In the tenth instalment of our annual ‘Challengers to Watch’ feature, we identify twenty of the most interesting emergent challengers from around the world and explore the trends, opportunities and threats to the status quo they represent.
The world remains uncertain, and businesses must adapt to new and unpredictable economic, geopolitical and environmental realities. Against this backdrop, it’s important to pay attention to the new (and renewed) challengers emerging and primed to disrupt categories in 2023. These companies are finding opportunities in the uncertainty, breaking with expectations, and not just meeting the needs of a fast-changing world but shaping its future. Our roundup covers an expansive range of categories, markets and geographies but all share a firm rejection of ‘best practice’ and an understanding of the imperative to play by their own rules.
Challengers to Watch 2023
Aldi — for questioning the need for brands
BeReal — for challenging inauthenticity
Boat — for taking on the tech giants
Chi Forest – for applying a tech philosophy to soft drinks
Dad Grass — for a gentler buzz
Delli — for showing a hyper-local future for food
Early Majority — for reimagining ‘growth’
Ellevest — for challenging the gender wealth gap
Glenmorangie — for being the Willy Wonka of whisky
Gwella — for democratising ‘shrooms
Jems — for progressing a toxic industry
Mastodon – for decentralised social media
Mejuri — for challenging outdated standards
Northvolt — for making oil history
Savannah Bananas — for making baseball fun again
Semafor — for ‘Glocal’ news
Teenage Engineering — for instant fun
Tracksmith — for championing the running class
Vacation — for the world’s best-smelling sunscreen
Wonderbag — for turning energy constraints into a recipe for change
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Challengers to Watch 2022
Challengers to Watch 2021