Santa Cruz County’s 2026 watch list marks a shift from invention to execution. These companies are scaling with real organizational maturity, durable advantages, and clear catalysts, while staying anchored locally. From aviation and fintech to climate systems and biotech delivery, Santa Cruz is proving it can build globally and keep value here.

Santa Cruz is a vibrant community with a strong appreciation of our environment. We are a little-big town of innovators. We are a community where the favorite pastimes are surfing and mountain biking. In classic Santa Cruz style, once a problem and industry are defined, a community is set into motion. These are some of the companies and organizations leading the charge to fight global warming:

There are more than 20 tech startups that have made significant progress over the past 6 months. Heading into 2020, the ten (10) that we are most enthusiastic about are Ambient Photonics, Sellhound, Cruz Foam, Prometheus Fuels, 2NDNATURE, Santa Cruz Local, and #NotMe.

New Santa Cruz company Prometheus Fuels has a unique product for creating gasoline out of thin air. This could be the stop-gap solution we so desperately need.