To select the 50 most innovative companies in the world, the editors of Technology Review looked for those that over the last year have demonstrated their superiority at inventing technology and using it both to grow as businesses and to transform how we live. We identified the companies that have the most promising technologies, whether they are giant corporations or fledgling startups with initial venture capital investments. Then we examined their business models, their strategies for deploying and scaling up their technologies, and the likelihood that they will succeed. The result is the first annual TR50.