Amazon and Google might be the household names—but experts think some little-known companies are run smarter.
Editors of MIT Technology Review have ranked fifty of the world’s smartest companies each year, and they just released their list for 2017. The ranking’s based on a firm’s business savvy and creative use of emerging technology.
Nvidia topped the rankings for its AI software and nascent AI-related businesses. It’s been on this list for the last three years in a row, but that’s been primarily because of its graphics chips and innovations in manufacturing them. Nvidia chips are used by most of the Internet and cloud-based service providers, according to MIT Technology Review.
Yet, the company’s data-center business increased 186 percent in the last year. Given how forward-leaning the company has become, it’s not surprising Nvidia boasts a whopping $90.9 billion valuation.
Of course, the list includes major companies like Apple and Facebook, but there are several newcomers, too. Topping both of those in eleventh place, Face++ is a pioneer in facial recognition technology. Meanwhile, additive manufacturing firms like Carbon and Desktop Metal beat out Microsoft and IBM.
In addition to Nvidia, SpaceX, Amazon, 23andMe, and Alphabet round out the list’s top five spots.
This article was featured in the InsideHook newsletter. Sign up now.