Upcoming Companies That Could Really Improve Our World

[member 428835]

Hi PF!

What are some new(ish) companies that you know of that could really improve our world? I was discussing this with my roommate and we couldn't think of too many.

Related: what companies do you think will grow big that may or may not improve our world?

 

[mfb]

Many - but if they are small you don't hear about them, and most of them fail.

Not that new any more, but SpaceX is revolutionizing the spaceflight market - away from expensive, rarely used rockets, to routine flights reusing most of the hardware. First stage reuse became the norm less than one year after the first attempt, and fairing recovery seems close. And all that is "just" training for the fully reusable BFR.
Worldwide high-speed internet, large-scale affordable space tourism and maybe even beamed solar power could become reality within our lifetime.

 

[member 428835]

Many - but if they are small you don't hear about them, and most of them fail.

Not that new any more, but SpaceX is revolutionizing the spaceflight market - away from expensive, rarely used rockets, to routine flights reusing most of the hardware. First stage reuse became the norm less than one year after the first attempt, and fairing recovery seems close. And all that is "just" training for the fully reusable BFR.
Worldwide high-speed internet, large-scale affordable space tourism and maybe even beamed solar power could become reality within our lifetime.

Space tourism? Dang, you really think so? that's pretty crazy if it happens! Space-X and Tesla are the same company, right? Worldwide high-speed internet would be awesome!

 

[Posty McPostface]

I spend some time researching new companies that are targeting the energy sector. There are plenty of new ones out there. I won't name any; but, a google search will bring up quite a few results. I think cheap energy would be a great boon for the world.

 

[mfb]

SpaceX and Tesla are different companies but they have the same CEO.

Affordable space tourism: If BFR will work as advertised it will become reality. It is a very ambitious project, but SpaceX did a couple of things experts claimed to be impossible already - never with the advertised schedule, but eventually they got there.

 

[TeethWhitener]

Not that new any more

The key point. SpaceX was founded in 2002. For comparison, Google was founded in 1998, and Facebook was founded in 2004, and it's safe to say that both have already revolutionized the world. So what do we consider new?

 

[berkeman]

Self-driving cars, trucks and Medevac helicopters will make for a pretty big revolution, when their time comes (probably fairly soon). I'm not sure which companies stand to benefit the most from the commercialization of the technologies involved, though...