are helping uncover new biodegradable polymers, conductive alloys, and sustainable compounds in a fraction of the time traditional research would require. Digital twin labs and AI-driven simulations are compressing years of R&D into mere months. Start-ups applying AI to material innovation are poised to revolutionise industries from consumer electronics to climate technology. As we describe in the EcoAwakening theme of SuperShifts, intelligent systems will be valued not just for what they can do, but for how sustainably they can do it.

Foresight-driven innovation

Innovation is no longer a linear process. It unfolds through complex systems, feedback loops, and exponential growth. Founders, funders, and R&D leaders must shift their mindset toward foresight, agility, and systems thinking. R&D leaders must operate like futurists. Investors must assess transformation timing as carefully as product-market fit. Entrepreneurs must design ventures ready for a world that is constantly in motion. We encourage innovators to become futures-literate and navigate change with confidence rather than fear.

Possibility as capital

AI is not only transforming industries. It is reshaping the very act of innovation. In the Age of Intelligence, success will not depend on who can predict the future most accurately. It will belong to those who can shape it most effectively. This is the essence of SuperShifts. Those willing to navigate uncertainty with vision and intent will find that the future is not something to endure, but something to design. In this new era, possibility itself becomes the most valuable capital.