List of Technology Pioneers 2011
Biotechnology and Health
Adimab (USA)
www.adimab.com
Adimab has developed a fully-integrated human antibody
discovery and optimization platform in yeast. Essentially, is a synthetic human
immune system in its ability to discover and produce functional human
antibodies against disease targets of interest across the full spectrum of
diseases.
Ion Torrent Systems (USA)
www.iontorrent.com
Ion Torrent (Ion) has developed the world's first
semiconductor-based DNA sequencing system. DNA is sequenced on a semiconductor
chip, directly translating biochemical information (A, C, T, G) into digital
information (1,0). While today's sequencing technologies require customized
manufacturing plants, Ion chips are made in standard semiconductor facilities.
Medicine In Need (South Africa/USA)
www.medicineinneed.org
A not-for-profit non-governmental organization devoted
to the development and manufacture of affordable and effective vaccines and
therapies for diseases of poverty with characteristics that allow their
widespread use and sustainability. It does this by incubating, and subsequently
applying, emerging and advanced delivery and manufacturing technologies to drug
and vaccine candidates to make them well-suited for the economic and logistical
constraints of the developing world.
Molecular Partners (Switzerland)
www.molecularpartners.com
Molecular Partners is a privately owned
biopharmaceutical company, located in Zurich, Switzerland, that is pioneering
the development of a novel class of targeted protein therapeutics termed
DARPins. DARPins are as target specific and potent as monoclonal antibodies.
Yet, being small proteins, they overcome the known limitations of conventional
protein-based therapeutic approaches.
Neuronetics (USA)
www.neuronetics.com
Neuronetics, Inc. is a privately-held medical device
company focused on developing non-invasive therapies for psychiatric and
neurological disorders using MRI-strength magnetic field pulses
Energy and Environment
Digital Lumens (USA)
www.digitallumens.com
Digital Lumens develops the industry's first
Intelligent Lighting System, which reduces customers' lighting-related energy
use by up to 90 percent. Digital Lumens' solution integrates LEDs, networking
and software into a single system that transforms industrial lighting into a
powerful platform for improved efficiency, control and operational insight.
Ecovative Design (USA)
www.ecovativedesign.com
Ecovative Design are developing sustainable
replacements for plastics, that require far less energy to create, which can be
grown from many different regional feedstocks, and can be composted, without
processing, in back yards and gardens.
Ferrate Treatment
Technologies (USA)
www.ferratetreatment.com
Ferrate Treatment Technologies develops and
commercializes innovative water and wastewater treatment technologies based on
its proprietary iron chemistry platform. In a single dose, this super-charged,
high valance form of iron replaces multiple treatment chemicals because it can
simultaneously disinfect, oxidize and coagulate to remove pathogens and
contaminants from water.
Flexoresearch Group (Thailand)
www.flexoresearch.com
Flexoresearch Group, a technology start-up from
Thailand, is the leading innovative, research and development company, serving
Thailand’s pulp, paper, printing and packaging industries.
Novacem (United Kingdom)
www.novacem.com
Novacem has developed a carbon negative cement which
offers a transformational solution to the challenge of reducing carbon
emissions from the cement industry. Their cement is based on a non-carbonate
raw material, magnesium silicate, and uses a relatively low temperature
production process. Overall, more CO2 is absorbed during production than it
emitted.
On-Ramp Wireless
(USA)
www.onrampwireless.com
On-Ramp is a provider of the first wireless system
purpose-built to efficiently connect billions of hard-to-reach devices in metro
scale and other challenging environments. On-Ramp's field-proven Ultra-Link
Processing(TM) system enables low-power monitoring and control applications
within Smart Grid, industrial sensing, location tracking, and other areas.
OPOWER (USA)
www.opower.com
OPOWER is an energy efficiency software company that
helps utilities meet their efficiency goals through effective customer
engagement. Using cutting edge behavioral science and patent-pending data
analytics, the OPOWER platform enables utilities to connect with their
customers in a highly targeted fashion, motivating reductions in energy use,
increased program participation and overall customer satisfaction.
Ostara Nutrient
Recovery Technologies (Canada)
www.ostara.com
Ostara has developed a new generation of wastewater
treatment systems – a nutrient recovery solution that creates value from waste
by recovering nutrients from wastewater and transforming them into
revenue-generating, environmentally-friendly commercial fertilizer.
Quintas Renewable
Energy Solutions (Nigeria)
www.quintasenergies.com
A company which manufactures inverters and
uninterruptible power supply units. It also produces solar street and garden
lights used in Nigeria. Its areas of expertise include solar energy for thermal
use, wind energy, feasibility studies for and the design, construction and
installation of small turbines into earth dams to generate electricity for
villages or small population groups and small gas turbines for electricity
generation, biomass as source of electricity generation and co-generation,
using any combustible materials for electricity generation.
TaKaDu (Israel)
www.takadu.com
A company which provides water infrastructure
monitoring software allowing water utilities to reduce water loss and promote
operational efficiency. Its software requires no network changes or capital
expenditure and it is based on patent pending mathematical and statistical
algorithms, uses existing network data including that on flow, pressure and
quality. It is fully operational with utilities and partners in Europe,
Australia, Asia and Israel, and was founded in late 2008.
Tendril (USA)
www.tendrilinc.com
Tendril provides an open, scalable, secure energy
management software platform for the Smart Grid that enables a dialogue between
energy providers and their customers. Providers gain real-time information and
control to manage and optimize grid loads. Customers get powerful insight into
their consumption and have the power to control their utility spending and
environmental impact.
Topell Energy (Netherlands)
www.topellenergy.com
Topell Energy is a privately funded clean technology
company, headquartered in the Netherlands, which has developed a cutting edge,
highly efficient process for the production of high value solid bio-fuel from
woody biomass, a process generally known as torrefaction. Torrefaction of
biomass results in cheaper transportation as well as cheaper and better
conversion to heat and power of biomass, and will be instrumental in unlocking
the potential of biomass for energy production.
Transonic Combustion (USA)
www.tscombustion.com
Transonic Combustion is a cleantech automotive
technology leader that is commercializing innovative powertrain technology that
will disrupt the stagnant efficiency trajectory of the internal combustion
engine. The TSCi™ fuel injection systems offer automotive manufacturers a
near-term, cost-effective solution to vastly improve fuel economy of new cars
and trucks 50-75% and help meet stringent emissions regulations.
Information Technologies and New Media
Aster Data (USA)
www.asterdata.com
Aster Data is a leader in big data management and big
data analysis for data-driven applications. Aster Data's nCluster is the first
MPP data warehouse architecture that allows applications to be fully embedded
within the database engine to enable ultra-fast, deep analysis of massive data
sets.
Atlassian (Australia)
www.atlassian.com
An enterprise software company that produces tools to
help technical and business teams collaborate, plan projects and build
software. Based in Australia, it currently has over 17,000 customers around the
globe.
foursquare (USA)
www.foursquare.com
foursquare creates applications for mobile devices
that allows people to "check in" and report their location and help
people find their friends, learn about the places their friends enjoy and
challenge users to experience new things.
GetJar (Lithuania/USA)
www.getjar.com
The world's second largest online store for mobile
applications, second only to Apple's. It has had over one billion downloads to
date delivering applications for both feature phones and smart phones across
all major platforms including Android, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, iPhone and
Symbian. It provides more than 75,000 mobile applications to consumers in more
than 200 countries. It is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices in the
UK and Lithuania.
Knewton (USA)
www.knewton.com/
Knewton is an online learning company that offers
preparation courses for standardized tests, such as the GMAT, LSAT, and SAT. The
company employs an adaptive learning engine, customizing educational content to
meet the individual needs of each student.
Layar (the Netherlands)
www.layar.com
A company which provides an augmented reality platform
on mobile phones. Its browser has more than two million users, serves 1.2
million augmented objects every day, and will come pre-installed on tens of
millions of phones from handset manufacturers and carriers by the end of 2010. It
was first launched in the Dutch market in June 2009, followed by a global
launch in August 2009, and is located in Amsterdam. It is venture capital
funded and has 32 employees.
NetQin Mobile (People’s Republic of China)
www.netqin.com/en/
A company, founded in 2005 and backed by Sequoia,
Mayfield, Fidelity and Ceyuan VC, which held 68% of the Chinese mobile security
market, according to the 2009 China Mobile Security Market Research Report by
Frost & Sullivan. It provides anti-virus, anti-spam SMS filter,
anti-spyware, and data protection services to more than 51 million users in
over 200 countries and regions. It has a research and development team of over
180 people R&D team and owns multiple patented technologies.
OpenDNS (USA)
www.opendns.com
A provider of Internet navigation and security
services. Through DNS resolution, cloud-based Web content filtering and
security services, it empowers millions of households, schools, and SMBs and
global enterprises to control how users navigate the Internet on their network,
while dramatically increasing the network's overall performance and
reliability.
ReputationDefender (USA)
www.reputation.com
ReputationDefender is the world's leading online
reputation and privacy management company. Launched in 2006 and acknowledged as
the global pioneer in the field, ReputationDefender has reshaped the way
consumers protect their privacy and reputations. The company is the first and
only company that allows customers to take control of their private
information, and for the first time allows everyday people to shape how they
are seen online.
Scribd (USA)
www.scribd.com
Scribd is the largest social publishing and reading
site in the world where tens of millions of people share original writings and
documents. Scribd's vision is to liberate the written word.
SecondMarket (USA)
www.secondmarket.com
The largest secondary market for illiquid assets,
including auction-rate securities, bankruptcy claims, limited partnership
interests, private company stock, structured products, warrants and restricted
stock, and whole loans. It was founded in 2004, has a network of 15,000 buyers
and sellers, and more than US$ 30 billion in assets available for sale on its
platform. With offices in New York and Palo Alto.
Spotify (United Kingdom)
www.spotify.com
Spotify is an innovative digital music platform
created with the vision of offering music fans a legal and superior quality
alternative to music piracy. Spotify provides instant access to whatever music
you want, whenever and wherever you want it, through a simple, clean and quick
to use platform whilst supporting the music industry via an ad-supported,
free-to-the-user model and a Premium, paid subscription model.
Vortex Engineering (India)
www.vortexindia.co.in
Vortex Engineering Pvt Ltd is a pioneer and leading
provider of innovative low power consuming ATMs tailor-made for semi-urban and
rural areas.