Taking on Corporate Giants: CNBC's Disruptors

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Energy storage technology that uses compressed air to create heat energy, which can then be stored and more efficiently released onto the grid during off-peak intervals.

An oil service company that is the largest provider of fracture monitoring services in the world.

A programmable thermostat aiming to make a smarter residence, using sensors to learn behavioral patterns and create a temperature schedule maximizing energy efficiency.

Opower is an energy efficiency software company that allows utilities to make their customers smarter about usage.

A mobile billing system eliminating the need for debit and credit cards in online purchases by billing directly to mobile phone numbers.

A scalable satellite solution for continuous, high-quality broadband access anywhere in the world, including in transit situations, air, land and sea.

Broadcast quality video over cellular technology for live transmission in standard definition and high definition globally.

A cloud-based platform that allows developers and businesses lacking any physical telecom infrastructure to create scalable communications systems.

Community-based travel marketplace connecting people to nonstandard travel options in 34,000 cities and 192 countries. It’s a new traveler and lodging business connection model.

The social, location-based app is aiming to turn a fast-growing community into a revenue-generating advertising, sales and search business.

Migrating traditional console games to mobile devices. Games are offered free of charge. Gamers pay for access to premium gaming content.

The first lodging app made exclusively for mobile and for last-minute hotel deals offers steep discounts on lodging of all types and for all budgets.

Low-cost DNA analysis service for individuals.

Self-engagement technology for individuals aimed at bringing down health-care costs and providing better care.

Health care transparency technology for employers, lowering the cost of health care and providing individuals with unbiased pricing and quality data for health care purchases.

Technology that can model individual health patterns and behavior through a mobile phone app, and provide researchers, physicians and hospitals with a continuous data stream.

Solving the problem of car overpopulation and the unsustainable transportation system.

The big data provider of traffic. The largest traffic information network in the world, offering real-time, historical and predictive traffic flow information.

Designs, manufactures and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft, with the goal of ultimately enabling people to live on other planets.

A smartphone and Web-based, on-demand professional car service ordering system.

A crowdsourced funding platform for consumer businesses, an alternative to the traditional financing model.

A new way to fund creative projects, from films, games and music to art, design and technology.

A platform for lenders and borrowers competing with traditional loan services and investments.

Mobile payments technology provider and transactions leader.

Software for software developers. Early adopter of software as a service (SaaS).

A maker of computer security technology using a patented micro-virtualization (isolation as opposed to blocking) approach to upend existing security models.

Provides secure cloud content management and collaboration.

A free cloud storage service that lets you bring your photos, documents and videos anywhere and share them easily.

The integration and analysis of large quantities of data, or as Palantir likes to say, helping to solve the world's biggest problems.

Open-source drone technology design, engineering and manufacturing company

A manufacturer of desktop 3-D printers.

A collaborative platform for every aspect of product development—from original idea to manufacturing and marketing.

Creator of low-cost robotics solutions for the manufacturing sector

Pioneering on-demand 3D printing marketplace and community to make, buy, and sell custom and personalized products.

Aereo is pushing the envelope with the distribution of television content, allowing consumers to watch and DVR live broadcast television over the internet.

An online news organization mixing original reporting across a wide variety of subject verticals, and native advertising (sponsored content), focused on viral traffic growth.

A music service that is helping to change the concept of a personal music collection. Spotify offers access to a large music library, available on PCs, smartphones and tablets.

Behind the biggest conceptual change in the evolution of blogging. Post text, photos, quotes, links, music, and videos from your browser, phone, desktop, email.

Global real-time communications platform that invented the 140-character tweet and is poised to reach $1 billion in advertising revenue in 2014.

Etsy is a platform for independent businesses to sell their goods. More than 14 million shoppers have made a purchase and more than 100 million items have been sold since 2005.

Social networking site where users collect photos and link to products they love, creating their own pinboards and following the pinboards of others.

Rent the Runway is the premier online destination for dress and accessory rentals with a revolving roster of more than 170 top designers.

Shopify is an ecommerce platform that allows individuals and businesses to create online stores. Founded by two snowboarding enthusiasts to sell their snowboards.

Warby Parker is disrupting the overpriced eyewear market controlled by a few large companies that reap huge profits due to lack of customer choice.