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These innovations of 2026 could have a particularly broad impact
Business & Technology
Fast Company TechnologyEN
October 6, 2026

These innovations of 2026 could have a particularly broad impact

Some innovations have potential beyond the bounds of a single industry. These honorees include a company that is combining AI and advanced genetic life science to better track disease pathology, and another developing models that could help avoid animal testing by simulating human organ functions.  Algen BiotechnologiesFor blending genetics and AI to advance pathologyOne of the most promising health applications for AI is earlier identification of genes that can be targeted by therapies to reverse disease processes. Spun out of Nobel Laureate Jennifer Doudna’s lab, Algen is the creator of AlgenBrain. It uses CRISPR and AI to better understand disease biology and accelerate next-generation approaches. The system maps causal links between gene regulation and disease progression, going beyond data analysis to generate solutions. The company recently announced a $555 million partnership with AstraZeneca to develop AI-powered drug discovery, giving Algen access to the pharmaceutical giant’s immunology pipeline. EmulateFor developing human organ simulators that can supplant animal testingOrgan-on-a-Chip technology from Emulate uses microfluidic devices containing human cells to replicate key aspects of human organ functions. That offers more relevant data for modeling—for example, drug reactions—than traditional 2D cell culture models. Emulate’s next-generation platform focuses on scalability, attacking the high-cost and labor-intensive workflows that its first systems required. The company’s Human Liver Chip is in the final stages of the FDA’s ISTAND qualification program, which could enable it to partially replace animal testing in regulatory submissions for pharmaceuticals. The companies and individuals behind these technologies are among the honorees in Fast Company’s Next Big Things in Tech awards for 2026. Read more about the winners across all categories and the methodology behind the selection process.

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Curated from Fast Company Technology. Classified as Business & Technology by AI, which sometimes makes mistakes.

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