2026 #ForbesAI50# Artificial intelligence has become part of our lives, increasingly core to how we work, search for information and express ideas. In the last year, the startups spearheading this paradigm shift have raised gobs of money from venture firms to build applications used by hundreds of millions of people across professions like law, software engineering, banking and even music. Three years into the AI frenzy, startups are starting to prove they can turn lofty ideas into sustainable businesses. That’s evident in Forbes’ eighth annual AI 50 list, which spotlights the most promising privately-held AI companies in the world. See the list: Illustration by Yoshi Sodeoka for Forbes Sponsoring Partner @MayfieldFund

2026 #ForbesAI50# Artificial intelligence has become part of our lives, increasingly core to how we work, search for information and express ideas. In the last year, the startups spearheading this paradigm shift have raised gobs of money from venture firms to build applications used by hundreds of millions of people across professions like law, software engineering, banking and even music. Three years into the AI frenzy, startups are starting to prove they can turn lofty ideas into sustainable businesses. That’s evident in Forbes’ eighth annual AI 50 list, which spotlights the most promising privately-held AI companies in the world. See the list: Illustration by Yoshi Sodeoka for Forbes Sponsoring Partner @MayfieldFund

More than seven years since Forbes launched its first AI 50 list, the artificial intelligence industry has exploded, growing more expansive and increasingly too crowded for a single list to capture. As venture capital firms continue to pour money into AI, a new tier of startups has emerged: younger, earlier-stage companies building fast and raising faster as they try to rival their more established peers. That’s why this year, for the first time, Forbes is introducing the AI 50 Brink List, spotlighting 20 of the most promising Seed and Series A-stage startups building in artificial intelligence. Read more: #ForbesAI50# Photos: Nectar Social, Resolve AI, Periodic Labs, Ashley Maxwell, Giga, Jim Vetter, Studio B Portraits, Axiom Sponsoring Partner @MayfieldFund

#Forbes250#: From the golden age of television to the streaming era, these women didn’t just shape entertainment. They built empires. Shonda Rhimes: TV queen behind Scandal, Bridgerton and Grey’s Anatomy turned her hits into a multiplatform production powerhouse. Oprah Winfrey: Built her media empire on a foundation of self-improvement. Lucille Ball: Along with Desi Arnaz, she invented the 3-camera sitcom and syndication model. Kris Jenner: The “momager” metamorphosed reality TV fame into a business empire to the benefit of internet influencers everywhere. See the full list: (Shonda Rhimes By Jamel Toppin For Forbes, Oprah Winfrey By Krishna Shenoi For Forbes, Kris Jenner By Rebecca Miller For Forbes, Lucille Ball-Illustration by Ricardo Santos For Forbes-Photo by Silver Screen Collection-Hulton Archive-Getty Images)

Jony Ive designed the iPod and the iPhone. Now he's trying the same for AI. See where he lands on the #Forbes250#: America's Greatest Innovators list: (Photo: David Sims/Art Partner/Trunk Archive)

George Lucas may be one of the founding fathers of the modern blockbuster, but his reach goes beyond the box office. From putting merchandise on the shelves to innovating special effects, his career has cemented his spot on the #Forbes250# list, featuring America’s greatest living innovators. See the full list: (Photo: Jamel Toppin)

Classic Forbes Interviews With America’s Greatest Innovators The groundbreaking men and women who built the United States have talked to Forbes about their vision and passion for the future for more than a century. Here they are in their own words. #Forbes250#

To celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday, Forbes presents America’s 250 Greatest Historic Innovators — the leaders who didn’t just invent, but built industries and reshaped culture. See the full list: #Forbes250#