On September 12, the opening day of EmTech China 2025 Global Emerging Technology Summit, METiS TechBio was honored as one of MIT Technology Review's "50 Smartest Companies" (TR50) for its innovative AI platform addressing nano-delivery challenges. Dr. Chris Lai, co-founder and CEO of METiS TechBio, was invited to attend the summit and participate in a roundtable discussion titled "Pathways from Lab to Market for Emerging Technologies."
The MIT Technology Review highlighted METiS TechBio's selection for:
Leveraging its proprietary AI-driven nano-delivery system design platform, METiS TechBio has successfully developed LNP delivery systems capable of specific targeting to multiple organs. By constructing a large-scale lipid library and establishing patent barriers, the company has advanced RNA and gene-editing drugs in delivery efficiency, safety, clinical application, and laid a solid foundation for corresponding R&D breakthroughs and commercialization.
The 2025 EmTech China Summit gathered over 30 global visionaries and industry leaders, including 2010 Nobel Physics Laureate Professor Andre Geim, in Shanghai to explore the transition of technologies from "usable" to "reliable" and seek clear commercial answers for the next phase.
During the roundtable, Dr. Lai stated:
Drug development is often called a decade-long process with high failure rates. While AI-driven drug discovery has vast potential, decoding all disease-drug relationships with AI alone remains unfeasible within the next 10-20 years. METiS TechBio's strategy focuses on tackling verifiable small problems, entering the frontiers of AI and nano-delivery, and iteratively implementing seemingly unreachable hardcore technologies to ultimately gain clinical and market recognition. Future breakthroughs will lie in "reprogramming cells"—potentially enabling tumor self-destruction, immune enhancement, or even transforming healthy cells into "super cells," with partial reversal of aging. As mRNA, CRISPR, and nano-delivery technologies mature, these advancements will demonstrate feasibility within 3-5 years, opening new horizons for healthier living and extended lifespans.
"There are individuals who seize opportunities amidst transformation and shifting dynamics, founding companies that ultimately change the world." Since its inception in 1899, MIT Technology Review has consistently spotlighted tech entrepreneurs reshaping the world, offering profound insights into emerging technologies and innovative business models across eras.
Staying true to this mission, the publication launched the "50 Smartest Companies" (TR50) list in 2010, selecting 50 visionary enterprises from global tech firms to forecast future trends. The TR50 expanded to China in November 2018, recognizing "Chinese strength." Past honorees include ByteDance, CATL, and BeiGene, representing innovation benchmarks across diverse business domains.
By MIT Technology Review’s definition, "smart companies" excel in two ways: they invent or apply new technologies intelligently, and they demonstrate a smart understanding of markets and business opportunities. With technology as their foundation and sustainable models as their engine, these companies extend innovation’s impact on a global scale. Since 2010, the TR50 has celebrated enterprises shaping the future of technology and society.
(Images sourced from MIT Technology Review's 2025 TR50 list)
