Business
A record number of Boston-area firms were named on the LexisNexis list.
Five Boston-area companies landed on LexisNexis’s “Top 100 Global Innovators” list this week, the highest showing the region has ever had, offering a rare bright spot for an industry facing mounting headwinds.
The honor comes as Boston’s biotech and life sciences sectors navigate a wave of uncertainty, including federal spending cuts and new policies, as well as tariffs and higher interest rates.
“While Boston has long been an innovation hub, this year it has taken that leadership to a whole new level,” said Marco Richter, managing director and chief commercial officer for LexisNexis Intellectual Property Solutions, in a statement to Boston.com.
He continued, “From life sciences and RNA therapeutics to consumer technology, Boston’s innovation ecosystem is firing on all cylinders, and it shows the power of bringing together world-class research institutions, deep venture capital networks, and entrepreneurial ambition in a community.”
Joining Cambridge-based Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and Moderna on the list this year are three first-time honorees: venture capital firm Flagship Pioneering, Watertown-based Orna Therapeutics, and Needham’s home-appliance maker SharkNinja.
Orna Therapeutics, which is developing treatments that use circular RNA and special lipid particles to help the body make its own disease-fighting cell therapies, was acquired last month by Eli Lilly for $2.4 billion. Eli Lilly also made the list, though its headquarters are in Indianapolis.
SharkNinja made headlines in recent years with its viral Creami, which uses technology to shave and churn frozen blocks, rather than blending — creating frozen treats within minutes.
Flagship Pioneering, which launched in 2000, has fostered more than 100 scientific ventures and manages $14 billion in assets.
According to LexisNexis, the companies are part of the fastest-growing metro area in the U.S., with more first-time honorees than any city in the nation. The ranking ties Boston with L.A. for third place in the U.S. for total companies on the list, behind only Silicon Valley, which had 11 companies, and New York City, with 8.
If Boston were a country, it would rank sixth in the world, behind the U.S. at 46, Germany at 9, China at 7, Korea at 7, and Japan at 7.
LexisNexis Legal & Professional’s announcement of the 2026 list highlights companies worldwide that are driving innovation in the global economy, based on quantifiable improvements in their patent portfolios over the last two years.
Representing 18 countries, the top 100 companies were identified through an analysis by LexisNexis Intellectual Property Solutions using its Patent Asset Index methodology across its database of more than 17 million global patent families.
Having dominated the 2025 ranking by company count, pharmaceuticals ceded the top position this year to the semiconductor industry, which leads with 14 honorees. Pharmaceuticals now rank second with 13 companies, followed by chemicals and materials with 12 entrants.
Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
