Fast Company

In today’s fast-paced world, nearly every sector of the economy is reinventing itself with the latest advancements in technology. As the pace of innovation accelerates, companies both large and small are turning to groundbreaking approaches to create smarter, more sustainable solutions. Yet among the thousands of exciting new developments released each year, a select group of technologies stand out for their ingenuity. These are Fast Company's 2024 Next Big Things in Tech winners. The 138 honorees span 28 categories, including AI and Data, Space and Telecom, and Health. From corporate giants to ambitious startups, each honoree has demonstrated impressive progress—showing both immediate promise and potential to drive lasting change in the years ahead. You might see this dichotomy in some of our winners: Coursera, Electronic Arts (EA), Logitech, Headspace, Houzz, and Discord. It may be the first time you’ve encountered some of these brands, but it certainly won’t be the last. Whether using AI to improve disaster-response efforts, creating a hiking-friendly wearable exoskeleton, or making supply chains more ethical, each of these products, services, and technological breakthroughs reflects fresh thinking that inspires us. Read the full #FCTechAwards list: https://bit.ly/3Cz2HVj

"I thought this game was supposed to give us hope. I'm not gaining any hope." https://f-st.co/OmDkcB2

"The river needs basin-wide curtailments, agreements to make tribes whole, a moratorium on new dams and diversions, commitments for endangered species and new thinking about outdated infrastructure." https://f-st.co/SkLNiVb

The Dems may have lost the election, but if they’re willing to alienate the queer community and its allies by rolling over on this issue, then they will lose something even more vitally important. https://f-st.co/GI2EVgY

While the incoming president has called climate change a hoax and vowed to repeal climate laws, there are reasons to believe that the world can continue to make progress. https://f-st.co/nYXuLrr

"China announced Friday that it would expand visa-free entry to nine more countries." https://f-st.co/TB7Sbmr

Struggling with comparison in a world of endless metrics? Here’s how to turn envy into self-improvement. https://f-st.co/GaaPNHW

The Justice Department declared that “RealPage replaces competition with coordination. It substitutes unity for rivalry. It subverts competition and the competitive process." https://f-st.co/JWp6Zo6

“This year we saw applications go up again, really across the board, but certainly among MBA programs, and especially among U.S. MBA programs.” https://f-st.co/hDWB4tX

If insurance affordability and relevance continue to degrade, real estate prices will start to decline in exposed locations—a sign that climate change is driving an insurability crisis. https://f-st.co/nS5onVM