THE WORLD’S MOST INNOVATIVE COMPANIES 2014

If you Google the phrase «faith-based businesses,» the results point to companies that pursue a religious agenda. But there’s another kind of faith in business: the belief that a product or service can radically remake an industry, change consumer habits, challenge economic assumptions. Proof for such innovative leaps is thin, payoffs are long in coming (if they come at all), and doubting Thomases abound. Today, pundits fret about an innovation bubble. Some overvalued companies and overhyped inventions will eventually tumble and money will be lost. Yet breakthrough progress often requires wide-eyed hope.

In this special report on the World’s Most Innovative Companies, there are plenty of examples to make you a believer («I’ve never been more excited about the possibilities ahead of us,» Nike CEO Mark Parker recently told me). Our staff has spent more than six months gathering and analyzing data. To generate our list of the 50 Most Innovative Companies–and the accompanying top 10 companies in various sectors–we assessed thousands of enterprises. From all that work, I’ve pulled out 12 rising trends. Risk of failure and collapse are always with us. But the culture of innovation across the globe is more robust than ever. We think that’s worth celebrating.THE WORLD’S MOST INNOVATIVE COMPANIES 2014

THE WORLD’S MOST INNOVATIVE COMPANIES 2014: OUR ANNUAL GUIDE TO THE BUSINESSES THAT MATTER MOST

• GOOGLE

  FOR BECOMING A $350 BILLION GIANT THAT LETS LOOSE ALMOST TOO MANY INNOVATIONS AND MILESTONES TO COUNT.

• BLOOMBERG PHILANTHROPIES

  FOR DOING GOOD, METHODICALLY.

• XIAOMI

  FOR REINVENTING THE SMARTPHONE BUSINESS MODEL IN THE WORLD’S LARGEST MOBILE MARKET.

• DROPBOX

  FOR BECOMING THE EVERYTHING CLOUD.

• NETFLIX

  FOR CREATING GREAT TV IN A NEW CONTEXT, USING AN ALREADY-PROVEN MODEL.

• AIRBNB

  FOR MAKING THE MOST OF ITS HOSTS.

• NIKE

  FOR SETTING A SUSTAINABLE EXAMPLE.

• ZIPDIAL

  FOR TURNING A CONSUMER CHEAT INTO AN ASSET.

• DONORSCHOOSE.ORG

  FOR SETTING ITS SIGHTS ON EDUCATION REFORM.

• YELP

  FOR SEALING THE DEAL WITH ITS USERS.

• DODGE

  FOR BEING PART OF THE CONVERSATION, NO MATTER WHAT.

• SXSW

  FOR TRANSFORMING THE AUSTIN MULTIMEDIA CONFAB INTO A STATE OF MIND.

• TWITTER

  FOR AGAIN PROVING THE POWER OF BREVITY, THIS TIME WITH VIDEO.

• APPLE

  FOR PUTTING ITS FINGER ON THE PULSE.

• MICHAEL KORS

  FOR WINNING TWO FASHION RACES AT ONCE.
  

• MEDIVATION

  FOR FINDING THE VALUE OF TREATMENTS THAT OTHERS IGNORED.

• WARBY PARKER

  FOR BEING THE WARBY PARKER OF WARBY PARKERS.

• AMAZON

  FOR SINGLE-HANDEDLY TRANSFORMING THE RETAIL LANDSCAPE.

• SHAZAM

  FOR PLUNGING INTO THE ALWAYS-ON FEATURE FUTURE.

• BOX

  FOR SIMPLIFYING THE COMPLEX.

• T-MOBILE

  FOR BEING THE UN-CARRIER.

• TESLA MOTORS

  FOR CREATING ITS OWN ROAD.

• WME

  FOR REIMAGINING WHAT A TALENT AGENCY CAN BE.

• WATER-GEN

  FOR CREATING WATER WHERE SOLDIERS NEED IT MOST.

• UNIVERSAL IDENTIFICATION AUTHORITY OF INDIA

  FOR UPROOTING CORRUPTION WITH A 12-DIGIT CODE.

• FITBIT

  FOR OUTRUNNING REAL (AND RUMORED) RIVALS IN WEARABLE TECH.

• ROSE STUDIO

  FOR REVIVING THE ART OF CHINESE EMBROIDERY AND CRAFTSMANSHIP.

• NISISS

  FOR STAKING OUT ASPIRATIONAL BUYERS IN CHINA’S EMERGING HOT SPOTS.

• INSTITUTE SARITA

  FOR MINDING THE MANNERS OF CHINESE BUSINESS.

• WILDCHINA

  FOR MAKING REMOTE CORNERS OF CHINA ACCESSIBLE.

• MARY CHING

  FOR REMIXING CHINESE OPULENCE, BRITISH ECCENTRICITY, AND ITALIAN LEATHER INTO GLOBAL LUXURY.

• SHUTTERSTOCK

  FOR OPENING THE APERTURE ON INNOVATION
  

• GITHUB

  FOR BRINGING OPEN-SOURCE TACTICS TO TRADITIONAL BUSINESS.

• GE

  FOR MAKING THE «INTERNET OF THINGS» REAL.

• SQUARE

  FOR DESIGNING MOBILE PAYMENTS SO SIMPLE, THEY’RE INVISIBLE.

• STATS

  FOR TURNING JOCKS INTO NERDS.

• LEVI STRAUSS

  FOR REDUCING, REUSING, AND RECYCLING.

• JOHNNIE WALKER

  FOR THINKING GLOBALLY, BUT PULLING HEARTSTRINGS LOCALLY.

• LUVO

  FOR BRINGING ACTUAL HEALTH FOOD TO THE TV DINNER.

• SHOP ARCHITECTS

  A BAND OF SEVEN IS DRAFTING A DIFFERENT ARCHITECTURE FIRM–ONE THAT VALUES MORE THAN FANCY BLUEPRINTS OR LUCRATIVE SCUT WORK.

• THE LEGASPI COMPANY

  FOR REBUILDING MALLS TO MEET CULTURAL NEEDS.

• XL HYBRIDS

  FOR SIPHONING GAS-GUZZLERS OFF THE ROAD.

• FLIPBOARD

  FOR AGGREGATING CONTENT AND PASSING THE PROFITS BACK.

• BGI

  FOR MAKING DNA SEQUENCING MASS-MARKET.

• IHUB

  FOR CONNECTING, AMPLIFYING, AND ACCELERATING AFRICA’S TECH COMMUNITY.

• GOPRO

  FOR LETTING EVERYONE IN ON THE EXTREME-SPORTS VIDEO ACTION.

• GOLDIEBLOX

  FOR KICK-STARTING A MOVEMENT IN GIRLS’ TOYS.

• BRASKEM

  FOR TAKING THE OIL OUT OF PLASTIC.

• WHATSAPP

  FOR MASSIVELY DISRUPTING, WHILE ALSO SETTING UP A SMART BUSINESS MODEL
  

• AGLOCAL

  FOR CREATING THE NEXT-GENERATION MEAT MARKET.

• BRIGHTFARMS

  FOR PULLING GAS-BELCHING 18-WHEELERS OFF THE ROAD.

• FARMLAND LP

  FOR GOBBLING UP LAND FOR MORE SUSTAINABLE CROPS.

• BEYOND MEAT

  FOR REROUTING AGRICULTURE’S ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT.

• HARVEST POWER

  FOR REALIZING THE AWESOME MIGHT OF FOOD WASTE.

• IROBOT

  FOR BUILDING THE BOTS THAT LIVE AMONG US.

• INKLING

  FOR REWRITING THE BOOK ON E-BOOKS.

• OTG MANAGEMENT

  FOR CREATING AN OASIS IN THE AIRPORT.

• PHILO

  FOR BRINGING HASSLE-FREE TV TO THE WEB.

• NICE SYSTEMS

  FOR MAKING APPS SMARTER AND MORE SYMPATHETIC.

• ALTA BICYCLE SHARE

  FOR PEDAL-POWERING URBAN TRANSPORTATION NETWORKS.

• PHILIPS

  FOR LEARNING EIGHT SURPRISING LESSONS IN INNOVATION FROM A 50-YEAR EXPLORATION OF LEDS.