Wearable Technology Infographic

For you tech-heads out there, we recently came across this interesting infographic about the take-up of wearable technology, such as smart watches and activity trackers.

The infographic demonstrates that while many people could be talking about certain products, and the media are building hype, it doesn't always translate into sales.

In new technologies, the biggest battle can be finding the right audience for your innovation. Smart glasses make for a good example: Despite all the hype around Google Glass, research firm NPD Group found only 1 percent of those surveyed actually bought them.

And sometimes, products are initially pitched to the wrong audience. Devices like Nike Fuelband began with athletes in mind, but the product failed to really deliver so, instead, the product moved to mainstream use for people who just need to lose a few pounds.

Everybody seems to be talking about smart watches these days (and indeed Transmit Start-Ups has supported Durham-based smart watch manufacturer Orsto) but one of the biggest challenges, particularly in the U.S., is that 50 percent of the American population currently does not wear a watch at all. Having said that, it is predicted that by the end of 2016 more than 20 million people will own a smart watch.

Earlier this year, Pebble raised over $20m for their new Pebble Time smartwatch on Kickstarter.