People within organizations charged with harnessing innovation have always had to consider a technology’s practicality, maturity, and ROI. And today, as AI and computing power smash through assumptions about the limitations of technology, the same executives must increasingly consider implications that include regulations, ethics, social responsibility, sustainability, and societal impact. These technologists brought that kind of thinking to their work in 2024.
Andy Parsons
Among the 130-plus honorees in Fast Company’s Next Big Things in Tech for 2024, four organizations stood out for the ingenuity and potential impact of their innovations. They’re making warehouses safer, creating open-source technology for farming in the age of global warming, improving the capabilities of our phones and laptops, and deploying wireless connectivity in areas that have long been underserved.
ArcBest
For helping robots and humans safely
At a time when old-school media is on the decline, innovators are using technology to create more dynamic content experiences. These companies are disrupting the media industry in ways we couldn’t have imagined a decade ago, from the way we watch football at home to the experience of attending a concert.
Amazon
For flawless blitz predictions
While innovation can happen at companies of any size, sometimes it takes a certain scale to get things done. In areas such as autonomous driving and the graphics technology required to represent people more accurately, solutions only come by throwing a whole lot of resources at the problem. These companies stood out not just for their tech innovations, but the scale required to make those innovations happen.
Abbott
For taking glucose monitoring over the coun
Some of the AI tools with the greatest impact to perform useful work don’t go out of their way to call attention to themselves. These companies are applying the technology to jobs such as streamlining business processes, improving customer support experiences, and even making video meetings feel a little more natural.
aiOla
For giving voice to jargon-filled paperwork
Frontline workers such as forklift drivers often wrestle with paper forms as part of
If you want to get excited about consumer tech again, look at these innovations. They include breakthroughs in material design and miniaturization to make your gadgets even sleeker; new technologies to improve your health and wellness; and some clever applications of AI and data analysis. The next big thing in consumer tech is really about making life better beyond your phone, not just spending more time using it.
Elegoo
For speeding up 3D printing
3
There’s a lot of talk lately about the intersection of schools and technology, often focusing on devices as a distraction. But these three companies showcase how valuable technology can be for education. From the classroom, to study guides, to online learning, they’re taking the most cutting-edge ideas and applying them to learning, ensuring that no one is left behind.
Clear Touch
For making it easier to deploy technology in the classroom
Technological progress is built atop breakthroughs from the companies that build chips (and the factories that produce the chips), communications infrastructure, and all-new platforms such as quantum computing. These companies are doing everything from souping up today’s AI to bringing fast connectivity to places it’s never been before.
Cerebras Systems
For putting the super in supercomputer
Nvidia GPUs may be the brains behind much of today’s cloud
Years after e-commerce rose to unprecedented prominence during the pandemic, virtually every aspect of sales infrastructure, channel, and experience has been targeted by innovation. Now, every company that interacts with consumers is a potential retailer, engaging customers with hyperpersonalized messaging and minimal friction.
Flex
For bringing transparency to FSA and HSA eligibility
FSA and HSA accounts are popular workplace benefits that allow set
No, the Apple Vision Pro didn’t prove to be the iPhone of AR, but augmented and virtual experiences got a fresh jolt of energy in 2024 all the same. Software and hardware developers continued to push the boundaries of UX, and build the entire scaffolding of technologies needed to make the next era of interactivity possible. So as the next wave of headsets hit in 2025 and 2026, the world will be more ready.
Headspace
For building a high-tech way to calm down