From Metaverse Infrastructure to Digital Healthcare: Hidden Growth Drivers in Other Technology Sectors by 2026
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New Growth Phase in Other Technology Sectors
Analyzing the tech industry in early 2026, it’s noteworthy that various technology sectors, beyond AI, robotics, and renewable energy, are experiencing faster-than-expected growth. Particularly, the increase in investments that began in Q4 2025 in metaverse infrastructure, digital healthcare, blockchain-based enterprise solutions, and cybersecurity continues into 2026. According to the latest report by global market research firm Gartner, the total market size of these ‘other’ technology sectors is projected to grow by 19.5%, from $820 billion in 2025 to $980 billion in 2026.
This growth is driven by companies’ digital transformation moving beyond simple cloud migration to more sophisticated and specialized technology adoption. According to McKinsey’s January 2026 report, 73% of global companies are considering building work environments utilizing metaverse or digital twin technologies, with 45% already conducting pilot projects. This trend is particularly evident in the manufacturing and finance sectors. Ford (headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, USA) announced in December 2025 that it had completed the integration of digital twin technology across all its production lines, reporting a 23% improvement in production efficiency.
In the metaverse sector, Meta (headquartered in Menlo Park, California) drew industry attention by announcing an 87% year-over-year increase in metaverse-related revenue to $3.4 billion in Q4 2025. This growth is attributed mainly to the success of the enterprise metaverse solution ‘Workplace VR,’ currently utilized by over 2,300 companies worldwide. In Korea, Samsung Electronics (headquartered in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province) announced in November 2025 the full-scale adoption of metaverse technology in its semiconductor design process, expecting to reduce design error rates by 40% compared to previous levels.
The digital healthcare sector is witnessing even steeper growth. The global digital healthcare market is expected to grow by 20.9%, from $589 billion in 2025 to $712 billion in 2026, with telemedicine and AI-based diagnostic solutions accounting for over 60% of the total growth. Notably, the growth of real-time health monitoring services linked with wearable devices is significant. Apple’s (headquartered in Cupertino, California) healthcare service revenue through Apple Watch is projected to increase by 39%, from $18 billion in 2025 to $25 billion in 2026.
Enterprise Expansion of Blockchain and Cybersecurity
In the case of blockchain technology, steady growth is observed in the enterprise domain, independent of the volatility of the cryptocurrency market. The technology’s application is expanding in supply chain management, digital identity verification, and smart contracts. According to Deloitte’s latest survey, 38% of global large enterprises are utilizing blockchain technology in core operations, a significant increase from 27% in 2024. Walmart (headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas) announced the completion of a blockchain-based tracking system for its entire food supply chain in 2025, reducing the response time for food safety incidents from 7 days to 2.2 seconds.
The cybersecurity sector is emerging as one of the fastest-growing technology fields in 2026 due to the sophistication of ransomware attacks and the rise of AI-based cyber threats. The global cybersecurity market is expected to grow by 20.1%, from $273 billion in 2025 to $328 billion in 2026, with AI-based threat detection and zero-trust security architecture being key growth drivers. Microsoft (headquartered in Redmond, Washington) reported a 34% year-over-year increase in security-related revenue to $6.7 billion in Q4 2025, attributed mainly to the success of its cloud-based security solution ‘Microsoft Defender for Cloud.’
Korea’s cybersecurity market is also rapidly growing. According to the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA), the domestic information security market size is projected to grow by 21.4%, from 4.2 trillion won in 2025 to 5.1 trillion won in 2026. Cybersecurity investments in the financial sector and public institutions are significantly increasing. Shinhan Bank announced in December 2025 an investment of 120 billion won in building a next-generation AI-based cybersecurity system, aiming to improve cyber threat detection rates from 85% to 97%.
Notable changes are also occurring in the gaming and entertainment technology sectors. The advancement of cloud gaming and real-time rendering technology is rapidly changing the paradigm of the gaming industry, offering new opportunities for related tech companies. NVIDIA’s (headquartered in Santa Clara, California) cloud gaming service ‘GeForce Now’ surpassed 25 million subscribers in Q4 2025, with related revenue increasing by 156% year-over-year to $1.8 billion. In Korea, Naver (headquartered in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province) launched its cloud gaming platform ‘NOW’ through its subsidiary Naver Z in October 2025, securing 1 million users within three months of launch.
The advancement of real-time rendering and 3D graphics technology is expanding beyond gaming to various industries such as architecture, automotive design, and film production. Unity (headquartered in San Francisco, California) reported that non-gaming revenue accounted for 42% of its total revenue in Q4 2025, a significant increase from 31% in the same period the previous year. Hyundai Motor Company (headquartered in Seocho-gu, Seoul) also announced in November 2025 the full adoption of real-time rendering technology in vehicle design processes, reducing the design development period from 18 months to 12 months.
Roblox (headquartered in San Mateo, California) is expanding its scope beyond its identity as a metaverse platform to the education and corporate training sectors. In Q4 2025, the usage time of education-related content increased by 340% year-over-year, with over 1,200 educational institutions worldwide conducting online classes using Roblox. In Korea, Kakao (headquartered in Jeju City, Jeju Province) announced that its subsidiary Kakao Games is developing a metaverse-based corporate training platform, aiming to launch the service in the first half of 2026.
Investment Trends and Future Outlook
Analyzing the investment patterns of venture capital and private equity reveals a significant increase in investments in other technology sectors from the second half of 2025. According to CB Insights data, venture investments in the metaverse, digital healthcare, and cybersecurity sectors totaled $18.7 billion in Q4 2025, a 39.6% increase from $13.4 billion in the same period the previous year. Notably, late-stage investments beyond Series B accounted for 68% of the total, indicating that companies in these sectors are entering the commercialization phase.
The investment environment in Korea is also positive. According to Korea Venture Investment, investments in domestic startups in other technology sectors totaled 2.3 trillion won in 2025, a 28% increase from the previous year. Among these, the digital healthcare sector accounted for the largest share at 850 billion won, with the metaverse and gaming technology sectors recording 620 billion won and 480 billion won, respectively. A noteworthy point is the increasing activity in mergers and acquisitions (M&A), with the total transaction value in related sectors reaching 15.4 trillion won in 2025, a 67% increase from the previous year.
Changes in the regulatory environment are also positively impacting the growth of these technology sectors. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced in December 2025 the allocation of new frequency bands for metaverse and AR/VR services, expected to significantly improve the quality and stability of related services. The European Union (EU) also announced in January 2026 the expansion of the Digital Services Act’s scope to include metaverse platforms, expected to contribute to the transparency and reliability of the related market.
The Korean government is also expanding policy support for the development of related sectors. The Ministry of Science and ICT announced an investment of 4.8 trillion won in the metaverse, digital healthcare, and cybersecurity sectors as part of the ‘Digital New Deal 2.0′ policy in 2026. Of this, 1.5 trillion won will be used to support the commercialization of related technologies, with the remainder allocated to infrastructure development and talent cultivation. The government also plans to actively support domestic companies’ overseas expansion through the K-Metaverse Alliance.
Market experts predict that the growth trend in other technology sectors will continue into 2026. A senior analyst in the technology sector at Goldman Sachs stated, “While there is a high interest in AI and robotics, faster profit realization is actually possible in fields like the metaverse, digital healthcare, and cybersecurity.” As companies’ digital transformation accelerates, the demand for these technologies is expected to continue increasing, likely leading to a rise in the stock prices and market capitalization of related companies. However, the complexity of the technology, regulatory uncertainties, and high initial investment costs remain major risk factors, requiring investors to approach with caution.
