The 10 most disruptive startups of 2024: Shaping the future across industries
The startup ecosystem in 2024 has been anything but quiet, with bold innovators emerging to challenge the status quo across diverse sectors. While household names like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Perplexity have dominated headlines, we won’t be highlighting them in this post. Instead, we will be focusing on lesser-known but equally transformative companies.
From redefining AI applications to spearheading breakthroughs in energy, healthcare, and aerospace, these startups are shaping the future.
1. Fervo Energy: Clean power, repurposed
Sector: Energy (Geothermal)
In the heart of Houston, Texas, https://fervoenergy.com is revolutionizing geothermal energy by borrowing fracking techniques from the oil and gas industry. This approach is unlocking geothermal power in previously untapped regions, offering cleaner and cheaper energy solutions. With Google already using Fervo’s power for its Nevada data centers, the startup is proving that old tools can fuel new revolutions. Its upcoming 2-gigawatt project in Utah could solidify its position as a leader in the clean energy transition.
2. Wiz: The new standard for cloud security
Sector: Cybersecurity
From its base in New York, Wiz has shaken up the cybersecurity world. Its unified cloud security platform offers an unprecedented level of protection in an era where cloud environments dominate business operations. Earlier this year, Wiz turned down a jaw-dropping $23 billion acquisition offer from Google, proving its commitment to independence and innovation. As enterprises scramble to secure their digital footprints, Wiz is leading the charge.
3. Beta Technologies: Redefining electric flight
Sector: Transportation (Aviation)
Beta Technologies, headquartered in Vermont, is electrifying the skies with its vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. These planes, designed to transport people, goods, and even medical equipment, are already winning over logistics and military sectors. Beta isn’t just about building planes—it’s creating the infrastructure to support them, with charging networks that even competitors use.
4. Letta: Giving AI the gift of memory
Sector: Artificial Intelligence
Large language models (LLMs) have dominated conversations in AI, but Letta is tackling a fundamental flaw: memory. Based in Berkeley, Letta’s technology allows AI systems to retain long-term context, making interactions smarter and more intuitive. Its viral open-source project, MemGPT, caught the attention of developers and businesses alike. With memory as the next frontier for LLMs, Letta is charting the course.
5. Impulse Space: Facilitating space colonization
Sector: Space Technology
Redondo Beach’s Impulse Space is democratizing space access by creating orbital transfer vehicles—think last-mile delivery, but for satellites. By making payload transfers to specific orbits more affordable and efficient, Impulse is enabling a new era of space exploration and commercialization. With major contracts from the U.S. Space Force and a $150 million funding round, Impulse is poised to reshape humanity’s relationship with space.
6. Cdial: Amplifying Africa’s voice
Sector: Language Technology
While most AI models are built around Western languages, Nigeria’s Cdial is ensuring Africa isn’t left behind. This groundbreaking startup has developed a multilingual AI capable of understanding and speaking thousands of African dialects. By empowering education, business, and healthcare in underserved regions, Cdial is giving a voice to a continent often overlooked in tech development.
7. Slice: Reinventing banking for emerging markets
Sector: Fintech
In India, Slice has redefined banking for a new generation. Starting as a credit card-like product, Slice recently transformed into a full-fledged fintech bank, the first of its kind in the country. With a rapidly growing customer base and $1.3 billion raised in 2024, Slice is setting a new standard for accessible and innovative financial services in emerging markets.
8. KoBold Metals: Mining for the energy revolution
Sector: Mining and Energy Transition
Using AI to find critical minerals, Berkeley-based KoBold Metals is rewriting the playbook for resource discovery. This year, the startup announced one of the largest copper finds in history, cementing its role in supporting the energy transition. Backed by luminaries like Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, KoBold is tackling one of the most resource-intensive aspects of clean energy head-on.
9. Salva Health: Portable breast cancer detection
Sector: Healthcare
Access to early breast cancer detection is a global challenge, particularly in rural or developing areas. Bogotá’s Salva Health has created a portable device that measures tissue density, making cancer screenings more accessible and affordable. Winner of the TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 Battlefield, Salva Health is a beacon of innovation for underserved communities.
10. Agility Robotics: Robots that walk the talk
Sector: Robotics
Humanoid robots have long been a dream of science fiction, but Agility Robotics is turning them into reality. From its headquarters in Corvallis, Oregon, the company has developed robots that can walk, grasp, and work in logistics environments. A deal with GXO Logistics signals its readiness to scale, bringing robots out of the lab and into the workforce.
