In Florida, The Digest recognized the NEXT 50, “the 50 Next Companies to Disrupt the World”, bioeconomy companies that are on the journey to commercial scale with an emerging technology.

The advanced bioeconomy has diversified significantly and the NEXT 50 includes companies focused on fuels, chemicals, foods, new crops and crop protection, animal feeds, and synthetic biology-based services.

In all, 13 chemicals & materials companies were recognized, 9 from crop development and crop protection, 8 in advanced foods and feed, 8 from fuels, 7 in synbio services, and two in engines and gasifiers.

More than 90 percent of the honored companies will be onstage or otherwise attending ABLC NEXT, the Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference on Next-Gen Technology, which will be held in San Francisco October 30-November 1. The NEXT 50 will be officially recognized just before the NEXT party on October 31st.

“There were a number of companies like Enerkem, POET-DSM, and Amyris that traditionally poll extremely well in our HOT 50 rankings but were too advanced in their journey to commercial scale to be considered for a NEXT 50 slot,” said Digest editor Jim Lane. “And sometimes, companies that have been around for a long time had a technology that was incredibly deserving of recognition. And, there are many companies with amazing technologies that were not quite ready for the NEXT 50 this year, but we think will be there soon. So, we consider that the NEXT 50 represents the next generation of companies coming along, but there are plenty of others out there that will disrupt the world in the years to come.”

The companies comprising the NEXT 50 are recognized below.

The NEXT 50 Companies to Disrupt the World