CNBC Disruptor 50 List
Nasdaq, the world’s first electronic stock market, is no stranger to disruption. Since 1971, the company has led innovation on all fronts from having a Nasdaq listed community of world-renowned industry innovators and visionaries to providing company solutions to more than 10,000 corporate clients. Because we celebrate entrepreneurial spirit, we are proud to sponsor CNBC’s Disruptor 50 list for the second consecutive year. The Disruptor 50 list showcases and ranks top companies making strides in their respective sectors. Out of the 750 companies that submitted applications for 2016, the 50 list-makers have shown that they are the cream of the crop. This year, winners spanned a wide variety of industries and had a combined valuation exceeding $240 billion. These CNBC Disruptor 50 companies are either revolutionizing their industries or pioneering their own.
Renewable Energy Makes an Appearance
The need for alternative energy sources is more apparent today than ever. In December 2015, the United Nations held a conference on climate change (COP21) in Paris. This conference resulted in an agreement among 195 countries to act for zero net emissions. Now, technology needs to make this global goal a reality. Improvements in renewable energies such as solar and wind have made significant headway. In 2015 alone, global clean energy investment totaled more than $329 billion. However, there is still work to be done with renewables beyond solar and wind power. Forward-thinking technology companies are expanding electricity accessibility while further reducing human impact on the environment.
This year, the renewable energy industry was well-represented on CNBC’s Disruptor 50 list. Two companies in this sector, LanzaTech and Bloom Energy, were featured for their innovations in the energy space. Through their groundbreaking technologies, these companies are altering the way people think about waste.
LanzaTech
“We are disrupting the way the trillion dollar chemical industry thinks about commodity sourcing and supply,”said LanzaTech CEO, Dr. Jennifer Holmgren.“We are thrilled our technology platform and business model has been recognized by CNBC! By reusing waste gas streams, we are a step closer to creating a circular economy which reduces global carbon emissions while creating value. We believe it is this value creation which will accelerate adoption of low carbon technologies.”
Carbon is a liability for both the environment and economic growth. Great levels of this major greenhouse gas are emitted by human activity, contributing to irreversible climate change. In efforts to reduce these emissions revenues often take the hit. Carbon taxes, cap-and-trade programs, and exhaust treatment technologies are all thought to lessen the economic profitability of manufacturers in efforts of preserving the environment.
LanzaTech was co-founded in 2005 by Dr. Sean Simpson and Dr. Richard Forster to find a mutually-beneficial solution. Their main goal was to turn carbon into an asset rather than a liability. Approximately 16 years later, Skokie Illinois-based LanzaTech has over 250 patents pending and 85 granted. Chief Executive Officer Dr. Jennifer Holmgren along with her team of executives and scientists developed a technology that captures and reuses carbon. Once these carbon-rich gases including Carbon Monoxide, Carbon Dioxide, and Hydrogen are captured, they can be converted into high-quality biofuels and chemicals. This is a win-win for manufacturers and the environment. Heavy manufacturers are provided with an additional revenue source from their carbon while carbon emissions are greatly reduced. Industry partners utilizing this technology include steel, oil, gas, and biomass companies, and end users include Virgin Atlantic. The re-use of carbon has the ability to power profitable, circular economies in a wide variety of industries.
Bloom Energy
Bloom Energy was founded in 2001 by Dr. K.R. Sridhar, the company’s CEO. This Sunnyvale California-based company was started when Dr. K.R. Sridhar and his team realized a fuel cell they created to convert Martian atmospheric gases to oxygen could be used on Earth as well. This original fuel cell was capable of producing air and fuel from solar panel-generated electricity. Does this sound like a NASA project? Well, it was! Bloom Energy has found success here on Earth with their breakthrough technology that produces clean and efficient energy off-the-grid without compromising affordability.
Since the development of the initial fuel cell product, the Bloom Energy team has continued to improve their product to become more powerful and cost effective. The company has generated millions of kWhs of electricity and eliminated millions of pounds of carbon dioxide from the environment. To date, Bloom Energy has already helped retailers such as Staples and Urban Outfitters generate clean, reliable, and relatively inexpensive power onsite.
Promising Future for Renewables
The world is calling for firms to further develop technologies for cleaner, cheaper, and more attainable energy. LanzaTech has raised more than $200 million from leading venture capital firms and partners while Bloom Energy is backed by over $1 billion from investors. Already, developed renewable energy technologies have the ability to provide 80 percent of U.S. electricity by 2050. Companies such as Bloom Energy and LanzaTech are driving progress to make clean energy mainstream. Bloom Energy has announced its first high-rise project in New York City for a large financial services company, while LanzaTech is providing commercial units in Belgium for the world’s largest steel company. With innovative companies such as these, waste becomes a choice.
Learn more about Nasdaq's history of Innovation and Disruption here >
Karen Brenseke is a Marketing intern at Nasdaq working with the New Listings team. She is a senior at Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business and was drawn to Nasdaq by her ambition to support innovative technologies and disruptive companies. Karen’s concentrations of study include Management, Economics, and Sustainable Business.
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