The FutureList

Bringing AI-Powered Answers to Local Government What if city staff could get accurate, approved answers in seconds without digging through decades of files, emailing five departments, or tracking down that one person who knows? That’s the promise behind Ordinal, an AI-powered research assistant transforming how municipalities work. We spoke to co-founder Jacob Herrington, who shared how Ordinal helps planning teams, city managers, and engineering staff streamline operations by putting the city's own institutional knowledge, municipal codes, GIS data, and council notes at their fingertips. 🧭 Why It Matters In local government, the cost of inefficiency isn’t just time; it’s delayed decisions, missed funding, and service gaps. Ordinal centralizes access to critical documents, supports faster onboarding, and ensures consistent, reference-backed responses to internal and public queries alike. 🛠️ What It Can Do Built with the needs of city staff in mind, Ordinal pulls accurate answers from official documents in seconds, whether it’s zoning rules, permit requirements, or GIS-linked data. The platform integrates seamlessly with municipal code, planning files, and permitting systems, making once-scattered information instantly accessible. It also helps cities preserve institutional knowledge during staff transitions and speeds up onboarding for new hires, reducing the reliance on long-tenured colleagues for every answer. Each response is backed by direct references, giving teams both confidence and transparency in the decisions they make. Already active in cities across the U.S., Ordinal is closing new municipal contracts and expanding its capabilities with features like budget analysis, city dashboards, and public-facing chatbots. Explore this and other memos here: https://lnkd.in/egsK-d_m #GovTech #MunicipalInnovation #AI #CityManagement #PublicSectorTech #TheFutureList #InnovationMemo

Africa’s next business hero? It could be you. Applications for the 2025 @Africa’s Business Heroes Prize are now open! If you’re an impact-driven entrepreneur based in Africa, this is your chance to: ● Win a share of $1.5M in grant funding ● Gain media exposure & mentorship ● Join a powerful network of leaders ● Access world-class business training Could 2025 be your year? 🗓️ Apply by 23 May 🔗https://lnkd.in/e8GAiU9i 

🛡️ Predict, Prevent, Protect: The New Cybersecurity Playbook In the face of increasingly sophisticated threats, the cybersecurity landscape is evolving fast. Startups are no longer just reacting to attacks; they’re predicting and preventing them in real time. Today's article explores how AI-powered threat detection and blockchain-based authentication are becoming critical infrastructure for a safer digital future. AI threat detection continuously scans millions of data points to spot anomalies before they escalate. Blockchain-based authentication creates secure, decentralized identity systems that make unauthorized access significantly harder. We spotlight three innovators helping rewrite the rules of defense: BforeAI (France) – Founded by Luigi LENGUITO, BforeAI’s PreCrime™ platform uses behavioral AI to detect phishing and malicious domains before attacks happen, monitoring 500M+ domains in real time. Obsidian Security (US) – Founded by Glenn Chisholm, this platform brings AI to SaaS security, combining identity threat detection with posture management to protect cloud apps from within. Humanity Protocol – Founded by João Machado, this decentralized identity project links biometric authentication (via palm scans) to blockchain identities, tackling bots and fraud while giving users full control of their data. As digital environments expand, these technologies are setting the new standard: proactive, privacy-first, and resilient by design. Read more: https://lnkd.in/esDGHHeu #Cybersecurity #AI #Blockchain #IdentityVerification #TechForGood #InnovationSnapshot

💧 Water Under Watch: How Smart Monitoring is Reinventing Utility Infrastructure As water systems worldwide strain under the weight of aging infrastructure, climate shocks, and rising demand, a quiet revolution is underway. A new generation of watertech innovators is using real-time data, AI, and environmental sensors to make water systems more efficient, resilient, and transparent, from city grids to remote groundwater networks. In this article, we look at how some companies are building the backbone of smarter water management: Metron (US) – Advanced metering and analytics via its WaterScope® platform help utilities detect leaks early, cut losses, and align with ESG goals. iFLUX (Belgium) – Groundbreaking sensors deliver real-time groundwater flow data, empowering smarter planning and contamination response. MOBILTEX CorTalk (Canada) – FloPath loggers provide granular pressure and flow monitoring to prevent costly pipeline failures before they occur. Ellona (France) – AI-enabled sensors for emissions, particulates, and noise ensure environmental compliance and safeguard public health. Whether preventing infrastructure failures or protecting groundwater reserves, these tools are rapidly becoming essential infrastructure for water utilities, cities, and industry. Read the full snapshot here: https://lnkd.in/evxHrFEq #WaterTech #SmartUtilities #IoT #Sustainability #AI #InfrastructureInnovation #ClimateResilience

From the Factory Floor to the Cloud: How IIoT is Transforming Manufacturing Manufacturing is going through a quiet revolution. With the rise of Industrial IoT (IIoT), digital twins, and real-time analytics, factories are becoming more intelligent, faster, and more resilient. In this article, we look at some companies shaping this transformation: 🔹Litmus, a California-based startup, offers real-time Industrial DataOps and edge computing tools that help manufacturers unlock operational data and run predictive analytics, driving decisions directly from the shop floor. 🔹Seebo (Now part of Augury) built AI-powered tools to anticipate process inefficiencies and losses in quality, waste, or yield, giving manufacturers the ability to prevent issues before they arise. 🔹Tulip Interfaces, spun out of MIT, empowers frontline workers to digitize production processes without writing code. Its no-code platform pairs seamlessly with IIoT sensors and computer vision to deliver real-time insights and workflow automation. With smarter supply chains, predictive maintenance, and virtual replicas of factory systems, IIoT is redefining how the world builds. Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/dhDWQUVf #IIoT #SmartManufacturing #DigitalTwins #NoCode #TheFutureList

Calling all African entrepreneurs! The journey to becoming one of Africa’s Business Heroes starts NOW! Applications for the 2025 ABH Prize are officially open. If you’re a visionary entrepreneur making an impact in Africa, this is your chance to: 🔹 Compete for a share of $1.5M in grant funding 🔹 Connect with top investors, mentors & business leaders 🔹 Gain unmatched media exposure 🔹 Receive world-class business training & support Last year, ABH saw groundbreaking representation from across the continent. Henri Ousmane Gueye from Senegal became the first Francophone Grand Prize winner on his third attempt, proving that persistence and passion pay off! Could YOU be next? If you’ve been in business for at least three years, headquartered and operating in Africa, and ready to scale, apply now! Applications close 23 May, 2025. Don’t miss this opportunity! Apply now: https://lnkd.in/e8GAiU9i #ABH2025 #AfricaBusinessHeroes #Entrepreneurship #AfricanInnovation #ApplyNow #StartupFunding

GovTech is reshaping the way governments serve their citizens, and the transformation is global. From digitized IDs to AI-powered cities, countries are proving that smart governance isn't just possible; it’s essential. 🔹 In Estonia, 99% of public services are now available online. Its decentralized X-Road platform, an initiative of e-Estonia, has saved citizens an estimated 800 years of working time annually. 🔹 In Ukraine, the Diia City app helps nearly 20 million people access government services, even during wartime. 🔹 In Brazil, over 70% of the population now uses PIX, a real-time digital payment system launched by the central bank. 🔹 And in Singapore, smart traffic systems and predictive policing powered by AI are helping the city-state lead the Smart City Index. But the journey isn't without challenges: ⚠️ Cybersecurity risks ⚠️ The global digital divide (2.6B+ people still offline) ⚠️ Bureaucratic resistance to change Still, the momentum is clear. With the global GovTech market projected to surpass $1.4T by 2034, countries that prioritize innovation will be better positioned to serve, protect, and empower their citizens. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/dSDiw9ec #GovTech #PublicInnovation #SmartCities #Egovernment #CivicTech #DigitalTransformation #TheFutureList

How can governments better engage residents, understand public sentiment, and make more intelligent policy decisions? In this Innovation Memo, we spotlight Polco, a civic insights platform used by over 1,000 communities to transform how decisions are made. We spoke to Co-Founder & CEO Nick Mastronardi and Director of Customer Success Garrett Hernandez Rimer to understand how Polco is redefining data-driven governance. So, what exactly does Polco bring to the table? 📊 Community analytics and benchmark surveys 📍 Budget simulations for public input 🧠 AI-powered tools to surface actionable insights 💬 Scalable engagement for governments of all sizes From town halls to dashboards, Polco is making public engagement more inclusive, transparent, and actionable. Explore our memos here: https://lnkd.in/dZfCUdxi #GovTech #CivicTech #PublicEngagement #AIforGood #InnovationMemo #TheFutureList

We're excited to support OPUS as they bring their global opportunity community to Cape Town and Johannesburg next week. OPUS is designed for ambitious founders looking to unlock new opportunities through meaningful connections. Whether you're scaling a company, building something new, or reimagining an industry, this is for you. 📍Cape Town | 8 April: lu.ma/ib5cikfg 📍Johannesburg | 9 April: lu.ma/odkp9wv5 Spots are limited. Register your interest today. #Founders #Entrepreneurship #GlobalNetwork #OPUS #StartupEcosystem #TheFutureList

Can smart cities become disaster-resilient? AI-powered sensors may hold the key. From wildfires to flash floods, urban areas face growing climate and infrastructure threats. AI-powered sensors embedded in smart city infrastructure are helping detect risks earlier, improve emergency response, and protect vulnerable populations through predictive insights and automated alerts. Some companies are leading the charge with cutting-edge approaches: • OroraTech co-founded by Björn Stoffers uses thermal infrared satellites and AI to detect and predict wildfires, even through smoke or at night, across 30+ data sources. • Torch Sensors founded by Vasya Tremsin combines thermal, visual, and chemical sensing to identify fires within minutes and alert responders in real time, reducing response times drastically. • LiXiA founded by Govinda Pandey delivers real-time flood monitoring via IoT-enabled sensors, offering earlier warnings than traditional systems and enabling more effective evacuation planning. These technologies don’t just improve disaster response; they make cities more proactive, responsive, and resilient. As climate-related disasters increase, smart cities will depend on AI not just to monitor the present but also to predict and prepare for what’s coming next. Read more: https://lnkd.in/d_S33WpJ #SmartCities #DisasterPreparedness #UrbanResilience #AI #ClimateTech #TheFutureList #SensorTechnology #EmergencyResponse