From Jet Fuel to Phone Charms: This Week's Unexpected Innovations

Welcome back to another edition of The Lowdown, where we make sense of what’s heating up across industries, culture, and tech.

This week’s trends reveal just how wide the innovation spectrum has become. On one end, we have LanzaJet rewriting aviation's carbon footprint with fuel made from waste. On the other, CodeQL is quietly fixing dangerous bugs in your code before you even notice them.

Meanwhile, AI is saving veterinarians hours of manual labour thanks to Scribenote, proving that even the most hands-on professions can benefit from smart automation. And just when you think the digital world couldn’t get any more aesthetically pleasing, phone charms make a wildly colourful comeback, blending Y2K nostalgia with Gen Z personality.

Across sectors from climate tech to pet care, cybersecurity to TikTok, the pattern is clear: personalization, precision, and sustainability are driving today’s most exciting innovations.

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Trend #1: LanzaJet - Low-carbon jet fuel from waste

LanzaJet is taking a bold swing at one of the planet’s most pressing issues: aviation emissions. Their startup converts ethanol derived from solid waste and carbon capture into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Not only is the fuel compatible with current aircraft, but it also reduces in-flight emissions by up to 85%.

With its first major facility in Georgia now operational and a roadmap to produce 1 billion gallons of SAF annually by 2030, LanzaJet is positioning itself as a key player in the sustainable aviation movement.

Interest in SAF is soaring, searches are up 1,700% over the last five years. This is no surprise given that aviation accounts for 3% of all global emissions. And with organizations like the International Civil Aviation Organization aiming for net-zero by 2050, SAF could supply over 60% of the required reductions.

Meanwhile, startups like France-based Beyond Aero are experimenting with hydrogen-powered jets that emit only water. It’s a promising mix of practicality and future-forward ambition, and LanzaJet is at the forefront of the formation.

Trend #2: Scribenote - AI that takes notes for your vet

Veterinarians are busy, overworked, and often behind on documentation. Scribenote offers them a lifeline, a voice-recording app that listens in on appointments, transcribes the audio, and formats it into complete, professional medical notes.

Each note includes observations, assessments, and treatment plans, and can be easily imported into a clinic’s practice management system. It’s already saved vets more than an hour a day, with over 1.5M notes created since its 2022 launch.

Backed by $8.2M in seed funding, Scribenote is riding a wave of growth in the $11B pet tech industry. While many pet-focused apps target owners, the bigger (and more profitable) opportunity may lie in serving the vets themselves.

And it's not just Scribenote. Vetology’s AI reads X-rays with 90% accuracy, and Bond Vet has combined tech with rapid expansion, growing to 50+ clinics and a robust telehealth service. With 70% of veterinarians using AI tools weekly, this space is only getting started.

Trend #3: CodeQL - AI that finds and fixes bugs in your code

Debugging is one of the most time-consuming and frustrating tasks in software development. GitHub’s CodeQL is streamlining that process by using AI to not only detect vulnerabilities but fix them automatically.

The platform, which supports popular languages like JavaScript, Python, and Java, explains every fix in plain language. GitHub claims its tool resolves more than two-thirds of issues without human input, a game changer for dev teams under pressure.

As AI debugging gains momentum, so does the need for privacy and accuracy. Snyk’s new DeepCode AI Fix, for example, uses self-hosted models for sensitive codebases. Meanwhile, startups like CodeRabbit and Tabnine are raising millions to build more intuitive debugging experiences.

With over 40,000 new CVEs reported in 2024 alone, it’s no wonder search volume for "AI debugging" is exploding. Tools like CodeQL don’t just speed up workflows; they’re redefining how we secure code in an AI-native world.

Trend #4: Phone Charms - TikTok’s DIY-accessory obsession

From Y2K revival to quiet luxury, fashion cycles move fast. This week’s unexpected breakout? Phone charms.

These colourful, beaded straps attach to smartphone cases and serve both as decoration and makeshift wristlets. Their popularity has surged thanks to TikTok, where #phonecharms has over 75M views. CASETiFY jumped on the trend with reinforced cases and over 100 charm designs, including collaborations with “Friends” and Sonny Angel.

Searches for “phone wrist strap” have more than doubled in two years, and one best-selling charm brings in $47K/month on Amazon. But it’s not just phones, charms are now showing up on handbags, sneakers, headphones, and even nail art.

Bag charms (especially Coach dupes) and crochet charms are also trending, with social platforms driving demand. Even lip gloss tubes are getting the charm treatment. The charm trend isn’t just nostalgia; it’s how Gen Z and Millennials are reclaiming customization in an overly standardized product world.

Last Week’s Poll Results 📈

Which Trend Excites You The Most?

🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜️ Contextual AI (3)

🟩🟩🟩⬜️⬜️ Perelel (3)

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Travertine Tables (9)

🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜️Fractional Real Estate (2)

14 Votes