The World Economic Forum announced the 2024 cohort of Technology Pioneers. The select group of 100 leading tech start-ups are focused on applying new breakthroughs in AI to develop clean energy solutions, healthcare innovation and progress in biotech, space and neurotechnology. These companies will contribute cutting-edge insights and expertise to the Forum’s global initiatives over the next two years and help scale their impact.
Motivated by recent breakthroughs in the field, this year’s cohort is harnessing AI and data to drive sustainability and more equitable decision-making in industries and governments. In today’s dynamic landscape of rapid technological development, the Technology Pioneers community exemplifies the transformative potential and entrepreneurial spirit essential for shaping a better future.
“The 2024 Technology Pioneers are revolutionizing industries on a global scale,” said Verena Kuhn, Head of Innovator Communities, World Economic Forum. “These innovators are leveraging the most advanced technologies to drive the radical changes needed to confront the world’s most urgent challenges. We are excited to see how their groundbreaking work will enrich Forum initiatives and how they will contribute to building dynamic partnerships between the public and private sectors to solve these critical global issues.”
This year’s Technology Pioneers cohort includes start-ups from 23 countries, with a third led by a woman chief executive. With a record number of applications, the focus this year is on companies with technology that made significant breakthroughs and are now on explosive growth trajectories. These include nuclear fusion, biotechnology, quantum and AI. Here are some of the strongest examples:
Space
The space industry is estimated to grow to $1.8 trillion by 2035, up from $630 billion in 2023, according to findings in a recent Forum report, Space: The $1.8 Trillion Opportunity for Global Economic Growth. Nine space companies are represented in the 2024 cohort, including satellite makers, in-space manufacturers and space data companies, reflecting the excitement and promise of this growing sector. Companies include Amini, constellr, Pixxel, Space Forge, SWISSto12, TelePIX, Tenchijin, and UNIO Enterprise.
Neurotechnology
Neurotechnology is another area of rapid innovation, with more than $8 billion in venture capital investment to date in and growing ($1.4 billion was raised by neurotech companies in 2023, double the amount raised in 2022, according to Pitchbook article). Four neurotechnology start-ups are in this year’s cohort – BrainQ Technologies, Neurable, OpenBCI and NextSense, which will engage with the AI Governance Alliance.
Clean Technology
In clean technology, the 2024 cohort is represented by both established and emerging technologies including companies pioneering carbon capture, regenerative agriculture, alternative proteins, nuclear fusion as well as carbon-negative and circular materials. These companies have achieved or are close to achieving success in their pilot phases and are scaling in the next year. Start-ups selected include Amperehour Solar, Botree Cycling, Brimstone Energy, Capture, Carbon Upcycling Technologies, DePoly, Dioxycle, Fourth Power, Heirloom Carbon, International Battery Company, Made of Air, Marvel Fusion, Proxima Fusion and Thea Energy.
The 2024 cohort will be invited to join Forum meetings and discussions throughout the year, bringing together leading stakeholders from the public and private sector. The first meeting will be the Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2024, which takes place in Dalian, China, 25-27 June.
More information on past winners and information on the community can be found here.
The 2024 Technology Pioneers include:
Africa
- BasiGo (Kenya), offering bus operators in East Africa electric buses as a more affordable and reliable alternative to incumbent diesel buses.
- Jetstream (Ghana), using digitization and AI to simplify the process of transporting and financing import and export cargo through Africa’s supply chains.
- Kapu (Kenya), building a new retail model for Africa’s mass market.
- uLesson (Nigeria), offering an expansive library of curriculum-aligned video lessons and quizzes for primary and secondary school students in Africa.
ASEAN
- Agriaku (Indonesia), improving agricultural market efficiency by offering price transparency and streamlining the supply chain.
- Alta Alternative Investments (Singapore), enabling securities trading, tokenization and distribution of comprehensive products through a digital exchange.
- Cosmos Innovation (Singapore), with AI building next-generation perovskite silicon tandem solar technology.
- k-ID (Singapore), making it easy for game developers and parents to ensure the safety and privacy of kids and teens online.
Europe
- Algorithmiq (Finland), harnessing the power of quantum computing to solve complex problems in life sciences.
- Bioptimus (France), building the first and only reference multilevel foundation model for biology that will transform multiscale data into actionable representations to fuel breakthrough discoveries in biomedicine.
- constellr (Germany), delivering daily global land surface temperature (LST) data from space optimized for smart farming.
- DePoly (Switzerland), allowing the chemical recycling of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic back to its main components.
- Dioxycle (France), pioneering breakthrough carbon electrolysis technologies that convert industrial emissions into sustainable, cost-competitive ethylene.
- Dotlumen (Romania), using self-driving technology scaled down in the world’s first headset to empower the blind.
- Evroc (Sweden), building a sustainable hyperscale cloud and AI infrastructure for the world with a strong focus on privacy.
- HelloBetter (Germany), developing Digital Therapeutics (DTx), by translating cognitive behavioural therapy into a digital product experience.
- Isometric (United Kingdom), issuing scientifically rigorous, high-quality carbon credits and improving transparency and increasing the speed of carbon crediting.
- Made of Air (Germany), functionalizes biochar to fill materials – transforming its carbon removal promise into usable, high volume, carbon-negative materials.
- Marvel Fusion (Germany), utilizing high-intensity ultra-short lasers and nanostructured fuel targets to commercialize fusion energy.
- NatureMetrics (United Kingdom), turning the complexities of nature into simple biodiversity insights and metrics to support nature impact reporting.
- PlanQC (Germany), building quantum computers that store information in single atoms.
- Pledge (United Kingdom), decarbonization for logistics supply chains helping businesses understand, report and reduce their emissions.
- Proxima Fusion (Germany), developing fusion power plants based on QI stellarator technology.
- Qubit Pharmaceuticals (France), quantum-aided drug discovery.
- Space Forge (United Kingdom), advanced materials and in-space manufacturing company using extreme temperature, microgravity and ultra-high vacuum conditions available in low earth orbit to manufacture materials that cannot readily be grown terrestrially.
- Supercritical (United Kingdom), helping businesses get to net zero by measuring their carbon footprint and selling them carbon removal offsets.
- SWISSto12 (Switzerland), 3D printing technologies for high-performance radio frequency (RF) products and applications and the manufacturing of entire geostationary telecom satellites.
- UNIO Enterprise (Germany), delivering internet connectivity to mobile users through a satellite constellation.
Greater China
- Botree Recycling (People’s Republic of China), providing a full solution for the recycling of critical battery materials.
- Deeplang AI (People’s Republic of China), reshaping knowledge-workers’ information processing workflow empowered by large language model technology.
- Dongsheng AI (People’s Republic of China), building industrial vision and AI algorithms for use within the industrial automation sector.
- HiDream.ai (People’s Republic of China), building generative-AI powered visual multimodality foundation models and applications.
- SenseDeal (People’s Republic of China), developing enterprise-level large model applications and unstructured data intelligent processing engines.
- TerraQuanta (People’s Republic of China), large AI weather model for renewable energy and electricity trading.
- Triastek (People’s Republic of China), pioneering a 3D printing pharmaceutical process to transform the delivery, development and production of medication.
- Viture (People’s Republic of China), XR glasses with near-universal device compatibility.
- Weiyun AI & Robotics Group (People’s Republic of China), combining medical health and AI to manufacture clinical dental products through custom robots and smart factories.
- Westlake Omics (People’s Republic of China), leveraging AI-empowered proteomics technology to provide protein measurement services and clinical tests for disease diagnosis and prognosis.
- Yrobot (People’s Republic of China), building soft and lightweight wearable robots that can effectively assist patients with neuromuscular impairments both in hospital and at home.
Japan
- EdgeCortix (Japan), developing an energy-efficient, ultra-low latency (hardware & software) platform that accelerates AI workloads (from vision to generative-AI), delivering cloud-level performance at the network edge.
- Tenchijin (Japan), harnessing space data to optimize human civilization activities, providing insights for land evaluation and decision-making.
Republic of Korea and North Asia
- Nearthlab (Republic of Korea), leveraging autonomous drone solutions to deliver data powered by advanced flight control, computer vision and deep learning data analysis technology.
- TelePIX (Republic of Korea), developing high-resolution optical satellites for earth observation and using the data to solve agriculture, environment and maritime problems.
- Wrtn (Republic of Korea), a B2C AI aggregator platform integrating numerous AI use cases and curating them in a single interface.
Latin America
- Bright Cities (Brazil), generating diagnostics and roadmaps for cities and the public sector.
- Nagro (Brazil), lending and financial technology for agribusiness.
- PhageLab (Chile), creating the fastest diagnosis AI-powered platform to fully characterize pathogenic bacteria and to pair them with the right bacteriophages for effective elimination.
- Vammo (Brazil), building IoT-enhanced electric motorcycles, supported by a network of battery swapping stations.
Middle East and North Africa
- Aim Security (Israel), providing guardrails for secure and safe use of large language models (LLMs).
- BrainQ (Israel), developing precision neurology therapies using brain-computer interface technology, designed to target damaged neuronal networks and facilitate neuro-recovery.
- Enzymit (Israel), leveraging advanced AI to engineer novel enzymes creating a cell-free platform that facilitates the sustainable and efficient production of valuable chemicals.
- Imagindairy (Israel), using proprietary AI models and precision fermentation to efficiently produce sustainable and affordable animal-free dairy proteins.
- Khazna (Egypt), building the Workforce Bank for the underserved across the Middle East, starting with Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
- Wanda Fish (Israel), producing fish fillets by isolating fish cells and growing them in a controlled environment.
North America
- 2045 Studio (USA), creating a pathway for companies to build cultures rooted in belonging, retention and promotion.
- Amini (USA), solving Africa’s environmental data scarcity by leveraging emerging AI tools and space technologies to support sustainability and climate initiatives for the continent.
- Artyc (USA), democratizing cold chain access by creating high-quality, accessible and sustainable solutions for all.
- Automotus (USA), helping cities reduce emissions, safety hazards and congestion by automating payment and enforcement at the kerb with computer vision.
- Brimstone Energy (USA), building a technology to do lower-cost production of carbon-negative ordinary portland cement.
- Camus Energy (USA), enabling utilities to harness local energy resources for active management of network capacity and reliable operations for a fully electrified, zero-carbon grid.
- Captura (USA), leveraging the natural carbon removal powers of the ocean to remove CO2 from the atmosphere at scale.
- Carbon Upcycling Technologies (Canada), capturing CO2 in industrial byproducts to create material to both sequester and avoid cement emissions.
- CATALOG Technologies (USA), a DNA-based platform for digital data storage and computing.
- Censia (USA), delivering bias-free AI and predictive analytics to empower large enterprises globally to make data-driven people decisions.
- Cybera (USA), automating global criminal complaint filing in line with INTERPOL recommendations to alert banks, crypto exchanges and law enforcement globally.
- Dazz (USA), solving vulnerabilities and preventing risks in cloud development environments.
- ELSA (USA), leveraging machine learning, generative AI and advanced speech recognition technology to improve users’ English-speaking communication.
- Evrnu (USA), converting textile waste into a new high-performance fibre that is recyclable, biodegradable and compostable.
- Fero Labs (USA), AI-driven platform providing predictions backed by confidence bands, full transparency and explainability so factories make efficient production changes.
- Fourth Power (USA), scalable thermal battery technology storing excess renewable energy as heat and releasing it as electricity on demand to the grid for both long and short durations.
- Heirloom Carbon (USA), accelerating the carbon mineralization process to rapidly and permanently remove CO2 from the atmosphere and then store it safely.
- Inclusively (USA), aiding individuals with disabilities in identifying workplace accommodations and enhancing productivity, retention and access to diverse talent pools.
- Juvena Therapeutics (USA), developing disease-modifying biologics to treat chronic muscle and metabolic diseases by unlocking the therapeutic potential of stem-cell secreted proteins.
- Kintsugi (USA), voice biomarker software harnessing the power of AI and free-form speech to detect signs and severity of mental health conditions.
- Moonhub (USA), providing a recruiter-on-demand platform powered by AI.
- Neurable (USA), scaling neuroimaging into everyday products.
- NextSense (USA), building a brain-responsive earbud for real-time sleep enhancement.
- Nth Cycle (USA), transforming the outputs of metal scrap, electronics recycling, untapped mining resources and waste from existing mines into high-purity critical minerals ready to be used in new production.
- Oleria (USA), securely managing access to decentralized SaaS apps and sensitive data.
- OpenBCI (USA), building hardware and software for interfacing the human body, brain and mind.
- Pictory (USA), using AI to automate the conversion of long-form content into engaging, concise videos.
- Populus (USA), providing cities with a software platform to manage connected fleet vehicles to deliver safer and more sustainable streets.
- Rabbit (USA), developing a personalized operating system, Rabbit OS, capable of understanding complex user intentions, operating user interfaces and performing actions on behalf of the user through natural language.
- Re-Nuble (USA), converting unrecoverable food waste into a suite of biological fertilizers and crop residue into peat-free horticultural substrates.
- Robigo (USA), leveraging cutting edge biotechnology tools like CRISPR and RNAi to empower microbes to protect crops from disease and improve crop yields.
- Robust.AI (USA), an industrial-grade cognitive engine leveraging robotics and AI technology for warehouse logistics and manufacturing.
- Skygrid (USA), building high-assurance, third-party services to enable the safe operations and airspace integration of autonomous aircraft.
- Thea Energy (USA), reinventing the stellarator using computer-controlled arrays of planar coils and replacing the intricate, complex modular magnets required in all other proposed stellarator architectures.
- Valora (USA), enabling global peer-to-peer payments and access to decentralized financial tools.
- Vibrant Planet (USA), a scenario planning, monitoring and reporting system helping natural resource managers and community protectors prioritize the deployment of resources to build wildfire and climate resilience.
- You.com (USA), operating a private search engine to summarize the web for users.
South Asia
- Amperehour Solar (India), creating dispatchable renewable energy generating plants.
- Cropin (India), developing a farm monitoring and management solution to help farmers geo-tag their farms, digitize farm records, monitor crop productivity and improve farm activity.
- Entri (India), giving access to learning and upskilling programmes in Indian local languages.
- HealthPlix (India), developing AI-powered electronic medical records software for the healthcare sector.
- International Battery Company (India), manufacturing large-sized rechargeable prismatic li-ion nickel manganese cobalt batteries.
- Niramai (India), developing a novel AI-based test for detecting early-stage breast cancer, which is affordable, portable and non-invasive.
- NxtWave (India), providing AI-driven, vernacular-based coding courses, enabling thousands of previously unemployed students to secure jobs.
- Pixxel (India), developing hyperspectral satellite imagery to capture geospatial data.
- Sarvam AI (India), building foundation AI models and platforms for their use with a focus on Indian languages and use cases.
- String Bio (India), producing next-generation ingredients for agriculture, animal feed and human nutrition from GHG gases.
