Author: Charlotte Gill

Few would have envisaged much room for reassessing the taxi and private car hire market a few years ago, but Uber has completely reinvigorated an industry entering a new digital maturity. The firm reconsidered the supply chain: with drivers chosen based on their proximity to pick ups and customers ordering immediately, the enterprise makes strong use of smartphone technology. Uber’s real genius is in its affordability, driving it to the forefront of the market. Kalanick, the man behind this success, has been instrumental in carving Uber’s niche.

Co-founder and CEO of enterprise cloud company Box, Levie has led the company from strength-to-strength, gaining popularity and generating a substantial client base as the firm’s abilities have increased. Box has found clients across a number of industries – from construction to advertising and retail – and offers a consumer service as well. Levie has been hailed as a leader of the tech generation, giving thoughtful speeches at industry events and contributing to a number of well regarded market publications.

The multinational financial services firm that needs no introduction. MasterCard was created in 1966 to facilitate interbank payments and has since grown to become one of the most recognisable brands of both the 20th and 21st centuries. The firm stays ahead of the game by constantly assessing market needs, while creating new and diverse products and services across an array of fields and offerings. Headquartered in New York, the firm services a global client base.

One of the largest organisations in the world, Apple needs little introduction. The firm’s remarkable adherence to research and development has grown over the years, creating a seemingly constant stream of products and services that have shaped a number of industries. Apple has defined the way the world consumes a variety of media and continues to create new markets in which it can grow and prosper. From glasses to watches, the firm has taken on the wearable technology market, adding much to the range of consumer electronics out there.

Perhaps South Korea’s most successful exporter, Samsung moves from strength to strength, constantly surprising competitors. The multinational conglomerate’s huge and dynamic product range continually expands as the firm looks to garner greater shares of different marketplaces. The company has redefined the smartphone market, reshaped the television trade, and recalibrated technology industries. Samsung was created in 1938 and continues to further embed its empire both in business and consumer markets, expanding across the globe at a phenomenal rate.

Targeting mid-range and high numbers, Volkswagen has hit mass markets hard and with great success: the company has three out of the top 10 highest-selling cars in the world. The company has evolved both its product design and output, as well as its financial structuring – which is considered revolutionary in itself. The organisation’s technological efficiency has been regarded as second to none in the automotive sector, as Volkswagen expands into new markets all the time.

Offering services to a host of different industries – from healthcare to telecoms, financial services to utilities – NICE Systems is the forerunner in data security and surveillance. The organisation uses multi-sensor analytics to enable businesses to improve performance and operational efficiency, reducing risk and increasing safety and security. Intent-based solutions – providing insights into the objectives of customers, criminals, fraudsters and terrorists – is where NICE succeeds, and defines the market for the technology it offers.

Salesforce has revolutionised the way companies do business. The software platform creates a new form of delivery in the way companies serve client and supplier needs, utilising cloud technology to store enterprise data while incorporating each company’s unique architecture. Previously at Oracle as its youngest ever vice president, Marc Benioff made startling progress in the company, and recognised the gap in the market that led to the founding of Salesforce. The organisation now has a global clientbase and continues to grow.

A functional venture of more than 20 European member states, the ESA was formed to put the continent into space. With centres in Germany, Spain, Italy, the UK, the Netherlands and Belgium, the coordinated effort of the countries involved has raised a stubborn and dedicated mission to explore space and issues of the cosmos. The ESA was founded in the 1960s, and continues to welcome some of the greatest research minds from around the globe. Its Rosetta space probe caused widespread excitement last year when it landed on a comet.

A developer of online accounting software, Xero has carved out a new and diverse marketplace, providing small and medium-sized businesses with real-time visibility and state-of-the-art platforms. The firm uses pioneering software and hosts a number of services online, allowing small businesses to access their services and store them using cloud technology. On top of that, the products allow intelligent and independent rendering of accounting and financial data along with tailored product support.

China’s answer to Apple was founded by one of the country’s leading businessmen in the form of Lei Jun. Jun has overseen the prolific growth of what is now the world’s fifth largest supplier of mobile phones. Xiaomi has moved to the front of the Chinese smartphone market over the past few years under his stewardship and continues to diversify, moving forwards in a variety of markets and sectors, with a variety of new products coming to realisation from its award-winning R&D department.

Rewriting the way visual advertising is approached, Framestore continues to shock and surprise global audiences, and has become the go-to company for firms in need of state-of-the-art advertising features. The company has gone from strength to strength in producing standout television and online video adverts for a plethora of leading brands – from Pepsi to Vauxhall to Lynx – as well as its ongoing visual effects work. The team is over 900-strong and includes visual experts based in every corner of the globe.