Future 50

Every successful business starts with an act of imagination. But the most innovative companies are those that continually reimagine their potential—even if it means embracing radical shifts in strategy. That relentless focus on the future typically pays off handsomely for investors. Three years ago, Fortune teamed up with management consulting firm BCG to create the Future 50, using a proprietary system that analyzes dozens of factors to identify companies with the best long-term growth potential. The 50 companies on last year’s list produced a cumulative shareholder return of 71% since publication vs. 21% for the S&P 500 over the same span. Read on to explore this year’s ranking.