NEXT BIG THINGS IN TECH 2021

Some of the world’s most intriguing innovations are so new that their full impact is yet to be felt. This is what we’re highlighting in the inaugural edition of Fast Company’s Next Big Things in Tech. The 65 honorees on our list, which includes global giants as well as intrepid startups, often harness research that’s fresh from the labs, applying cutting-edge tech to solve real-world problems in unexpected ways.



Our winners, which were selected by a team of 14 Fast Company writers and editors, cover a lot of ground, from financial tech to robotics to sustainability. There’s an affordable tractor that drives itself and uses sensors to improve crop yields. The first at-home COVID-19 test that uses CRISPR technology to deliver results that are both rapid and reliable. A dashboard that helps companies gain new insights into their diversity, equity, and inclusion progress based on hard data. A technology for keeping payments safe from quantum computing attacks that could instantly crack current encryption standards. And a streaming platform that turned a billion people watching a live BTS concert into a community. Other honorees take on equally ambitious challenges—and are poised to improve our lives at home, at work, and beyond.

These products, services, and technological breakthroughs may not all be on the market yet, but they’re real, and they’re reaching important milestones along the way toward availability. Their potential for the future is what excited us the most as we assessed candidates for this list.

MONEY

Anchorage Digital

FOR SOLVING CRYPTO'S CUSTODY PROBLEM

Grabango

FOR LETTING ESTABLISHED STORES DITCH CHECKOUT LINES

Mastercard

FOR PROTECTING PAYMENTS FROM QUANTUM COMPUTING ATTACKS

Orum

FOR MOVING MONEY INSTANTLY

Zest AI

FOR MAKING CONSUMER LENDING LESS RACIST

ADVERTISEMENT

SMART MACHINES

Azumo

FOR BUILDING SCREENS THAT STAND UP TO SUNLIGHT

Diamond Foundry

FOR CREATING A MATERIAL THAT CAN OUTPERFORM SILICON

GelSight

FOR HELPING ROBOTS DEVELOP A NEW SENSE

IBM

FOR GIVING MOORE’S LAW NEW LIFE

Lightmatter

FOR MAKING AI FASTER AND MORE SUSTAINABLE

Monarch

FOR AUTOMATING FARMS WHILE PRESERVING THE ENVIRONMENT

MTEK

FOR BRINGING NEW EFFICIENCY TO FACTORY FLOORS

Rapid Robotics

FOR TEACHING ROBOTS TO DO EVERYDAY WORK

Relativity Space

FOR 3D PRINTING ROCKETS IN MERE DAYS

SambaNova

FOR LETTING COMPANIES TRAIN AI MODELS IN THE CLOUD

Skylo

FOR SENDING THE INTERNET OF THINGS TO SPACE

Tactile Mobility

FOR ALLOWING VEHICLES TO FEEL THE ROAD BENEATH THEM

SUSTAINABILITY

Anuvia

FOR PRODUCING FERTILIZER FROM FOOD WASTE

Automotus

FOR HELPING CITIES UNDERSTAND—AND MONETIZE—VEHICLE TRAFFIC

Bowery Farming

FOR DESIGNING AN OPERATING SYSTEM FOR CROPS

Desktop Metal

FOR SAVING TREES THROUGH 3D PRINTING

Farther Farms

FOR FIGHTING FOOD WASTE WITH CO2

Form Energy

FOR CREATING THE BATTERY OF TOMORROW

GAF

FOR CLEANING UP OUR ROOFS

GM

FOR CREATING A PRACTICAL—AND SCALABLE—ELECTRIC VEHICLE BATTERY

Li-Cycle

FOR KEEPING BATTERIES OUT OF LANDFILLS

MagniX

FOR ELECTRIFYING SHORT FLIGHTS

MycoWorks

FOR REPLACING LEATHER WITH MUSHROOMS

Nuvve

FOR TURNING SCHOOL BUSES INTO BATTERIES

PepsiCo and Wint

FOR GETTING SMART ABOUT WATER CONSUMPTION

Sama and Orbisk

FOR USING AI TO REDUCE RESTAURANT FOOD WASTE

Turntide

FOR REDESIGNING MOTORS TO RUN MORE CLEANLY

Upside Foods

FOR MAKING CELL-GROWN MEAT A REALITY

ADVERTISEMENT

AI & DATA

ADP

FOR TURNING DATA INTO NEW DEI INSIGHTS

Arkose Labs

FOR FOILING BOTH HUMAN FRAUDSTERS AND BOTS

Beyond Identity

FOR FINDING A WAY AROUND PESKY PASSWORDS

Keyavi

FOR GIVING DATA A MIND OF ITS OWN

Microsoft and InfernoRed

FOR SECURING THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS

NeuTigers

FOR CUTTING AI DOWN TO SIZE

PwC

FOR NIPPING AI BIAS IN THE BUD

Spherex

FOR MAKING TV AND MOVIES MORE CULTURE-AWARE

HEALTH

Biospectal

FOR MEASURING BLOOD PRESSURE THROUGH SMARTPHONES

Brightseed

FOR MAPPING PLANTS’ CHEMICAL DIVERSITY AND USING IT FOR MEDICINE

Caption Health

FOR ADDING INTELLIGENCE TO ULTRASOUNDS

ClosedLoop AI

FOR GIVING DOCTORS NEW INSIGHT INTO HEALTH OUTCOMES

Microsoft and Adaptive Biotech

FOR USING DATA TO CREATE A TEST FOR PAST COVID-19 INFECTION

Outset Medical

FOR MAKING DIALYSIS LESS OF A BURDEN

Sherlock Biosciences

FOR APPLYING CRISPR'S POWER TO COVID-19 TESTING

Synchron

FOR GETTING PEOPLE WITH PARALYSIS ONLINE

Tivic Health

FOR REDUCING SINUS PAIN THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

TruTag

FOR PREVENTING PHARMACEUTICAL SUPPLY-CHAIN FRAUD

ADVERTISEMENT

EXPERIENCES

Adobe

FOR PERFORMING MAGIC WITH MEGAPIXELS

Amazon

FOR DEMOCRATIZING SPECIAL EFFECTS

Arcturus

FOR RAISING THE VOLUME ON VOLUMETRIC VIDEOS

Around

FOR MAKING TRULY HYBRID MEETINGS POSSIBLE

Audio Design Desk

FOR SIMPLIFYING SOUND DESIGN

DressX

FOR OUTFITTING INFLUENCERS WITHOUT THE WASTE

Envisics

FOR STREAMLINING DISTRACTING CAR DISPLAYS

Hour One

FOR PUTTING VIRTUAL PEOPLE TO WORK

Kiswe

FOR CONNECTING FANS TO LIVE EVENTS

Leica Geosystems

FOR MINIATURIZING THE LASER SCANNER

Neurable

FOR KEEPING TABS ON OUR BRAINS' NEEDS

Pathway

FOR BRINGING WHITEBOARDS INTO THE VIRTUAL ERA

Taqtile

FOR USING AR TO MANAGE INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT

Tilt Five

FOR GIVING TABLE GAMES A NEW AR TWIST