CNBC Unveils Seventh Annual Disruptor 50

CNBC announced the seventh annual CNBC Disruptor 50, a ranked list of the most ambitious companies developing revolutionary new technology into scalable business models that will force the incumbents to adapt…or die. This year saw a record number of nominations across a wide variety of sectors with more than 1,200 companies vying for a spot on the CNBC Disruptor 50 list.

With Boston-based agricultural technology start-up Indigo Ag coming in at number one, a number of health and food industry-related businesses made the top 50 list, including DoorDash (#18), Impossible Foods (#27), Virta Health (#29), and Apeel Sciences (#48).

CNBC.com’s special report, CNBC.com/Disruptors, features in-depth profiles of the 50 companies, an explanation of how CNBC chose and ranked the companies on the list and a line-up of stories exploring how today’s business decision makers and investors can capitalize on disruptive technology trends. CNBC will also track each company’s progress throughout the coming year when many of the companies on the list are expected to celebrate initial public offerings. To date, 35 former Disruptor 50 companies have gone on to an IPO.

This year’s Disruptor 50 companies have the potential to upend multibillion-dollar industries from food and agriculture to health care and retail. Combined, they have raised more than $46 billion in venture capital at an implied valuation of more than $266 billion, according to PitchBook. All that despite three of the most valuable companies from previous Disruptor 50 lists – Uber, Pinterest, and Lyft – going public earlier this year and thus becoming ineligible to make the list again. A record 36 of this year’s Disruptor 50 companies have valuations of $1 billion or more.