Santa Clara, CA – Sept. 1, 2011: Picarro, Inc., the world’s leading provider of instruments for carbon and water cycle measurements, today announced its selection to the World Economic Forum’s 2012 class of Technology Pioneers. This annual award designates a select group of companies as the “most innovative technology start-ups from around the world...” and businesses that “...are poised to have a critical impact on how business and society work.” Picarro’s innovative products for high-precision measurement of atmospheric gas concentrations and stable isotope ratios are redefining entire fields of research in areas that critically affect life on Earth. These areas include greenhouse gas measurement networks, food supply security and food safety, and water resource measurement and management. Air, food and water all are profoundly impacted by ongoing perturbations in the global carbon, water and nitrogen cycles that cannot be measured at a wide enough scale nor at a precise enough level with incumbent instrumentation.

By radically simplifying the science of measuring these elemental cycles and allowing scientists and non-scientists anywhere on Earth - from jungles to megacities - to make measurements that are even more precise than those possible in sterile lab environments, Picarro is ushering in a new generation of ubiquitous measurements that provide high-quality data to governments, researchers and corporations. This data will drive key policy and economic decisions determining the management of the world’s most critical resources.

In the area of greenhouse gas (GHG) measurements, Picarro is now powering an emerging network of networks comprised of public and private GHG measurement networks across North America, Europe and Asia. Picarro analyzers have been designated by the World Meteorological Organization as the global gold standard for high-precision GHG measurements. In the nascent field of stable isotope analysis, Picarro’s portable, high-precision analyzers are used by food companies to authenticate the region and country of origin of foods, by one of the world’s largest beverage companies to verify the bioplastics content of millions of plastic bottles, by a Silicon Valley startup to ensure that carbon sequestered in green cement matches the molecular fingerprint of emissions from a specific factory, and by one of Europe’s largest cities to safeguard their water supply. 

The award validates Picarro’s unwavering commitment to deliver cutting edge technology that empowers the citizens of the world to make incredibly precise measurements anywhere and anytime. “The goal of the World Economic Forum is to improve the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic and other leaders to shape global, regional and industrial agendas that affect economies and our well-being,” says Picarro CEO Michael Woelk. “Picarro’s goal is to provide the scientific platform for scientists, policy makers and business leaders to make information-rich decisions that shape management agendas of the world’s most important irreplaceable resources. Our goals are aligned and we are honored to be recognized by such a prestigious group.”

The Forum’s Technology Pioneers are selected on a yearly basis through a rigorous process. A selection committee - composed of technology experts from leading academic institutions, venture capital firms and technology incubators, as well as entrepreneurs and Forum Members and Partners - evaluate candidates against the program’s criteria. The 2012 class includes 25 companies selected from over 800 applicants across a wide range of disciplines including energy and environmental, life sciences, and information technology.

 Picarro instruments are used by thousands of scientists, engineers and technicians in 54 countries on all seven continents. Customers include leading research institutions (Harvard University, Stanford University, Oxford University, the LSCE, Beijing University), leading government agencies (the China Meteorological Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the environmental protection agencies of the U.S., Germany, Canada, Ireland and Switzerland) and multi-national corporations (Eli Lilly, Waste Management Inc., Rio Tinto Alcan). In the lab or in the field, Picarro instruments are changing the way the world measures carbon, water and nitrogen cycles that are the fundamental basis of life on Earth.