Meet the World Economic Forum's Technology Pioneers of 2021
From climate tech to neuroscience, the latest group of Technology Pioneers blends innovation with entrepreneurial spirit. Image: Tomasz Frankowski
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Fourth Industrial Revolution
- One hundred up-and-coming tech companies have just become World Economic Forum Technology Pioneers.
- This year’s group include leaders in cybersecurity and robotics, as well as others using artificial intelligence to address gaps in healthcare and financial access.
- El Salvador, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe are presented for the first time, while more than 30% of the selected companies are led by women.
- Learn more about the 2021 Technology Pioneers here
From artificial intelligence to healthcare to fintech, the latest group of World Economic Forum Technology Pioneers blends entrepreneurial spirit with science and engineering to tackle global problems head on.
The 2021 cohort of young and growing tech companies includes "many future headline makers at the forefront of their industries,” says Susan Nesbitt, Head of the Forum's Global Innovators Community, which will facilitate workshops and high-level discussions for the pioneers over the next two years. The social innovators are selected for being cutting-edge players with "great potential to not only shake up their industries but offer real solutions to global problems," she explains.
Who are the World Economic Forum's Technology Pioneers?
Ceretai, for example, helps media companies uncover stereotypes and representation gaps by analysing content for diversity and equality. Banyan Nation uses tech to support climate solutions in India. Century Tech personalizes education tools via AI and neuroscience.
FlexFinTx, for example, is building self-sovereign digital identities to help the over 400 million Africans that lack proper forms of identification. Meanwhile, Cambridge Industries is addressing climate change by developing sustainable city infrastructure to support waste-to-energy products.
Gender representation among start-ups has long been a challenge, which is why it's heartening to see the highest gender diversity yet in this year's cohort, with over 30% of companies led by women. The United Arab Emirates, El Salvador, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe are represented for the first time.
Following their selection as Technology Pioneers, this year’s companies will join an impressive group of alumni that include many household names, such as Airbnb, Google, Kickstarter, Mozilla, Palantir Technologies, Spotify, TransferWise, Twitter and Wikimedia.
The 2021 Technology Pioneers include:
Africa
- Cambridge Industries, Ethiopia: Innovating next-generation urban infrastructure through sustainable city parks
- FlexFinTx, Zimbabwe: Building the next generation of identity management
- Kuda Technologies, Nigeria: Providing Africans with access to credit and free banking services
- Moringa School, Kenya: A workforce development platform serving African students
- mPharma, Ghana: Building good health in Africa through technology-driven healthcare
- Sokowatch, Kenya: Offering same-day delivery and working capital to African retailers
Asia Pacific
- AI Medical Service, Japan: Developing the world's first endoscopic AI for gastric cancer
- Aspire, Singapore: Banking South-East Asia’s internet economy
- Avant Meats, China: Biotechnology for healthy, tasty meats made sustainably without animals
- Banyan Nation, India: Driving circular economy via technology-driven informal recycler integrative technology solutions
- Black Lake Technologies, China: Cloud-based collaboration software empowering manufacturers with real-time data
- Cinnamon, Japan: An AI platform to drive digital transformations
- Civic Ledger, Australia: Helping the world reduce its water footprint
- CredoLab, Singapore: Developing bank-grade digital credit scorecards built on mobile device metadata
- DoBrain, Republic of Korea: Game-based learning to unlock and optimize children’s potential
- Equota Energy, China: AI intelligence-based energy optimization, maintenance and carbon management company
- HiNounou, China: Using AI to promote healthy ageing and intergenerational solidarity
- Learnable, China: Interactive and explainable AI solutions on less data
- MakinaRocks, Republic of Korea: Making industrial technology intelligent and delivering it as transformative solutions
- mClinica, Singapore: Building the largest digital network of pharmacies in South-East Asia
- Minieye, China: Using cutting-edge computer vision technology to lead automotive industry change
- Ocean Protocol, Singapore: Unlocking the value of data – a new asset class
- Praava Health, Bangladesh: A healthcare platform providing high-quality digital health and in-clinic experiences
- SandStar, China: Providing leading computer vision technology for retail
- Shannon Technology, China: A language-understanding intelligent service powered by advanced AI technology
- Standard Energy Republic of Korea: Manufacturer of vanadium ion batteries specifically for energy storage systems
- Videonetics Technology, India: AI and deep learning-powered video computing platform development
- Zyllem, Singapore: Software-as-a-service solution for logistics network management
Europe
- Aave, United Kingdom: Built Aave Protocol, an open source and non-custodial liquidity protocol
- Adhara, United Kingdom: Providing liquidity management and international payments for decentralized financial networks
- Avrios, Switzerland: Empowering companies to own the true cost of mobility
- Carbios, France: Green chemistry company providing an industrial solution to PET recycling
- Century Tech, United Kingdom: Developing AI-based learning technologies
- Ceretai, Sweden: Media diversity partner supporting companies with diversity strategies and insights
- CloudNC, United Kingdom: Making manufacturing autonomous
- Enapter, Italy: Providing green hydrogen technology through anion exchange membrane electrolyser manufacturing
- EnginZyme, Sweden: Developing the definitive technology platform for sustainable chemical production
- Greyparrot AI, United Kingdom: Waste recognition to increase transparency and automation in waste management
- Hydrogenious, Germany: Enabling high-performing hydrogen value chains globally.
- Parity Technologies, United Kingdom: Employing the blockchain pioneers who launched Ethereum, now building Polkadot
- Polymateria, United Kingdom: A new scalable solution for the plastic pollution pandemic
- Powell Software, France: Digital workplace solutions that improve the employee experience
- PQShield, United Kingdom: Protecting information for the quantum era
- Riaktr, Belgium: Developing software enabling telecom employees to make better data-driven decisions
- Senseon, United Kingdom: A full-stack cyber-defence capability for the future, today
Latin America
- Algramo, Chile: A platform connecting smart-reusable packaging with internet-of-things dispensers
- Fondeadora, Mexico: Eliminating the inefficiencies related to the traditional banking system
- Hugo Technologies, El Salvador: A multi-category marketplace for everyday products and services
- Truora, Colombia: Fast, innovative, safe background checks and identity theft detection solutions
Middle East and North Africa
- CHEQ, Israel: A global leader in customer acquisition security
- CropX, Israel: Revolutionizing soil sensing, leading farmers into the connected soil era
- MDClone, Israel: Self-service, big data, healthcare platform
- MyndYou, Israel: Improving healthcare quality and lowering costs, engaging and listening
- Phinergy, Israel: Clean energy generation and storage, using metals as energy carriers
- Souqalmal, UAE: Building an online financial education platform in the Middle East
North America
- 54gene, USA: Equalizing precision medicine
- Airside Mobile, USA: Empowering businesses and people with privacy-based identity management
- Akash Systems, USA: Manufacturing artificial diamond radios and satellites for low-cost internet access
- AllStripes Research, USA: Unlocking new treatments for people affected by rare disease
- Calibrate, USA: A telemedicine metabolic health business
- CloudKnox, USA: Enabling organizations to implement least-privilege and zero-trust architecture
- Crowdz, USA: Building a global ecosystem for good for receivables
- DefinedCrowd, USA: A trusted data partner for AI
- Diligent Robotics, USA: Building robots to support and empower patient care teams
- Duality Technologies, USA: Enabling privacy-preserving collaboration and artificial intelligence on sensitive data
- Dyndrite, USA: Powering the next generation of digital manufacturing
- Enko Chem, USA: Crop health solutions, discovered and designed with intention
- Evernym, USA: Leading globally in verifiable credential technology
- FinMkt, USA: Omni channel and scalable point of sale financing software-as-a-service solutions
- Gatik, USA: Developing and operating autonomous vehicles for B2B short-haul logistics
- Gro Intelligence, USA: An AI-powered decision engine where ecology meets economy
- Hazel Technologies, USA: Dedicated to solving the problem of food waste
- HumanFirst, USA: Healthcare coming home, starting with digital clinical measures
- Hypergiant, USA: Focusing critical infrastructure, space and defence using enterprise AI
- Ionomr, Canada: Commercializing advanced ion-exchange materials to enable the hydrogen economy
- January, USA: Analysing blood sugar and diet for diabetes control and prevention
- Jopwell, USA: A diversity, equity and inclusion tech and human capital solution
- Journera, USA: Helping brands improve marketing, customer experience and operations
- Kobold Metals, USA: Deploying vanguard scientific computing to discover key battery material deposits
- Kyndi, USA: Accurate and fast answers to any natural language question
- LiveLike, USA: Converting passive audiences into engaged communities
- Metabiota, USA: Building resiliency products and services for infectious disease threats
- Mori, USA: Reducing waste and creating more sustainable supply chains
- Natural Fiber Welding, USA: Creating circular and sustainable materials from plants and natural fibres
- Numina, USA: Measuring street-level activity, privacy-first, to make the real world queryable
- Pachama, USA: A tech-verified marketplace for nature-based carbon removals
- Parsley Health, USA: Reversing chronic conditions with cutting-edge holistic medicine
- Patientory, USA: Empowering users with insights from health data, improving health outcomes
- Propel, USA: Helping low-income Americans make it through the month, every month
- Propy, USA: An end-to-end real estate transaction platform facilitating transactions online
- Reelgood, USA: An all-in-one streaming TV guide
- Sinai Technologies, USA: Software to cost-effectively measure, analyse, price and reduce emissions
- Skyhive, Canada: Optimizing human economies for companies, communities and countries
- Tellus You Care: Improving eldercare with dignity and privacy
- Unit21, USA: The command centre for risk, fraud and compliance
- Upguard, USA: A cybersecurity platform that helps global organizations prevent data breaches
- WooBloo, USA: Passionate about disrupting the smart home space
- Wright Electric, USA: Building the next generation of aircraft – large, zero-emissions aircraft
- Xanadu Quantum Technologies, Canada: A quantum technology company building fault-tolerant quantum computers using photonics
- ZeroAvia, USA: The first practical zero-emissions, hydrogen-fuelled, powertrain technology provider for aviation
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