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FORTUNE.COM // SEPTEMBER 2019
BYD began life as a manufac-
turer of cell phone batteries
and didn’t make its first car
until 2003. But for three years,
it was the world’s largest maker
of vehicles that run partly or
wholly on electricity (Tesla only
recently overtook it). The Chi-
nese company’s development
of a flexible “E-platform” for EV
design and construction has
been key to its success. A basic
BYD model sells for a mere
$8,500 or so, after subsidies—
a key factor in evangelizing EVs
more widely. And a recently
announced joint venture with
Japan’s Toyota should expand
BYD’s global footprint. (For
more on BYD and China’s EV
market, see the feature in
this issue.)
TE specializes in connectiv-
ity and sensor technology
used in industries such as
aerospace, automotive, and
energy. But it made its way
into a hospital setting three-
and-a-half years ago with el-
egant solutions that can help
emergency cardiac and stroke
patients. Using TE guide wires
and microcatheters, doctors
can make one simple incision
in the femoral artery and
thread a medical device to
the precise area of the brain
where it’s needed (either to
bust up a clot or stop bleed-
ing caused by a stroke). To
date, the technology has been
used to help some 1.3 million
stroke patients worldwide,
according to TE.
JYOTI SHINDE/COURTESY OF MASTERCARD
NO. 3
BYD
Expanding the universe
of electric cars.
SHENZHEN, CHINA
NO. 4
TE Connectivity
Lifesaving technology
for stroke sufferers.
SCHAFFHAUSEN, SWITZERLAND
One of the more than 5,600 Indian business owners trained this
year through Mastercard’s Center for Inclusive Growth.
