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.
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.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Technology Express staff and is published from a syndicated feed)
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