If Bloom Energy's  technology fulfills its potential, homes and businesses could one day generate their own electricity and fuel their own vehicles.  It builds what are called solid-oxide fuel cells, in which water, oxygen, and a hydrogen source such as natural gas, are pulled through the cell to cleanly generate electricity. The secretive Silicon Valley firm, which has raised hundreds of millions of dollars in venture capital, is one of 26 companies chosen as a 2010 Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum.Read more

Aura Biosciences has cobbled together a new approach to delivering cancer drugs by combining unrelated discoveries from European research institutions in the fields of virology, molecular biology, advanced chemistry, and nanotechnology. The company, which is headed by Spanish molecular biologist Elisabet de los Pinos, is one of 26 companies named as 2010 Technology Pioneers by the World Economic Forum.Read more

Obopay is a mobile payment service that allows users to get, send and spend money. It works on all handset models and currently powers the mobile payment systems of MasterCard MoneySend in the U.S. and Nokia Money globally. Obopay sees its biggest opportunity in the developing world, where some 2.5 billion adults have no access to banking but a growing number have mobile phones. It is one of 26 companies named a 2010 Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum.Read more

From 2000 to 2009, some 446 companies in all have been named tech pioneers by the World Economic Forum. Some, such as Google and PayPal, have gone on to become household names. This year's 26 honorees hail from all corners of the globe and include the largest group ever of so-called cleantech companies—a testament to growing environmental concerns. The pioneers also include young companies aiming to improve health and the way we communicate and do business. Click on to look at a slide show of all 26 of this year's nominees.Read more