By Spencer Ante

Innovation in a Downturn

Despite the economic crisis, entrepreneurship is thriving and a crop of potentially ground-breaking companies is emerging. Sure, some will blow up, while others will fail to fulfill their potential. But the Great Recession, and all of the creative destruction it has wrought, is giving entrepreneurs an historic opportunity to go big. With that backdrop, BusinessWeek is launching its inaugural list of the World's Most Intriguing New Companies. A barometer of important new innovation trends in the global economy, the list highlights startups that are pioneering new markets in biotechnology, clean technology, health care, and Web computing.

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