OUT OF THIN AIR
AIR COMPANY COPIES A BASIC BIOLOGICAL METHOD TO PROCESS CO2 INTO USEFUL PRODUCTS.
Air Company’s founding concept is elegant—mimic plant photosynthesis to convert carbon dioxide into alcohol that can yield a wide variety of products, from vodka to jet fuel. To make it happen, the Brooklyn-based startup had to build its own reactors, using a proprietary catalyst to combine carbon and hydrogen while releasing no carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere.
Five years after its founding, Air Company employs 50 people and operates a carbon conversion reactor in Brooklyn with 10 times the output of its pilot facility down the street, and it plans to build an even bigger, hydropowered reactor near Niagara Falls in 2024. Long-term, the startup hopes to build facilities wherever it can capture carbon and draw from nearby renewable energy sources—including wind and solar power—and it may eventually license the tech to others as it proves out the ability to handle higher volumes.
“Our innovative process and technology is all about scale, and optimization for cost at scale,” says Gregory Constantine, Air Company’s cofounder and CEO.
Meanwhile, the startup is looking beyond vodka, hand sanitizer, and perfume for its output. It’s been testing sustainable jet fuel for the U.S. Air Force, and has agreements with major airlines—including Jetblue and Virgin Atlantic—to produce 1 billion gallons of fuel over the next decade. NASA has also provided a grant for R&D into rocket fuel.
“We see a world where carbon dioxide can be part of our solution,” says Constantine, “not just the problem.”
AI AND DATA
ALTANA
Drawing on data points from around the world, Altana Atlas gives enterprises a single, shared view of supply chain networks.
CAPE ANALYTICS
For insurance companies that want better risk assessments, Cape’s AI uses geospatial imagery to analyze properties remotely.
COHERE
From former Googlers, Cohere brings the power of large natural language processing models to smaller companies via an API.
EXODIGO
Using advanced sensors, Exodigo can perform a kind of underground X-ray for utility, construction, and mining companies, all without digging.
GITHUB
Like an autocomplete for programmers, Copilot suggests entire chunks of code based on small snippets and comments.
BUILDINGS AND REAL ESTATE BOOM INTERACTIVE
Boom uses machine learning to turn flat floor-plan drawings into 3D editable scenes, letting designers collaborate inside.
LIFEARK
This prefabricated housing firm uses rotational molding tech and recyclable pieces to create a wide array of structures.
QUALIA
To help streamline the home-buying process, Qualia gives all parties a common technology infrastructure for title, escrow, and settlement operations.
COMMERCE AMERICAN EAGLE OUTFITTERS
The company’s subsidiary, Quiet, is creating a “mesh network” of carriers and retailers to deliver packages more efficiently, and with less pollution.
COMMERCEIQ
Ai-powered software helps brands be smarter about inventory, pricing, and advertising on sites like Amazon and Walmart.
MIRAKL
Through Mirakl’s scalable Marketplace Platform, companies with their own storefronts can better compete against the likes of Amazon.
WALMART
See sidebar, p. 76
WHATNOT
Whatnot is furthering the potential for livestream shopping with payment mechanisms, giveaway features, plus other tools for content creators.
COMPUTING AND FOUNDATIONAL TECHNOLOGY CADENCE DESIGN SYSTEMS
With Cadence’s software, chip designers can save time by specifying their goals and letting AI do most of the work.
CONNECTIVITY STANDARDS ALLIANCE
This group has rallied the biggest tech companies behind a single connectivity standard to eliminate smart-home headaches.
RIGETTI COMPUTING
Quantum computing’s first commercial multichip processor could help ramp up deployment for real-world tasks, such as drug discovery.
SEURAT TECHNOLOGIES
With speedy 3D printing tech for metals, Seurat hopes to make everything from screws to silverware printable by 2030.
CONSUMER TECH L’ORÉAL
Oscillating nozzles and dye cartridges make DIY hair coloring easier and hint at an at-home beauty hardware boom to come.
SPY+
AI analysis has found an optimal wavelength formula for sunglasses, with color enhancements that boost mood and alertness.
XONIC GOLF
This AI golf app mimics an actual instructor, improving your own swing instead of making it look like someone else’s. EDUCATION
LENOVO
With AR rendering and 3D human motion tracking, Lenovo gives students a holographic experience without the need for headmounted devices.
QUIZLET
This learning tool generates and grades flash cards, quizzes, and more with machine learning, and can look for conceptual understanding in written responses.
REUP EDUCATION
The adult-learning platform uses natural language processing and machine learning to create personality-based coaching programs for people giving college a second try.
SOAPBOX LABS
This firm’s voicerecognition tech works across many speech patterns and dialects, helping evaluate children’s oral reading fluency. ENERGY AND SUSTAINABILITY
AIR COMPANY
See sidebar, p. 70
EV SAFE CHARGE
This company’s Ziggy Ev-charging robot delivers juice to any parking space in the lot, not just a select few.
MOLEAER
See sidebar, p. 75
SMART RAIN
Smartweather software monitors local conditions to use the most sustainable and costefficient amounts of water in commercial irrigation.
VAAYU
By integrating with point-of-sale systems, Vaayu helps retailers get greener by tracking the carbon footprint of every transaction. ENTERPRISE
ESSENTIAL ACCESSIBILITY
This platform helps organizations make their apps and websites more accessible to the more than 1 billion people with disabilities.
IRONCLAD
By offering a secure platform for NDAS, marketing agreements, and other details, Ironclad is making contract negotiations and management less tedious.
PROJECT44
Seeing 2021’s Suez Canal blockage as a wake-up call, Project44 built a dashboard to track real-time global seaport data.
TRIMBLE
With its Catalyst service on IOS and Android devices, Trimble is making
GPS accurate down to the centimeter for everyone.
ZOOM
The video-chat behemoth is reimagining live events with private channels for producers, pledge-drive features, and more. FINTECH, CRYPTO, AND BLOCKCHAIN
ACCERN
By applying natural language processing models to a sea of online articles, Accern is helping financial pros glean actionable insights.
ALLINFRA
Its Climate platform helps companies meet sustainability goals by pulling verifiable data directly from sources like smart devices rather than relying on manual collection.
CAPITOLIS
This marketplace for banks and investors simplifies the process of moving money around, even for complex financial products.
GLOW LABS
For native Web3 companies, Glow provides an Ethereum-powered, white-labeled rewards program— no blockchain expertise required. FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
ARABLE
Solar-powered sensors are helping farmers use less water, measuring heat stress, air pollution, water demand, and more.
MUSHLABS
By feeding mycelium with food waste, Mushlabs is harvesting a more sustainable meat alternative with few ingredients.
REGRAINED
Starting with spent grains rescued from breweries, Regrained is upcycling food waste into fresh ingredients for new products. HEALTH
ACTIV SURGICAL
The Activsight imaging module reduces preventable errors during laparoscopic surgery with an AR overlay of essential information.