World Economic Forum announces 100 new tech firm awardees in its 2021 cohort of Technology Pioneers
This year’s cohort include new leaders in AI, cybersecurity, robotics and others using tech to address gaps in healthcare, financial access and more
This class represents 26 economies, including UAE, El Salvador, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe; over 30% of the 2021 Technology Pioneer companies are led by women
TUE 15 JUNE, 2021-theGBJournal- The World Economic Forum announced today its 2021 Technology Pioneers, young and growing tech companies taking on top global concerns with innovative technologies and business models. From artificial intelligence (AI) to fintech, the 2021 Tech Pioneers cohort is using new tech to protect the climate, improve healthcare and much more.
“The 2021 cohort of Tech Pioneers includes many future headline makers at the forefront of their industries,” said Susan Nesbitt, Head of the Global Innovators Community, World Economic Forum. “These companies show great potential to not only shake up their industries but offer real solutions to global problems. They’ll bring great value to the World Economic Forum’s mission of improving the state of the world with their participation in the Technology Pioneers community.”
This year’s Technology Pioneers are emerging leaders in a wide range of industries that span healthcare, cleantech, AI, logistics and more. While at the cutting edge of their industries, many Technology Pioneers are also addressing global societal issues by using new tech to improve education options, address climate change issues and others.
Ceretai, for example, is a Technology Pioneer helping media companies uncover stereotypes and representation gaps in their content through automated diversity and equality analysis. Banyan Nation is using technology to support circular economy climate solutions in India. Century Tech is supporting personalized education options through combined innovations in learning science, AI and neuroscience.
This year’s cohort has the highest gender diversity yet, with over 30% of companies led by women. There are also 26 economies represented this year, with the United Arab Emirates, El Salvador, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe represented for the first time. All the 2021 Technology Pioneers are bringing great innovation to their regions.
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.
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 cohort will also be invited to participate in World Economic Forum workshops events and high-level discussions throughout their two years in the community.
The 2021 Technology Pioneers include:
Africa
1-Cambridge Industries, Ethiopia: Innovating next-generation urban infrastructure through sustainable city parks
2-FlexFinTx, Zimbabwe: Building the next generation of identity management
3-Kuda Technologies, Nigeria: Providing Africans with access to credit and free banking services
4-Moringa School, Kenya: A workforce development platform serving African students
5-mPharma, Ghana: Building good health in Africa through technology-driven healthcare
6-Sokowatch, Kenya: Offering same-day delivery and working capital to African retailers
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