It's fair to say that AI is on the 12th annual CNBC Disruptor 50 list.
Nearly two-thirds of the 50 companies on the Disruptor 50 list describe AI as “important” to their business. And it starts at the top: For the first time ever, a company is repeating that it is the No. 1 company on the list: OpenAI.
The reshaping of the market by AI extends much further. Thirteen of the 2024 startups call themselves “generative AI companies,” including five of the top 10 companies on this year’s list, a group that raised at least $5.5 billion from investors last year.
Companies in industries ranging from cybersecurity to agriculture also define AI as mission critical. In a significant shift from the previous era of disruptive innovation led by Silicon Valley, the “better, faster, cheaper” mantra funded almost entirely by venture capital firms is on its way out.
AI requires huge capital investments, inevitably leading to close partnerships with existing giants rather than just destructive competition.
In total, the 2024 Disruptors raised $70 billion at a total implied valuation of $436 billion.
