Three Texas Firms Featured in Time’s Best Innovations of 2026

This year’s list of the 300 best inventions by Time magazine includes a significant Texas presence, with 11 innovative products featured. Notable among these are a smartphone designed to maintain user privacy, an autonomous 18-wheeler, and a lab-engineered egg. Here’s a closer look at the Texas honorees, which may be familiar to many.

**Austin**
– **Hyliion**: Located in Cedar Park, Hyliion earned a spot on Time’s list with its Karno Power Module, a modular generator aimed at providing power on demand. This marks a substantial shift for the company, which initially focused on electrified powertrains for trucks before moving into power generation after acquiring technology from GE Aerospace. Established in Pittsburgh in 2015 and relocated to Cedar Park in 2018, Hyliion recently secured a $41.7 million contract from the Office of Naval Research to develop 2- and 3-megawatt Karno systems. The module was also named the 2026 Most Valuable Product by Consulting-Specifying Engineer.

– **Moment Energy**: As electric vehicles proliferate, many batteries are approaching their retirement phase, while energy demands rise. Moment Energy addresses these dual challenges with its Megafactory 1, which opened in Vancouver in June and repurposes old EV batteries into modular storage systems for major users such as hospitals and factories. Founder Edward Chiang mentioned that their goal is to keep these batteries out of landfills. Plans are underway for a larger facility in Taylor, with a projected opening in 2028.

– **Renzoe Box**: Austin’s Renzoe Box was recognized in the Special Mentions category for its innovative refillable custom makeup palette designed for individuals on the go. The box is the creation of licensed architect René Graham, a Rice University graduate originally from Dallas.

**Dallas-Fort Worth**
– **Samsung Electronics America**: Based in Plano, Samsung made a remarkable entry with three products on Time’s list. The first is the Galaxy S26 Ultra, notable for its powerful camera and AI features, but most importantly for its built-in privacy display that makes it challenging for others to read texts from an angle. The second innovation is their Bespoke AI Family Hub refrigerator, which now identifies over 2,000 packaged foods, reads labels, and assists with grocery lists and recipe suggestions. The third product is the Odyssey G8 monitor, which boasts 6K resolution, presenting enhanced visual detail suitable for gaming and multitasking.

– **OxeFit**: From Plano, OxeFit introduced the XS1 Peak, a compact machine that operates like a full gym, adaptable for various workouts. It features a virtual spotter utilizing AI and sensors to monitor user form and adjust resistance accordingly. Post-workout, it conveniently folds up against the wall, though it comes with a considerable price tag of over $6,000.

– **EssilorLuxottica**: This French eyewear company, with its U.S. headquarters in Farmers Branch, produces Essilor Stellest lenses that combat nearsightedness and slow eye growth. These lenses, which recently gained FDA approval, feature 1,021 tiny lenslets and showed a 71 percent reduction in myopia progression in a study involving children.

– **Helpany**: This Phoenix-based startup, manufacturing devices in DFW, offers Paul, a ceiling-mounted sensor using radar and AI to detect changes in residents’ movement, significantly lowering fall risks by up to 72%.

– **Aurora Innovation**: On I-45 between Dallas and Houston, Aurora launched the first driverless 18-wheeler delivery service. Based in Pittsburgh, with operations in Coppell, their latest Driver 2 system has logged over 500,000 driverless miles without an at-fault accident. The company anticipates having 200 of these trucks operational by the end of 2026.

– **Colossal Biosciences**: Known for its de-extinction efforts, this Dallas company developed an artificial egg to observe embryo development, resulting in the successful hatching of 26 chickens. Chief biology officer Andrew Pask suggested the invention could aid endangered bird species like New Zealand’s kākāpō.

– **Utility Global**: This Houston-based startup made the list with its H2Gen system, capable of producing affordable clean hydrogen from water and industrial off-gases without requiring electricity. Utility Global has raised $100 million in an ongoing Series D funding round to promote its decarbonization technology on a global scale.