The world is full of extraordinary young people brimming with ideas for how to crack tough problems. Every year, we recognize 35 such individuals from around the world—all of whom are under the age of 35.
These scientists, inventors, and entrepreneurs are working to help mitigate climate change, accelerate scientific progress, and alleviate human suffering from disease. Some are launching companies while others are hard at work in academic labs. They were selected from hundreds of nominees by expert judges and our newsroom staff.
Get to know them all—including our 2025 Innovator of the Year—in these profiles.
Why basic science deserves our boldest investment
—Julia R. Greer is a materials scientist at the California Institute of Technology, a judge for MIT Technology Review’s Innovators Under 35 and a former honoree (in 2008).
A modern chip the size of a human fingernail contains tens of billions of silicon transistors, each measured in nanometers—smaller than many viruses. These tiny switches form the infrastructure behind nearly every digital device in use today.
Much of the fundamental understanding that moved transistor technology forward came from federally funded university research. But that funding is under increasing pressure, thanks to deep budget cuts proposed by the White House.
These losses have forced some universities to freeze graduate student admissions, cancel internships, and scale back summer research opportunities—making it harder for young people to pursue scientific and engineering careers.