Why It's Fierce: Sometimes, it's the company you keep that helps define you in biotechnology; and for Kereos, the companies it has teamed with are top-tier. Last year, Kereos joined with Royal Philips Electronics and Dow Chemical in a $2.8 million contract. The companies will jointly explore how Kereos' imaging agents, working with advanced imaging systems, can reduce the time it takes to detect and begin treatment of certain cancers. Kereos is out to target and attack cancer and cardiovascular diseases, two huge markets in medicine. By diagnosing the disease earlier and delivering therapeutics where they're needed, Kereos could be on a path to save lives. A significant advance here would also pay off handsomely.

What to look for: Researchers say they can make it to the clinic next year.