Fast Company’s annual ranking of the World’s Most Innovative Companies covers 58 industries and sectors, from advertising to video. The companies on this year’s Top 50 list are making what once seemed impossible a reality.
For making high-resolution, high-impact imagery accessible as quickly as possible
On this global list Seraphim portfolio company ICEYE is ranked 20th. Founded in 2014 with the aim of monitoring ice in the Arctic, the Finnish-Polish microsatellite maker and operator has built the world’s largest constellation of satellites equipped with synthetic aperture radar (SAR), capable of seeing through cloud cover and darkness. ICEYE was also listed 2nd in Fast Company’s most innovative space companies. While civil applications—monitoring forests, detecting oil spills, assessing storm damage—remain core to Iceye’s business, demand for defense and security applications is surging. The U.S. has enlisted SpaceX to build its Starshield defense constellation—which will handle surveillance, encrypted communication and early missile detection. But Europe is increasingly turning to Iceye. German defense company Rheinmetall, for example, is integrating the company’s capabilities into next-generation battlefield systems. “The future security of states demands SAR monitoring,” CEO Rafal Modrzewski says.
For making “out of service range” a thing of the past
Skylo Technologies takes the 10th spot in Fast Company’s list of the most innovative space companies. Why? Because thanks to Skylo, cellphone customers will no longer be out of luck when they’re out of range. The company’s service network enables phones and other connected devices to seamlessly switch from cellular to satellite connectivity without requiring any expensive satellite components. It is a major leap forward in terms of continuous, comprehensive, and affordable connectivity. As a result of this innovation, users no longer have to worry if they are in cellular coverage range in order to make an emergency call or text.
