Jun 22 2018
World Economic Forum on Thursday announced its selection of the world's 61 most promising Technology Pioneers 2018, the most diverse class of such pioneers.
World Economic Forum on Thursday announced its selection of the world's 61 most promising Technology Pioneers 2018, the most diverse class of such pioneers ever.
●Companies were selected for their potential to "transform society and industry" and "shape the Fourth Industrial Revolution," Fulvia Montresor of the World Economic Forum said
● Soft Robotics, which produces robotic automation solutions for customers in food & beverage, advanced manufacturing, and e-commerce, made it to the selection for its contributions in driving the future of industrial production
●The full list of recognized Technology Pioneers can be viewed here: http://wef.ch/techpioneers18
Soft Robotics, a Massachusetts-based robotic automation leader, was selected among hundreds of candidates as one of the World Economic Forum's "technology pioneers". Spun out of a collaboration between the Whitesides Group at Harvard University and DARPA, Soft Robotics designs and builds soft robotic automation systems that can grasp and manipulate items with human hand-like dexterity. Leveraging patented material science and AI algorithms, Soft Robotics unlocks automation for large meaningful markets and labor starved industries such as food and beverage, advanced manufacturing, and e-commerce.
The World Economic Forum's Technology Pioneers community are early-stage companies from around the world that are involved in the design, development, and deployment of new technologies and innovations, and are poised to have a significant impact on business and society.
This year's cohort is the most diverse ever, both geographically and in terms of gender. 25% are female-led, and a majority (54%) come from regions outside the United States and Silicon Valley, with each continent represented, barring Antarctica. There is also a wide variety in the technologies the pioneers focus on: the focus technologies include artificial intelligence, big data and internet of things (IoT), biotechnology, blockchain, autonomous vehicles, cyber security, vertical farming and other agricultural advances, decentralised microgrids, and robotics. The full list of technology pioneers can be found here.
Following its selection as Technology Pioneer, CEO Carl Vause of Soft Robotics will be participating in the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting of the New Champions. This meeting, also dubbed "Summer Davos" will be held in Tianjin, China, September 18-20. Many Pioneers will also attend the Annual Meeting in Davos, in January 2019, and continue to contribute to Forum initiatives in the course of the next two years.
"We welcome Soft Robotics in this diverse group of technology pioneers," says Fulvia Montresor, Head of Technology Pioneers at the World Economic Forum. "Soft Robotics and its fellow pioneers are front and centre in shaping the ongoing Fourth Industrial Revolution and we believe they will be transforming society and industry in a positive way in the years to come."
"It's an honor to be acknowledged as a tech pioneer by the World Economic Forum", said Soft Robotics' CEO Carl Vause. "It is a confirmation that our technology is among the most unique in the world, and has the potential to revolutionize robotic automation and shape the industrial production landscape of the future. We plan to use this award to take the next step as a company and engage with stakeholders in government and society, as well as in business."
The Technology Pioneers were selected by a selection committee of more than 60 academics, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and corporate executives. The committee based its decisions on criteria including innovation, potential impact and leadership. Past recipients include Airbnb, Google, Kickstarter, Mozilla, Palantir Technologies, Spotify, TransferWise, Twitter and Wikimedia.
All info on this year's Technology Pioneers can be found here: http://wef.ch/techpioneers18
More information on past winners can be found here: http://www.weforum.org/community/technology-pioneers