The Download: our 35 Innovators Under 35 this year

MIT Technology Review's 2026 Innovators Under 35 list recognizes 35 young innovators selected from 550 nominations with help from 44 expert judges, spanning biotechnology, AI, computing and robotics, and climate and energy. The list highlights groundbreaking scientific work and technical fixes for global problems.

The Download: our 35 Innovators Under 35 this year Plus: how a blacklisted Chinese company kept buying Nvidia’s best AI chips. This is today's edition of The Download https://forms.technologyreview.com/newsletters/briefing-the-download/? ga=2.179569122.736533416.1649661040-405833893.1649413289 , our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what's going on in the world of technology. Introducing our 35 Innovators Under 35 list for 2026 What will the next generation of science and technology look like? Our latest Innovators Under 35 list https://www.technologyreview.com/supertopic/2026-mit-technology-reviews-innovators-under-35/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C offers a glimpse. Every year, we recognize 35 people from around the world who are doing groundbreaking scientific work and building clever technical fixes for sticky problems. By finding the top young innovators globally and learning what they’re focused on, we aim to give readers a sense of the advances to expect in the years to come. This year’s honorees were selected from 550 nominations, with 44 expert judges helping our editors evaluate the finalists. Each works in one of four categories: biotechnology, AI, computing and robotics, and climate and energy—and has already made clear progress toward their goals. Meet our 35 Innovators Under 35 shaping the future of science and technology https://www.technologyreview.com/supertopic/2026-mit-technology-reviews-innovators-under-35/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C . Welcome to the spiderverse, a world measured through webs Counting the creatures around us is critical for conservation, but it’s often a laborious, costly process that still leaves gaps. Environmental DNA, or eDNA, offers a promising alternative by analyzing genetic material shed by living things. Recently, spiderwebs have emerged as an eDNA goldmine, as they trap material from their arachnid creators, their prey, and bio-detritus like saliva and pollen from nearby plants and animals. Studies found no passive tool matched spiderwebs’ ability to ID vertebrates. Find out how spiderwebs are unlocking better ways to measure nature https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/08/25/1141750/welcome-to-spiderverse-arachnid-webs/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C . —Stephen Ornes This story https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/08/25/1141750/welcome-to-spiderverse-arachnid-webs/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C is from our latest print magazine, which is all about kids. Subscribe now to receive every issue as soon as it lands. The must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 How a blacklisted Chinese company kept buying Nvidia’s best AI chips Its US subsidiary shipped them to firms serving China from elsewhere. NYT https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/06/technology/ai-chips-china-blacklist.html $ + Belgium has arrested a man accused of stealing chip tech for China. WSJ https://www.wsj.com/world/china/belgiums-arrest-of-chinese-alleged-chip-tech-thief-fuels-european-fear-of-beijing-5824008f?mod=tech lead story $ + IBM’s new chip tech could extend Moore’s Law. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/06/25/1139696/ibm-unveils-sub1nm-chip/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C 2 Mistral has raised a European record of $3.5 billion It’s the biggest equity round for a private European tech firm. CNBC https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/08/mistral-ai-funding-valuation-samsung.html + Mistral is betting on open models while US rivals keep theirs closed. Reuters https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/french-ai-company-mistral-hits-24-billion-valuation-funding-round-2026-09-08/ $ + It’s also shifting strategy to focus more on AI infrastructure. NYT https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/08/business/mistral-ai-fund-raising.html $ + But its pivot to data centers and services has drawn criticism . Le Monde https://www.lemonde.fr/en/economy/article/2026/09/08/mistral-ai-raises-3-billion-in-response-to-doubts-over-its-strategic-direction 6757278 19.html 3 Anthropic formalized proof of Fermat’s last theorem in just 11 days Claude produced a computer-verified 13-million-line proof. Nature https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-02822-9 + AI is starting to discover new mathematics. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/03/25/1134642/this-startup-wants-to-change-how-mathematicians-do-math/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C 4 Europe's biggest carriers are in talks to build a Starlink rival The consortium would create a satellite-to-mobile venture. Bloomberg https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-09-07/europe-s-top-carriers-in-talks-for-satellite-to-mobile-venture $ + It includes Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Vodafone, and Telefonica. Reuters https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/europes-biggest-mobile-operators-talks-satellite-to-mobile-venture-bloomberg-2026-09-07/ $ 5 Tech companies are exploring Patagonia for giant AI data centers Due to its cool temperatures, abundant energy, and new reforms. Reuters https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/tech-companies-look-argentinas-windswept-patagonia-build-massive-data-centers-2026-09-07/ $ + AI data centers are learning to flex their power use. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/06/16/1138591/data-center-online-quickly-electric-grid-flex/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C 6 Australia plans to let users switch off social media algorithms A proposed law would impose penalties on platforms that refuse. BBC https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn9wyvxn95vo + Social media is distorting AI progress. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/12/23/1130393/how-social-media-encourages-the-worst-of-ai-boosterism/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C 7 A laser experiment could finally reveal the quantum vacuum It aims to expose the hidden structure of a vacuum. New Scientist https://www.newscientist.com/article/2586310-were-on-the-verge-of-seeing-the-quantum-vacuum-for-the-first-time/?utm campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm content=home&utm medium=RSS&utm source=NSNS $ 8 Spacecraft are getting a new type of armor New lightweight materials could protect satellites from debris. Economist https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/09/07/satellites-get-a-new-type-of-armour $ 9 NASA's "quiet supersonic" jet is set for acoustic testing this year The tests will determine whether it produces a sonic thump, not boom. Gizmodo https://gizmodo.com/nasa-readies-its-quiet-supersonic-jet-for-a-noise-test-later-this-year-2000808277 10 The largest-ever map of space has arrived—and you can play with it The 5.6-trillion-pixel map covers about three-quarters of the sky. Wired https://www.wired.com/story/astronomers-complete-largest-map-of-space-yes-you-can-play-with-it/ $ Quote of the day “The people who have developed AI are very, very smart, but they’re high IQ, stupid people. They’re terrible marketers.” —Sen. John Kennedy R-La. tells NBC’s “Meet the Press" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXvBdW6GFDU that the AI industry has work to do to rebuild momentum among voters. One more thing We did the math on AI’s energy footprint. Here’s the story you haven’t heard. AI’s integration into our lives is the most significant shift in online life in more than a decade. Hundreds of millions of people now regularly turn to chatbots for help with homework, research, coding, or to create images and videos. But what’s powering all of that? To find out, we spoke to two dozen experts, evaluated different AI systems and prompts, pored over hundreds of pages of projections and reports, and questioned top model makers about their plans. The result is an unprecedented comprehensive look at how much energy the AI industry uses. Our analysis reveals what AI’s carbon footprint looks like now and where it’s headed as adoption skyrockets. It also shows that the common understanding of AI’s energy consumption is full of holes. Here’s what we discovered about AI’s energy demands—and what’s coming next https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/05/20/1116327/ai-energy-usage-climate-footprint-big-tech/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C . —James O'Donnell and Casey Crownhart We can still have nice things A place for comfort, fun, and distraction to brighten up your day. Got any ideas? Drop me a line . + A long-lost coral reef that “defeated time” has been rediscovered https://insideclimatenews.org/news/20072026/west-africa-thriving-coral-reef/ off Benin's coast. + Cookware captains Le Creuset have launched a stellar limited-edition Star Trek collection https://www.lecreuset.com/ . + An 11–year-old boy has won a Guinness World Record for being the youngest museum curator https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-11-year-old-boy-in-an-illinois-small-town-just-became-the-guinness-world-record-holder-for-being-the-youngest-museum-curator-180989313/ . + The trailer for Nathan Fielder’s secrecy-shrouded Elizabeth Holmes documentary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGJSRFWALTI just dropped, and I still can't quite believe it’s not a parody. Deep Dive The Download The Download: Claude’s inner workings and OpenAI’s “super app” Plus: OpenAI has unveiled its long-awaited "super app." The Download: Claude’s inner workings, and the future of world models Plus: New York has become the first state to enact a data center moratorium. The Download: AI’s self-improvement problem, and what’s driving the heat Plus: OpenAI has paused some model work over safety concerns. The Download: Google’s AI shake-up and Meta’s rogue model Plus: Meta has become the latest firm to say its AI hacked another company. Stay connected Get the latest updates from MIT Technology Review Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.