The World Economic Forum has revealed that 100 new start-ups will be joining its Technology Pioneers Community. The 2022 Tech Pioneers are a group of 100 early to growth stage firms that the Forum projects will shape the future.
The forum includes growing tech companies. In this case, the 2022 cohort is forging new paths in healthcare, food production, and more with cutting-edge technologies.
Furthermore, this is the first time that over one-third of the selected firms are led by women. The 2022 Tech Pioneers are based in 30 countries, with Vietnam, Rwanda and the Czech Republic represented for the first time.
Following their selection as Technology Pioneers, this year’s companies will join a group of alumni that include many popular firms such as Airbnb, Google, Kickstarter, Mozilla, Spotify, TransferWise, Twitter, and Wikimedia.
The 2022 cohort will also be invited to participate in World Economic Forum workshops and events and high-level discussions during their two years in the community.
Three of the 2022 Technology Pioneers are from Kenya:
- Access Afya (Kenya) – High-quality healthcare for the global mass market
- Pula Advisors (Kenya) – An insurance and technology company providing comprehensive insurance solutions
- Sendy (Kenya) – Building fulfillment infrastructure for e-commerce and consumer brands
There were only five Pioneers from Africa. The rest are:
- Ampersand (Rwanda) – Africa’s leading battery-swap energy network for light vehicles
- Okra (Nigeria) – Digitalizing financial services for Africa
The majority of the pioneers are from Asia Pacific, North America, and Europe.
“The 2022 cohort of Technology Pioneers is already bringing great changes to industries around the world,” said Saemoon Yoon, Technology Pioneers Community Lead, World Economic Forum. “By joining this community these emerging tech leaders can continue to show not only the impressive tech advancements within their firms but also how their companies are helping to build a better future for us all.”
