Peter Fisk

Oppo, the Chinese smart device manufacturer has a history rooted in spreading optimism and inspiration through technology.

Their first mobile phone, adorably named the “Smiley Face,” was launched in 2008. The smiley-face design symbolized Oppo’s belief that technology can be friendly and uplifting.

A recent article in Forbes started “If you are an avid fan of the Wimbledon Championships and Roland-Garros, the most prestigious tennis tournaments in the world, or the UEFA Champions League, the annual soccer tournament followed by millions around the world, you would probably have seen the Oppo brand name emblazoned on sideline banners and billboards.”

“In the world of sports and in Oppo’s corporate culture, there are a lot of common values and beliefs. We celebrate our shared humanity, and we express this humanity by performing fairly and honestly to the best of our ability, like a true sportsman,” says William Liu, Oppo’s CMO.

In June 2016, Oppo became the largest smartphone manufacturer in China, selling its phones at more than 200,000 retail outlets. In 2018, Oppo was the top smartphone brand in China in 2019 and was ranked fifth in market share worldwide.

In 2021, Oppo announced that they were acquiring OnePlus, a major phone manufacturer. This deal was extended in 2022, with OnePlus becoming one of Oppo’s subsidiaries and sharing major components with Oppo phones, processors, screens, and even the phones themselves.

In  2022, Oppo unveiled its new brand proposition: “Inspiration Ahead” (Chinese characters: “微笑前行,” meaning “Moving onwards with a smile”). This philosophy emphasizes doing what is right, maintaining composure in the face of challenges, and empowering customers for a better lifestyle using OPPO products and technologies. The corporate value, encapsulated in the term “本分” (meaning “Being duty bound”), reflects a commitment to staying focused, filtering out distractions, and returning to basics¹.

Oppo’s approach to innovation revolves around its “3+N+X” technology development strategy:

• 3: Combining hardware, software, and services technologies to create an integrated smart lifestyle for users worldwide.
• N: The Competence Center, championing artificial intelligence, security, privacy, multimedia, and interconnectivity.
• X: A flexible factor that allows OPPO to adapt and evolve as needed.

Over the years, Oppo has continuously updated its product strategy: From the R series to the Reno series. From giving up on the Find series to restarting it. Upgrading the Find X series. It is focused on cutting-edge trends like 5G and AIoT, Oppo invests heavily in research and development to create competitive products.

Its software range, built around the ColorOS operating system, makes devices more user-friendly and intelligent for our 500 million users worldwide. The Oppo App Market, Oppo Cloud also deliver smarter, more convenient, and better-connected services.

Beekeeper AG, founded in 2012 by Cristian Grossmann, Andreas Slotosch, Daniel Sztutwojner, and Flavio Pfaffhauser in Zurich, Switzerland, is a company with a mission to empower frontline businesses and their workers. .

Beekeeper was born out of a recognition that deskless workers, who represent 80% of the global workforce, were chronically underserved when it came to workplace technology. These essential workers lacked efficient communication tools and digital solutions to enhance their productivity and engagement. The founders set out to bridge this gap and connect the unconnected.

Frontline Success System

Beekeeper’s Frontline Success System was meticulously designed and built for these deskless workers. It provides a mobile-first platform that enables companies to:

• Automate Paper-Based Processes: By digitizing manual tasks, Beekeeper streamlines operations and reduces paperwork.
• Real-Time Communication: Employees can communicate instantly from anywhere, breaking down silos and ensuring timely information flow.
• Enhance Engagement and Productivity: The platform fosters collaboration, engagement, and safety among frontline teams.

Strategy

Beekeeper’s strategy revolves around empowering frontline workers through technology. Here are some key innovations and strategies:

• Hive Structures: Modern hives are made from materials like plastic, metal, and polyurethane foam. These lightweight and durable structures improve hive longevity and reduce the risk of pests and diseases.
• Branding and Labeling: Beekeepers now focus on branding and creative labeling to differentiate their honey products. Logos, slogans, and eye-catching packaging help them stand out in the market.
• Tracking Technologies: Beekeeper leverages various tracking solutions, including drones and RFID tags, to monitor hive health. Real-time data allows beekeepers to respond promptly to changes.

Pollination Powers

Bees play a crucial role in pollination, transferring pollen from one flower to another. This process impacts the environment and our lives significantly. Beekeeper’s mission extends beyond honey production—it recognises the ecological importance of bees.

Growth

Beekeeper’s commitment to frontline workers has led to impressive growth. With over 200 team members across Europe and the US, Beekeeper continues to expand its Frontline Success System. Their vision remains clear: a world where frontline teams are connected, workers thrive, and businesses flourish.

Moutai, also known as Maotai or Kweichow Moutai, is a prestigious Chinese liquor brand renowned for its high-quality baijiu, a distilled spirit traditionally made from sorghum. Here’s an overview of its founding, development, growth, strategy, and success:

Founding

• Founding: Moutai’s origins can be traced back to the Qing Dynasty (1368–1644), but its modern incarnation began in 1951 when the Kweichow Moutai Factory was established in the town of Maotai in Guizhou Province, China.
• Traditional Craftsmanship: Moutai is crafted using traditional fermentation and distillation techniques that have been refined over centuries. The liquor is aged in clay pots buried underground, allowing it to develop its distinctive flavor profile.

Growth

• Early Years: Moutai gained popularity domestically in China, particularly among government officials and high-ranking dignitaries. Its association with official banquets and state functions enhanced its prestige.
• Cultural Symbol: Moutai became deeply ingrained in Chinese culture, symbolizing wealth, status, and hospitality. It is often presented as a prestigious gift and is a staple at important social gatherings and celebrations.
• International Expansion: In recent years, Moutai has expanded its presence beyond China’s borders, targeting affluent consumers and Chinese diaspora communities worldwide. Its reputation for quality and exclusivity has helped it establish a foothold in international markets.

Strategy

• Quality Control: Moutai places a strong emphasis on quality control throughout the production process, ensuring consistency and excellence in every batch. The company strictly adheres to traditional methods and closely monitors every stage of production.
• Brand Building: Moutai invests in brand building and marketing efforts to reinforce its image as a premium and prestigious liquor brand. It leverages its rich heritage, cultural significance, and associations with luxury to appeal to discerning consumers.
• Market Segmentation: While maintaining its position as a luxury brand, Moutai has introduced variations and limited-edition releases to cater to different consumer preferences and occasions. This strategy allows it to target a broader market while preserving its exclusivity.

Success

• Cultural Icon: Moutai has achieved iconic status in China, transcending its role as a beverage to become a symbol of Chinese heritage, tradition, and craftsmanship.
• Financial Performance: Moutai consistently delivers strong financial performance, with robust sales and profitability. Despite its premium pricing, demand for Moutai remains high, contributing to its sustained growth and profitability.
• Global Recognition: Moutai has garnered international acclaim, winning numerous awards and accolades for its quality and craftsmanship. Its growing presence in international markets underscores its global appeal and recognition.

Moutai’s success can be attributed to its unwavering commitment to quality, strong brand equity, effective marketing, and strategic expansion efforts. As China’s national liquor and a cultural icon, Moutai continues to enjoy strong demand both domestically and internationally.

Monster Beverage Corporation, formerly known as Hansen Natural Corporation, was founded in 1992 by Rodney Sacks and Hilton Schlosberg. Initially, the company focused on producing natural sodas and juices under the Hansen’s brand. However, the pivotal moment came in 2002 when they introduced the Monster Energy drink, a bold move that would shape the company’s trajectory.

Founding

• 1990s: Rodney Sacks and Hilton Schlosberg acquired Hansen’s, a struggling juice company, and began to revitalize it by focusing on natural ingredients.
• 2002: Monster Energy was introduced, targeting the emerging energy drink market. This was a strategic shift from the company’s previous focus on natural juices.

Growth

• Early 2000s: Monster Energy quickly gained popularity, especially among young consumers and extreme sports enthusiasts. Its edgy branding and association with extreme sports events helped it stand out in a crowded market.
• Expansion: Monster aggressively expanded its distribution network, striking deals with major retailers and beverage distributors. International expansion followed suit, further fueling the brand’s growth.
• Diversification: The company expanded its product line to include various flavors and variations of energy drinks, as well as non-energy beverages like teas and juices. This diversification helped mitigate risks and cater to different consumer preferences.

Strategy

• Brand Image: Monster cultivated a rebellious and edgy brand image, targeting a youthful demographic through sponsorships of extreme sports events, music festivals, and gaming competitions.
• Marketing: The company invested heavily in marketing and advertising, leveraging social media, sponsorships, and endorsements by athletes and celebrities to increase brand visibility and appeal.
• Distribution: Monster focused on building a robust distribution network, ensuring its products were widely available in convenience stores, supermarkets, gas stations, and other retail outlets.
• Innovation: Constant innovation in product development, introducing new flavors, formulations, and packaging to keep the brand fresh and competitive.

Success

• Market Dominance: Monster Energy emerged as one of the top players in the global energy drink market, competing fiercely with brands like Red Bull and Rockstar.
• Financial Performance: The company’s revenues soared as Monster Energy’s popularity surged, consistently delivering strong financial results and impressive growth rates.
• Stock Performance: Monster Beverage’s stock price experienced significant appreciation over the years, rewarding investors handsomely.
• Acquisition: In 2015, Coca-Cola acquired a minority stake in Monster Beverage Corporation, further boosting its market presence and providing access to Coca-Cola’s extensive distribution network.

Over the last few years, Shufelt, 39, and his cofounder, John Walker, 42, have created the buzziest beer brand in America by creating craft brews without the buzz. Alcohol-free beer, often bland and thin, has long been seen as the brewer’s equivalent to decaf coffee or tofu turkey.

Athletic Brewing is out to eliminate the stigma, making hoppy IPAs, crisp ales and toasty porters with the flavor and feel of a craft beer—but with less alcohol than a slice of rye bread.

A six-pack costs about $10. “Humans have been drinking beer for more than 5,000 years,” says Shufelt, a former hedge fund trader who, a decade ago, gave up booze to improve his market focus. “I’m a beer lover and food lover—it blew my mind that there wasn’t a beer for people living modern, healthy lifestyles.”

History: The company was born out of a desire to provide a non-alcoholic beer option that didn’t sacrifice taste or quality. The founders, Bill Shufelt and John Walker, started the company with the mission of crafting great-tasting, non-alcoholic beers that catered to the growing demand for healthier beverage alternatives. Since its inception, the company has experienced rapid growth and has become a prominent player in the non-alcoholic beer market.

Development: It has focused on developing a diverse range of non-alcoholic beer options that appeal to a wide audience. They have invested heavily in research and development to perfect their brewing techniques and recipes, ensuring that their products deliver the same great taste and quality as traditional craft beers. Additionally, the company has collaborated with renowned brewers and industry experts to further refine their offerings and stay at the forefront of innovation in the non-alcoholic beverage market.

Strategy: Athletic Brewing Co. has employed a multi-faceted strategy to drive growth and establish itself as a leader in the non-alcoholic beer segment. Key elements of their strategy include:

• Product Innovation: The company continuously introduces new and innovative non-alcoholic beer flavors and styles to cater to evolving consumer preferences.
• Marketing and Branding: It has focused on building a strong brand identity centered around health, fitness, and active lifestyles. They leverage social media, influencer partnerships, and events to connect with their target audience and promote their products.
• Distribution Expansion: The company has expanded its distribution network to make its products more widely available across the United States. They have forged partnerships with retailers, restaurants, and online platforms to increase accessibility and reach new customers.

Products: The company offers a diverse lineup of non-alcoholic beers, including pale ales, IPAs, stouts, lagers, and more. Some of their popular products include:

• Upside Dawn Golden Ale
• Run Wild IPA
• Upside Dawn Golden Ale
• Cerveza Atletica
• All Out Stout

These products are crafted using high-quality ingredients and brewing techniques to deliver a full-flavored drinking experience without the alcohol. Additionally, the company periodically releases limited-edition seasonal offerings and special releases to keep their product portfolio fresh and exciting.

Oddity is a consumer-tech company built to transform the global beauty and wellness market.

It’s brands include Il Makiage makeup and SpoiledChild, a haircare and skincare line launched in 2022 generated $48 million in gross sales in just 12 months.

With overall sales doubling every year since its founding in 2018, Oddity says it became the best-­selling digital beauty brand in history by using AI-backed online quizzes to match customers with products.

“If you don’t have high-­quality data to train [AI] on, it’s garbage in, garbage out,” says global CFO Lindsay Drucker Mann. But with detailed data from over 40 million users, Oddity’s models are getting smarter all the time.

Oddity recently acquired Revela, with this coverage by CNBC:

The beauty and wellness platform behind Il Makiage and Spoiled Child is investing more than $100 million to acquire a biotech startup and open a U.S.-based lab in a bid to make the most effective cosmetic products on the market, the company announced Thursday.

Oddity is buying startup Revela for $76 million, its largest acquisition to date, and is putting another $25 million toward building Oddity Labs in Boston. The merger will bring to Oddity a team of scientists tasked with creating brand-new molecules, using artificial intelligence, that can be used in its cosmetics brands and future lines.

AI-based molecule discovery is a common tool used in the pharmaceutical industry to create new drugs, but it isn’t widely used in the beauty and wellness industry. Legacy brands have long relied on building products using proprietary formulations with a similar set of active ingredients, such as retinol, hyaluronic acid and peptides.

“While my competitors are doing more of the same for decades and serving consumers with the same ingredients in the same old channels, we are building the future of the category,” Oddity’s co-founder and CEO, Oran Holtzman, told CNBC in an interview.

“With this acquisition, we are using biologics to bring game-changing, science-backed beauty and wellness products to the market and to our users. This is our DNA, we are not here to do more of the same but to build something new,” he said.

Oddity hopes to develop new molecules designed to address specific pain points, such as hair loss, wrinkles and the myriad other concerns consumers have long turned to legacy brands to solve with varying results.

“People ask … why doesn’t pharma go into beauty?” said Evan Zhou, Oddity’s new chief science officer and Revela’s co-founder and CEO.

Ample’s mission is to accelerate the transition to electric mobility by offering an energy delivery solution that is as fast, as convenient, and as cheap as gas ultimately removing all hurdles to adopting an electric vehicle.

“We aim to create a solution that allows EVs to fully transition to renewable energy. We are a team of technologists, designers and environment enthusiasts who believe that this problem is among one of the most critical challenges of our time”.

Ample’s battery-swap stations could help get more EVs on the road. Drive-in bays robotically swap drained batteries for fully charged ones in just five minutes, the company claims.

The process can work in different vehicle models using adapter plates, so scaling the strategy requires close cooperation with vehicle makers; CEO Khaled Hassounah says the company is working with five automakers, including two major global ones.

He thinks the booming consumer EV market needs swapping to grow even as plug-in charging expands and gets faster (it currently takes at least 30 minutes). In 2023 Ample got a $15 million grant from the California energy commission to boost production.

In 2019, the company completed flight tests of the electrical aspects of the initial powertrain design, where it was later reported that an external hydrogen tank was fitted to a Piper Matrix aircraft.

The company moved to a facility in Cranfield UK in 2020. Installation and test of the ZA250 hydrogen–electric powertrain in a six-seat Piper Malibu took place in 2020, culminating in an eight-minute first flight of the hydrogen-electric Malibu in September that year. It was the company’s first commercial-scale hydrogen-electric-powered flight. Later that year, the company was awarded £12.3 million, from the UK Government, to develop a 19-seat hydrogen powered aircraft with a 350-mile flight.

In 2021, ZeroAvia launched development for a 2 MW hydrogen-electric powertrain for full-size regional aircraft, and also started to develop the HyFlyer II aircraft at Cotswold Airport.  ZeroAvia’s hydrogen-powered Piper PA-46-350P demonstrator testbed crashed in a field during a flight from Cranfield. No one was seriously hurt in the accident, but the aircraft received substantial damage, losing its left wing, after it was forced to land following a power system test. Investigation revealed that when the battery was disconnected to test operation on the fuel cell alone, excessive voltage generated by the motor turned by the propeller caused a protective shutdown of the motor’s inverter.

ZeroAvia obtained two Dornier 228 aircraft for the next phase of its 19-seat HyFlyer program in late 2021 and also completed its first high-power run of the ZA-600, a hydrogen aircraft engine. Ground testing included a flight-intent 600 kW (800 hp) powertrain, which pulled a 15-ton HyperTruck mobile ground testing platform across the tarmac. The HyperTruck tests systems for 40-80 seat hydrogen-electric powered aircraft and is sized to ZeroAvia’s ZA-2000 2 MW (2,700 hp)+ powertrain. These propulsion system tests are for the HyFlyer II programme, which hopes to develop a hydrogen-electric, zero-emission propulsion system for airframes 10-20 seats in size. 

In 2022, the company announced a partnership with Otto Aviation to build a hydrogen-powered version of the Otto Celera 500L aircraft. Also, Textron Aviation and ZeroAvia partnered for the development of a hydrogen-electric powertrain for the Cessna Grand Caravan.

In 2023, ZeroAvia flew its Dornier 228 testbed for 10 minutes with one TPE331 turboprop replaced by a prototype hydrogen-electric powertrain in the cabin, consisting of two fuel cells and a lithium-ion battery for peak power.  The team seeks to have a certifiable configuration by 2025.

Colossal Biosciences is a biotechnology and genetic engineering company working to de-extinct the woolly mammoth, the Tasmanian tiger, and the dodo. In 2023, it stated that it wants to have woolly mammoth hybrid calves by 2028, and wants to reintroduce them to the Arctic tundra habitat. Likewise, it plans to launch a thylacine research project to release Tasmanian tiger joeys back to their original Tasmanian and broader Australian habitat after a period of observation in captivity. The company develops genetic engineering and reproductive technology for conservation biology. It was founded in 2021 by George Church and Ben Lamm.

In a 2008 interview with The New York Times, George Church first expressed his interest in engineering a hybrid Asian elephant-mammoth by sequencing the woolly mammoth genome. In 2012, Church was part of a team that pioneered the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing tool, through which the potential for altering genetic code to engineer the envisioned “mammophant” surfaced.Church presented a talk at the National Geographic Society in 2013, where he mapped out the idea of Colossal.

Church and his genetics team used CRISPR to copy mammoth genes into the genome of an Asian elephant in 2015. That same year, Church’s lab integrated mammoth genes into the DNA of elephant skin cells; the lab zeroed in on 60 genes that experiments hypothesized as being important to the distinctive traits of mammoths, such as a high-domed skull, ability to hold oxygen at low temperatures, and fatty tissue. Church’s lab reported in 2017 that it had successfully added 45 genes to the genome of an Asian elephant.

In 2019, Ben Lamm, a serial entrepreneur, contacted Church to meet at his lab in Boston. Lamm was intrigued by press reports of Church’s de-extinction idea.

Colossal was officially launched in 2021, with the company’s mission was to preserve endangered animals through gene-editing technology and use those same animals to reshape Arctic ecosystems to combat climate change.

Because the woolly mammoth and Asian elephant share 99.6% of the same DNA, Colossal aims to develop a proxy species by swapping enough key mammoth genes into the Asian elephant genome. Key mammoth genealogical traits include: a 10cm layer of insulating fat, five different types of shaggy hair, and smaller ears to help the hybrid tolerate cold weather.

Colossal’s lab will pair CRISPR/Cas9 with other DNA-editing enzymes, such as integrases, recombinases, and deaminases, to splice woolly mammoth genes into the Asian elephant. The company plans on sequencing both elephant and mammoth samples in order to identify key genes in both species to promote population diversification. By doing so, Colossal hopes to prevent any rogue mutations within the hybrid herd.

The company plans to use African and Asian elephants as potential surrogates and largely plans to develop artificial elephant wombs lined with uterine tissue as a parallel path to gestation.Colossal scientists plan on creating these embryos by taking skin cells from Asian elephants and reprogramming them into induced pluripotent stem cells which carry mammoth DNA. Lamm stated that Colossal will use both induced pluripotent stem cells as well as somatic cell nuclear transfer in the process.

In 2022, VGP and Colossal announced that they successfully sequenced the entire Asian elephant genome; this is the first time that mammalian genetic code has been fully sequenced to this degree since the Human Genome Project was completed in the early 2000s.

They also launched a thylacine research project, in hopes of “de-extincting” the Tasmanian tiger. It plans to reintroduce the thylacine proxy to selected areas in Tasmania and broader Australia and claims that, by doing so, this will re-balance ecosystems that have suffered biodiversity loss and degradation since the species disappeared.  A successful thylacine proxy birth could also introduce new marsupial-assisted reproductive technology which can aid in other marsupial conservation efforts.

In 2023, Colossal announced the formation of its Avian Genomics Group, which will be dedicated to reconstructing the DNA of the dodo bird. Led by Beth Shapiro, this research group aims to create a hybrid composed of specific traits most commonly associated with the dodo and plans to reintroduce these hybrids into their respective environments. Colossal will be working with primordial germ cells to pair dodo DNA with the genome of the Nicobar pigeon, the extinct dodo’s closest living relative. Also in 2023, the company announced that it had successfully generated the first high-quality reference genome of an African elephant.

In 2022, Colossal was listed as one of the World Economic Forum’s Technology Pioneers and was named Genomics Innovation of the Year by the BioTech Breakthrough Awards.

Training generative AI models like ChatGPT requires thousands of the fastest graphics processing units (GPUs). With 88% of the GPU market, Nvidia’s cutting-edge chips are enabling the AI boom as its industry struggles to keep up with exploding demand. Nvidia’s flagship AI chip, the H100, has been fetching $40,000 on eBay—well over its retail price.

Nvidia was founded by Jensen Huang, Chris Malachowsky, and Curtis Priem in 1993. Jensen Huang, who is currently the CEO, has been a driving force behind the company’s vision and innovation since its inception.

History:

• 1993: Nvidia was founded in Santa Clara, California, with the initial focus on producing graphics processing units (GPUs) for gaming applications.
• Late 1990s: Nvidia gained prominence with its RIVA series of graphics cards.
• 2000s: The company expanded its product line and market reach, becoming a dominant player in the GPU market for both consumer and professional applications.
• 2010s: Nvidia made significant strides in GPU technology, particularly in parallel computing and artificial intelligence (AI). It introduced CUDA, a parallel computing platform and programming model, which enabled developers to harness the power of GPU computing for a wide range of applications beyond graphics.
• 2016: Nvidia made a significant move into the AI and deep learning space with the introduction of its Tesla GPUs tailored for AI workloads.
• 2020s: Nvidia continued to expand its offerings and market presence through acquisitions, including the acquisition of ARM Holdings, a leading semiconductor and software design company.

Development: Nvidia’s development trajectory has been marked by continuous innovation in GPU technology and its expansion into new markets. Key developments include:

• Advancements in graphics rendering and processing, leading to more realistic visual experiences in gaming, virtual reality (VR), and professional visualization applications.
• Pioneering work in parallel computing, enabling GPUs to be used for a wide range of computational tasks beyond graphics, such as scientific simulations, machine learning, and data analytics.
• Expansion into data center solutions, offering GPUs optimized for AI and high-performance computing workloads.
• Integration of AI capabilities into its products, leveraging GPUs for accelerating deep learning training and inference tasks.
• Strategic partnerships and collaborations with industry leaders to drive innovation and adoption of GPU technology in various sectors, including healthcare, automotive, and finance.

Strategy: Nvidia’s strategy revolves around several key pillars:

• Innovation: Continuously pushing the boundaries of GPU technology through research and development to deliver high-performance, energy-efficient solutions for a wide range of applications.
• Diversification: Expanding beyond the gaming market to address opportunities in data centers, AI, autonomous vehicles, and other emerging markets.
• Partnerships and Ecosystem: Collaborating with industry partners, developers, and researchers to create a vibrant ecosystem around its GPU technology, enabling innovation and driving adoption in various industries.
• Acquisitions: Strategic acquisitions to complement its core GPU business, expand its product offerings, and enter new markets.
• Focus on Vertical Integration: With the acquisition of ARM Holdings, Nvidia aims to further vertically integrate its offerings and expand its presence in the semiconductor industry.