CNBC Unveils Fourth Annual DISRUPTOR 50

First in Business Worldwide, today announced the fourth annual CNBC Disruptor 50, a ranked list of the world's most ambitious and innovative private companies changing the economy and overall business landscape. This year saw the most nominations ever, with 750 companies vying for a spot on the CNBC Disruptor 50 list, more than double the number of nominees from 2015.

The cooling off in the IPO market has done little to stop elite startups from raising money at ever-increasing valuations. At least 52 of the 750 companies submitting for this year's CNBC Disruptor 50 have valuations of $1 billion or more, but only 31 of these so-called "unicorns" made the final list. The 2016 Disruptor 50 companies have collectively raised $41 billion in venture capital, giving them a combined implied valuation of $242 billion. Both numbers are up significantly from 2015.

CNBC revealed the list across the network's multiple platforms and is featuring special coverage throughout Business Day programming and on CNBC Digital this week. CNBC's Julia Boorstin will lead the network's on-air coverage reporting live from multiple locations around San Francisco and the Silicon Valley, where 28 of the 50 companies on the list are headquartered. CNBC's Kayla Tausche will co-anchor "Squawk Alley" live from CNBC@1Market, the network's San Francisco bureau, and interview companies that made this year's list. CNBC's "Squawk Box" (M-F, 6AM-9AM ET), "Squawk Alley" (M-F, 11AM-12PM ET) and "Mad Money w/ Jim Cramer" (M-F, 6PM-7PM ET) will highlight the companies on the list throughout the week.

CNBC.com's special report, CNBC.com/Disruptors, features in-depth profiles of the 50 companies, an explanation of how CNBC chose and ranked the companies on the list, as well as a robust line-up of stories exploring how today's business decision MAKERS and investors can capitalize on disruptive technology trends. CNBC will also track each company's progress throughout the coming year.

Following are the top ten 2016 CNBC Disruptor 50 companies:

Uber
Airbnb
Ezetap
Palantir Technologies
23andMe
Bloom Energy
Ginkgo Bioworks
Klarna
Blippar
Coursera

For more information regarding the CNBC Disruptor 50, including the full list, interviews, in-depth analysis and original digital video, visit CNBC.com/Disruptors.

Follow @CNBCDisruptors on Twitter, and join the conversation using hashtag #Disruptor50.

The CNBC Disruptor 50 was compiled from 750 nominated companies which were ranked using a proprietary blend of quantitative and qualitative inputs, as well as expertise from CNBC's Disruptor 50 Advisory Council, a group of 34 leading academics in innovation and entrepreneurship.

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