As industries undergo rapid transformation, emerging technologies are driving significant disruption across key sectors, enabling smarter decisions and fostering sustainable growth. From AI to advanced materials, Frost & Sullivan’s 15th Edition of the Top 50 Technologies provides critical insights to empower organizations in making strategic build, buy, or borrow decisions.

Is your organization equipped to leverage these technologies and stay competitive?

Today’s consumer journey is an omnichannel experience, seamlessly blending online, in-store, and mobile channels. Businesses, recognizing this shift, are increasingly focusing on enhancing the customer experience by embedding payment functionalities directly within their digital business platforms. This strategic move not only streamlines transactions but also fosters deeper customer engagement.

Frost & Sullivan's analysis estimates the global embedded payments industry revenue is experiencing rapid growth, surpassing $37 billion in 20241. This surge is primarily driven by the escalating popularity of mobile apps and e-commerce, particularly among businesses seeking to integrate relevant payment options within their customer journeys.

For over 15 years, Frost & Sullivan’s Top 50 Technologies Initiative has identified game-changing innovations that redefine industries and create multi-billion-dollar opportunities. From hybrid energy systems and AI-driven automation to messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) drugs and blockchain technology, these breakthroughs have reshaped global markets, enhanced business efficiencies, and accelerated digital transformation.

Each year, emerging technologies fuel industry advancements, influencing how companies innovate, strategize, and stay competitive. As we unveil the 15th edition of the Top 50 Technologies for 2025, we reflect on past breakthroughs and their lasting impact on industries.

In 2024, disruptive technologies transformed business operations across industries — AI automated manual workflows, personalized customer experience (CX), and optimized cybersecurity; cloud, edge, and quantum computing improved real-time processing and predictive analytics; the convergence of Internet of Things (IoT), 5G, and low-power wide-area networks enabled innovative applications; digital content services boosted immersive technologies, new platforms, and targeted marketing; and cloud communications streamlined collaboration across dispersed work environments.

GenAI is spurring drastic change in the global business landscape. Now, next-generation AI models, tools, and frameworks are transforming how organizations operate, approach decision making, assess risks, and deliver customer value. Consequently, businesses are seeking out sophisticated AI platforms that turn theoretical concepts into practical applications with real-world impact. Across industries like banking, financial services, insurance, marketing, manufacturing, and healthcare, AI in business is helping create new revenue streams, automate repetitive tasks, catalyze product innovation, and personalize customer experience (CX).

In an era where superior customer experience (CX) cements competitive differentiation and defines industry leaders, digital experience platforms (DXPs) are emerging as essential tools for growth.

Today, the proliferation of communication channels like, social media, dynamic websites, apps, chatbots, and eCommerce sites is widening the spectrum of customer touchpoints. This in turn is rendering traditional content management systems (CMSs) and distribution platforms obsolete. As a result, businesses are grappling to optimize digital customer engagement, improve client satisfaction, and maximize customer retention rates. This implies that the pressure on providers to deliver well-orchestrated, omnichannel customer support has intensified.