The very notion of “Innovative” is, of course, inherently subjective. But with this new list, Forbes relies solely on hard data that capture dozens of different indicators of sector-leading innovation no matter their industry or age.
The ranking is driven by Forbes’ new Innovation Index™, which measures innovation based on volume of patents and intellectual property, research focus, investor confidence, return on equity, media and social media sentiment from data partner SignalAI, and evaluation of company news and statements by synthetic audiences (more on that later). The Index analyzes every company in the Standard & Poor’s 500 list, with the top 100 making the Forbes list.
Led by pharma giant Eli Lilly (No. 1) and tech titan Apple (No. 2), the top 10 includes sectors as diverse as manufacturing (Boeing, No. 8) and financial services (Mastercard). But whether it’s through R&D investments, market and consumer confidence, and/or the creation of new IP, they all outpace their peers in driving America’s business engines forward.
Read the full story on Forbes:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/hnewman/2026/08/25/big-bold-breaking-ground-why-lilly-amazon-and-mastercard-headline-our-new-most-innovative-companies-list/
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