2024 has been a year of unexpected transformations in the world of technology. While the big Western players continued to bet on artificial intelligence, metaverses and augmented reality, other markets have seen the emergence of local and regional champions ready to impact economies and societies in a tangible way. This is the case of the three-wheeled electric vehicle industry in India and Bangladesh, the silent conquest of Threads in Vietnam, the boom of Chinese video games Black MythWukong, Bluesky's leap in popularity in Brazil and Zello's temporary rise in Kenya. These stories show us how global technology is no longer a simple one-way flow from the North to the South of the world, but a plural ecosystem, in constant movement, made of solutions adapted to complex and original contexts. Let's look at these surprises?
1. Three-wheeled electric vehicles: A bottom-up model for India and Bangladesh
In a scenario where the automotive industry seems dominated by Western and Asian giants, the surprise here is the rise of electric three-wheeler manufacturers in India and Bangladesh is a fascinating phenomenon. These small local companies, often with limited manufacturing capacity, have sold over 62.000 units of e-rickshaws in a single month, compared to a still rather stagnant Indian electric car market (just 6.000 vehicles in the same period).
The strength of these manufacturers lies in their ability to adapt to local needs. Electric three-wheelers are often better suited to the chaotic urban streets of South Asia, cheaper to maintain, and easier to repair. Growing government interest in electric mobility incentives has helped fuel the spread of these vehicles, seen as a sustainable solution for public and private transportation.
A success that also has negative surprises
These companies are largely dependent on components, technical know-how and critical minerals from China. Indian factories, such as YC Electric's in Sonipat, were supported in the first phase by Chinese engineering staff. The goal, however, is to create over time an increasingly autonomous local supply chain, in which Indian workers, trained by Chinese experts, can pass on their skills to the new generation, gradually reducing external dependence.
In Bangladesh, the regulatory process is still ongoing. For a long time, electric rickshaws have been circulating without precise regulations, in a context of technological anarchy in which informal workshops produced vehicles of dubious quality. recent decision to legally recognize these three-wheeled vehicles aims to eliminate “improvised sellers” and promote minimum safety standards, making the market more stable and reliable. Despite some setbacks (such as a temporary ban in the capital Dhaka, later suspended) the general trend is towards greater formalization, which could definitively explode the sector.
This landscape reflects a bottom-up approach to electric mobility, where innovation does not necessarily come from large research centers, but also from local workshops, small entrepreneurs and workers trained in the field. The result? An ecological, economical and tailor-made transport solution for the complexity of the territory.
2. Threads in Vietnam: The “Safe” Alternative to X
Il launch of Threads by Meta in July 2023 has attracted widespread interest, but not all markets have reacted in the same way. And the Vietnam , among all, was one of the biggest surprises. In the first period of the platform's life it was already in the world's top ten countries by number of downloads, has shown a steady growth in penetration, from 3% to 12% within a year.
In a context where Facebook and the local messaging platform Zalo dominate the social networking scene, X (formerly Twitter) has never really taken off. It is perceived as too political and less suited to an audience looking for light content, entertainment and excitement. Threads, on the other hand, has seamlessly integrated into the rich Meta ecosystem. Through integration with Facebook and Instagram, Vietnamese users have been able to easily leverage their existing networks, exchanging content more naturally.
Surprises, but not too many: things to consider
Threads’ audience in Vietnam is driven by Gen Z, but older generations are also trying to “keep up” with new trends, popularizing the platform. Unlike other contexts, such as Taiwan, where Threads has supported political debates and protests, in Vietnam the most popular content revolves around feelings, daily advice, ideas on how to improve one’s personal and professional life. This does not mean that the platform is free from political discussions: in the summer of 2024, Threads was animated by conversations about alleged foreign intervention in Vietnamese politics, but the overall tone remains more intimate and “safe” than more established social networks.
The sense of protection that users feel on Threads—the feeling that they can express their opinions without the heavy scrutiny that exists on Facebook—has helped create a more relaxed environment. In a digital landscape often marked by political tension and social pressure, Threads offers a niche where users can feel more comfortable. This uniqueness may solidify the platform’s position in the long term.
3. Black Myth: Wukong: The Chinese AAA Who Conquers the World
The video game market has been characterized by few surprises for decades, mostly dominated by Western and Japanese titles, with China often relegated to the role of consumer and not producer of global "hits". 2024, however, marked a turning point with the launch of Black MythWukong, a game supported by the giant Tencent (by the way, check it out to their latest generative AI for video).
Inspired by the classic Chinese literature Viaaggio in Occidente, Black MythWukong has conquered the international public. In the first month of launch has sold 20 million copies and generated over a billion dollars in revenue on Steam alone. This commercial success went hand in hand with the approval of the Chinese authorities: at a time when Beijing was trying to strengthen its cultural “soft power”, the emergence of a game with a strong national character was welcomed as a triumph.
Black MythWukong It came after a turbulent period for the gaming industry in China. The restrictions on playing time for minors, The temporary suspension of approvals for new titles and state media rhetoric against video games had cast a shadow over the industry. Wukong's triumph proved that China can produce AAA titles1 original, capable of competing globally, and at the same time aligning with the government's ideological objectives.
Speaking of surprises
The game unleashed a wave of national pride. Chinese gamers, after years of impersonating heroes from other cultures, finally found themselves immersed in a familiar mythological universe. Domestic tourism also benefited, with travelers visiting traditional sites and religious structures depicted in the video game. Black MythWukong demonstrates that the Chinese video game industry is no longer a simple hotbed of clones and minor titles, but a creative powerhouse capable of influencing the global market.
4. Bluesky in Brazil: The surprises of the rebirth of “clean” microblogging
While the social networking ecosystem has been shaken from Twitter's metamorphosis into X After Elon Musk's acquisition, some users, especially in emerging markets, have sought out new platforms that are closer to the original spirit of microblogging. In Brazil, August 2024 marked the peak of popularity of Bluesky, the social network founded by one of the co-founders of Twitter, Jack Dorsey.
The boom came in a delicate political and judicial context: the Brazilian authorities they had just imposed a temporary ban on X, due to the platform's inability to contain misinformation and hate speech. This "window" allowed Bluesky to present itself as a "clean" alternative, uncontaminated by toxicity and extremism. In a short time, Bluesky's Brazilian user base went from just 50.000 users to 3,4 million on the day the X ban went into effect.
The choice of Bluesky by Brazilian users was not just a matter of second best
Several interviewees said they chose the new platform because it was reminiscent of the early days of Twitter, when there was free but civil debate, a cohesive community, and less algorithmic pressure. With X (temporarily) out of the picture, Bluesky’s arrival felt like a microblogging renaissance, a space to meet, discuss, and exchange ideas without the pressure of polarized tones.
However, the idyll did not last forever. When Musk finally complied with the demands of the Brazilian authorities, paying fines and limiting extremist content, X became available again. Some users remained on Bluesky, but the rate of growth has slowed. This did not stop the platform from raising new funding ($15 million) in October 2024, with the aim of expanding its global user base. Bluesky has thus carved out a role for itself as a decentralized alternative (but will it be true?) democratic and “nostalgic” microblogging: a place halfway between the old Twitter and a more responsible digital square, where Brazilian users (and not only) can seek a new balance between freedom of expression and mutual respect.
5. Zello in Kenya: the walkie-talkie app symbol of a protest
Among the biggest surprises, one that gets applause. In June 2024, while Kenya was going through political and social tensions, a communication app almost unknown to the international masses became the preferred medium of the protesters: Zello. Born in 2007 by an American engineer, Zello turns your smartphone into a digital walkie-talkie, enabling fast and direct voice communications between groups of users.
In a country where mobile network stability and institutional control over social networks are crucial factors, Zello has emerged as a “free” conduit for protesters. Through the app, information on meeting locations, police movements and evasion strategies could be shared in real time. Even President William Ruto had to acknowledge the central role Zello played in the protests.
The data speaks clearly
Between June 17 and June 25, the app received over 40.000 downloads from the Google Play store, a figure that is significantly higher than the previous average. According to Sensor Tower, between June 19 and June 24, there were 55.000 downloads, more than half of all downloads the app has accumulated in Kenya since its inception. This is evidence of how political crises and social tensions can accelerate the adoption of unexpected technological tools.
However, Zello’s popularity was fleeting. After the low point, downloads quickly declined. Protests subsided, police cracked down, and with them interest in the app. Local experts like Moses Kemibaro argue that Zello was “the right product, at the right time, in the right context,” but that doesn’t mean it has the capacity to sustain its influence beyond exceptional moments. The most recent numbers—only 1.500 active users in November, compared to 7.000 in July—support this hypothesis.
Despite its post-protest decline, the Kenyan experience shows how technology can serve as a crucial resource for social mobilization. Zello has already demonstrated its usefulness elsewhere, such as during the protests in Venezuela in 2014 or in the relief efforts after Hurricane Harvey in Texas in 2017. While not destined to remain a permanent reference, the app remains an example of how technological innovation can be harnessed in unexpected ways to meet immediate needs for communication, organization, and peaceful resistance.
So many surprises!
The five stories presented – from electric three-wheelers in India and Bangladesh to the new popularity of Threads in Vietnam, from the success of Black MythWukong in China to the temporary success of Bluesky in Brazil and Zello in Kenya – show an increasingly multipolar technological world. Innovation is not the prerogative of a single center, but is born and developed in very different contexts, responding to local, political, cultural and economic needs.
In an age where technology pervades every aspect of life, it is not surprising that geopolitics, social conflicts and cultural debates also affect the adoption of this or that platform, a particular hardware or a certain app. This ever-changing landscape offers interesting insights into understanding not only the direction of technological progress, but also the way in which global society adapts, resists and reinterprets the tools at its disposal.
2024 has taught us that innovation moves in unpredictable directions, and that sometimes, among the big giants and the best-known players, unexpected surprises can emerge that can influence markets and cultures, leaving a lasting mark.
- AAA (Triple A) titles are high-end video games produced by large publishers with very high budgets. ↩︎
