Netflix

Not so much a single innovation as the successful application and extension of an innovative business model, Netflix has impressed by building on what it already had. Taking advantage of the growing digital economy, it’s changed the way television, in particular, is accessed and absorbed

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals

2014 was the year Regeneron’s Genetics Centre became fully operational, and new research collaborations, including with Columbia University, were announced. The centre will allow Regeneron to continue its work in biopharmaceuticals

Airbnb

In 2014, Airbnb launched its first global marketing campaign – ‘Views’, by agency Pereira & O’Dell – to showcase its offerings around the world. It worked – the company has continued to grow, and Airbnb is now enshrined in tourists’ thinking

Sallie Krawcheck, Ellevate

Krawcheck’s purchase of women’s networking club 85 Broads, which she rebranded as ‘Ellevate’, has helped open up chances to professional women across the globe. In a world in which equal pay and opportunities have still not been achieved, her efforts are a welcome step

Xero

Xero’s great achievement throughout 2014 was the over 400 customer-facing updates it deployed, which made incremental improvements to its software. The number of users continues to skyrocket as the company leads the market in online accounting tools

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.

Supplements

Innovation 40 - 2014

Netflix

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals

Airbnb

Sallie Krawcheck, Ellevate