It is tough to find a business case for a technologic innovation. It is easier to start with a business case and then derive the technology necessary for that.
That said, there are companies like TypeSafe and Cognitect that found a way to sell solutions and services (often in a consultancy/agency/training model) and through that business model they can invest in fundamental longer-term building blocks (like languages, runtimes, libraries, databases).
It's not easy but might be a possible angle to deliver tangible value now & still drive long-term vision and innovation.
Steve Jobs: https://youtu.be/GnO7D5UaDig?t=50m22s
That said, there are companies like TypeSafe and Cognitect that found a way to sell solutions and services (often in a consultancy/agency/training model) and through that business model they can invest in fundamental longer-term building blocks (like languages, runtimes, libraries, databases).
It's not easy but might be a possible angle to deliver tangible value now & still drive long-term vision and innovation.