FX.co ★ Instant effect: companies that owe their success to circumstances

Zoom: from “pandemic verb” to AI asset

In 2020, Zoom morphed from a business tool into a cultural phenomenon. The pandemic made video calls mandatory. In just three months, Zoom earned what it had planned to earn over the years. When the initial frenzy subsided, Zoom struck again — its stake in Anthropic, the developer of the Claude chatbot, is now valued at about $4 billion. The company’s shares jumped to a 3.5-year high.

Nvidia: triple wave of luck

Nvidia is the undisputed timing champion. First, its GPUs became scarce during the crypto‑mining boom. When crypto cooled, the era of generative AI began, and Nvidia’s chips (A100/H100) became “the new gold.” Technology designed for gaming proved ideal first for Ethereum mining and then for training neural networks. As a result, in 2025–2026, the company’s market cap exceeded $5 trillion. Today, Nvidia is the world’s most valuable chipmaker, having ridden two hype waves back to back.

Discord: from gamer niche to “digital living room”

Originally, Discord was a refuge for Fortnite players. The pandemic and social isolation made millions of people look for informal hangouts. The platform rebranded to “Your place to talk,” shed its gamer-only image, and became the “third place” (between home and work) for everyone — from study groups to crypto communities. The company’s valuation soared from $7 billion to $15 billion in a year.

Etsy: marketplace saved by masks

At the start of 2020, Etsy faced tepid growth. However, the shortage of medical masks turned the handmade marketplace into a strategic resource. The CDC’s recommendation to wear cloth masks mobilized 60,000 Etsy sellers in a month. Mask sales amounted to 14% of the platform’s turnover, and millions who came for masks stayed to buy furniture and décor, doubling the company’s profit.

Nintendo Switch: “Animal Crossing” as therapy

The release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons in March 2020 coincided with global lockdowns. The cozy island-life game became a kind of “coronavirus therapy.” People stuck indoors bought Switch consoles en masse to escape into a virtual world. Console sales in March 2020 doubled year-on-year, and Nintendo posted record results even amid chip shortages.

Peloton: rise and “hangover” of home fitness

Peloton became an icon of pandemic life. With gyms closed, their connected bikes and live classes became cult objects. The company hit a perfect storm created by three converging factors: closed gyms, extra disposable income among the middle class, and a need for community and physical activity. But when circumstances changed, demand plunged, and Peloton faced an overcapacity crisis.

Netflix: monopoly of evening entertainment

While cinemas were empty, Netflix was the only window to entertainment. In 2020–2021, the streaming service saw unprecedented subscriber growth. The company benefited from shooting stoppages at competitors and a lack of offline alternatives. During that period, binge-watching became a mass habit — a standard Netflix helped establish and continues to benefit from today.