From asteroid mining to democratizing quantum: World Economic Forum announces 2025 Technology Pioneers leading new wave of global innovation
The World Economic Forum selects 100 start-ups from 28 countries to join its Technology Pioneers community. The new cohort marks a global surge of emerging technologies, from smart robotics and spatial AI to flying taxis and scalable quantum solutions. Now in its 25th year, the community has recognized over 1,200 start-ups that have gone on to transform industries and societies worldwide.
The World Economic Forum today announces the 2025 cohort of its Technology Pioneers community, a group of 100 early-stage companies from 28 countries driving innovation across industries and borders. Now in its 25th year, the programme celebrates its strongest cohort yet, marked by broader geographical representation, greater diversity beyond Silicon Valley and the rise of more ambitious frontier technologies.
Reflecting wider shifts in the innovation landscape, many of the companies spotlighted are using artificial intelligence (AI) to reach greater scale and sophistication with fewer resources. Several are venturing into less explored frontiers – from asteroid mining and flying electric taxis, to leveraging satellite imagery to transform agriculture and harnessing energy from supernova explosions to locate critical minerals beneath the Earth’s surface.
The geography of innovation is also evolving. While the United States remains the top contributor to the community, Europe’s share has surged to 28% – up from 20% last year – reflecting the rise of strong tech ecosystems across the region. China and India are also emerging as major tech innovation hubs.
“There has never been a more exciting time to dive headfirst into tech innovation. But no one gets far alone – you need a community to move your mission forward,” said Verena Kuhn – Head of Innovator Communities, World Economic Forum. “As we mark 25 years of the Technology Pioneers programme, this global community continues to connect start-ups to the networks and ecosystems they need to scale.”
This year also marks the 25th Anniversary of the Technology Pioneers programme. Since its inception in 2000, the community has championed early-stage innovation and recognized more than 1,200 companies, many of which have gone on to reshape industries worldwide. Alumni include household names such as Google, PayPal, Dropbox and SoundCloud, underscoring the community’s role as a launchpad for ideas and impact.
The 2025 cohort stands out for its concentration of companies developing breakthrough technologies to address pressing global challenges. These include advanced robotics, customisable space launch services, micro nuclear reactors and more accessible quantum computing applications. These pioneers will contribute cutting-edge insights to Forum initiatives over a two-year engagement programme.
For more details: The 2025 Technology Pioneers
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