Two Chicago upstarts made CNBC's Disruptor 50 list, a ranking of companies whose breakthroughs are "influencing business and market competition at an accelerated pace."
Chicago cancer-fighting startup Tempus and clean-energy startup LanzaTech were both named to the annual Disruptor 50 list, which identifies private companies with world-changing ideas. Tempus was ranked No. 5, while LanzaTech came in at No. 43.
Tempus, founded by Chicago serial entrepreneur Eric Lefkofsky in 2015, uses machine learning and genomic sequencing to better understand a patient’s tumor. It raised $100 million in new funding March, bringing its total amount of VC raised to more than $600 million and its valuation to $5 billion.
Tempus also announced recently that it's expanding its areas of care beyond cancer to include diabetes, depression and cardiology.
Earlier this month LanzaTech, a Skokie-based renewable energy startup, raised $50 million in fresh funding to launched a new subsidiary focused on producing sustainable aviation fuel. The spinout, called LanzaJet, will produce 10 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel per year.
For Tempus, it's the first time it has appeared on CNBC's annual list, while LanzaTech has been named a "Disruptor 50" three times. It was No. 15 on the list in 2019.
The top company on this year's list was Stripe, followed by Coupang, Indigo Agriculture and Coursera. See the full list here.
