The WISE2026 King of Business Series Annual Roster Survey Officially Kicks Off

Nassim Taleb once said: "The wind will blow out the candle, but it will make the fire burn more vigorously."

The business world in 2026 is standing right in the middle of such a strong wind.

The global economy moves forward amid turbulence, technological waves repeatedly erode industrial boundaries, the old order loosens, and new rules take shape. For some enterprises, this is a suffocating headwind; but for others, it is exactly the oxygen that makes the flame burn more fiercely.

Looking back at the first half of the year, China's GDP growth rate reached 4.7%, placing it in the echelon of medium-high growth worldwide. At the same time, compared with the steady total growth rate, the structural iteration at the underlying level of the economy has become a core change in this round of development. The added value of high-tech manufacturing industry increased by 13.3% year on year, and the total size of the digital economy is approaching the 50 trillion yuan mark. The growth engine is gradually shifting from scale-driven to technology and efficiency-driven.

The underlying driving force for this shift comes from the continuous increase in R&D intensity. When the R&D investment intensity of the whole society rises to 2.8%, the penetration rate and shipment volume of AI, new energy, humanoid robots and other fields have increased successively. Technology is no longer just a bonus item for a certain industry, but an infrastructure that is reconstructing all industries. Meanwhile, cutting-edge tracks such as commercial aerospace, low-orbit satellites, innovative drug licensing, and low-altitude economy are sprinting towards commercial inflection points intensively. Cross-border e-commerce and overseas warehouse networks deliver Chinese products to more than 200 countries and regions around the world, and brand and cultural globalization help enterprises advance from "going global" to "taking root locally".

The rise of this systematic technological competitiveness is clearly reflected in the primary market. In the first half of the year, capital was highly concentrated in hard technology, with AI large models, embodied intelligence, and semiconductors becoming the three major tracks attracting the most investment. Among them, the financing amount of embodied intelligence surged 500% year on year, and the growth rate of cutting-edge tracks such as quantum technology and commercial aerospace also exceeded 200%. The flow of capital is drawing the trajectory for the next era.

When technology becomes the infrastructure of all industries, and when capital firmly votes for the future, business itself is also being redefined. It is no longer just a game of models and traffic, but a comprehensive contest of technical depth, industrial thickness and global vision.

This is exactly why 36kr chooses to re-examine the criteria of "King of Business" at this node.

As a new-type service platform deeply rooted in technological innovation and business ecosystem, 36kr has witnessed and participated in the evolution and transformation of China's business ecosystem over the past 16 years. We found that in the ever-changing business environment, enterprises with real long-term value not only need to seize the opportunities of the times, but also need to promote industrial progress and create new possibilities for growth.

They do not just adapt to the wind direction, but are good at turning the wind into their own flame.

Based on this, 36kr officially launches the "WISE2026 King of Business Annual Series Directory" research project. Targeting three major directions: Person of the Year, Enterprise of the Year, and Key Product of the Year, we are looking for the important forces that promote industrial evolution, create commercial value, and represent future trends.

36kr will gain in-depth insight into the full picture of innovation in the business ecosystem in 2026 through professional research, spot the most leading, innovative and forward-looking figures; tap the enterprises that promote industrial development and provide innovative momentum for economic growth; focus on the products that realize innovative applications in different scenarios and reshape user experience.

This directory includes 3 series and 15 selection dimensions in total, which are as follows:

I. WISE2026 King of Business Annual Person Series Directory

Person of the Year · Business Breakthrough Pioneer

Person of the Year · Value Discoverer

II. WISE2026 King of Business Annual Enterprise Series Directory

Enterprise of the Year · AI Industry Innovation Enterprise

Enterprise of the Year · Embodied Intelligence Pioneer Enterprise

Enterprise of the Year · Semiconductor Industry Breakthrough Enterprise

Enterprise of the Year · Advanced Manufacturing Benchmark Enterprise

Enterprise of the Year · Industrial Digital Intelligence Service Enterprise

Enterprise of the Year · Big Health Industry Innovation Enterprise

Enterprise of the Year · New Consumption Trend Shaping Enterprise

Enterprise of the Year · Globalization Service Enterprise

Enterprise of the Year · Aerospace Industry Innovation Enterprise

Enterprise of the Year · Most Commercial Potential Enterprise

III. WISE2026 King of Business Annual Key Product Directory

Key Product of the Year (Electronic Products / Consumer Products / Software APP)

                              The following is the "WISE2026 King of Business Annual Series Directory"

                                                      Application Guide

This article is from WeChat Official Account "36Kr Today", Author: 36Kr Today, published by 36kr with authorization.