New Delhi, June 10 -- The next era of artificial intelligence will depend less on bigger models and more on the plumbing that lets autonomous agents operate reliably, securely and efficiently. That's the bet reflected in the World Economic Forum's 2026 Technology Pioneers cohort.

The 100 early-stage companies selected from 23 countries are building the software and physical infrastructure needed for AI to move from demos to real-world deployment, identity and payments rails for AI agents, energy and compute systems to handle soaring demand, and tools to integrate autonomous systems into enterprises. As these foundations mature, AI agents are likely to shift from assistants to operators managing workflows, transactions and industrial proc...