ABB is putting the spotlight on the next wave of AI-powered technologies with the announcement of its 2026 Startup Challenge winners. The program seeks to recognise and elevate a new cohort of startups around the world who are developing innovative AI-powered solutions to improve energy efficiency, resilience, and sustainability across industries, buildings, and power grids.
In its seventh year, the global program brings together startups and ABB experts to co-develop technologies that address some of the most pressing challenges in the energy transition. The challenges include solutions to transform smart homes, reinvent circuit breaker technology, advance DC power grids, develop industrial planning tools to cut Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, optimise electrical motors and drives, and enable smarter and faster system engineering and integration across industrial systems. From more than 200 applications in 39 countries, ABB selected 18 finalists to compete in the final competition at the Energy Tech Summit in Bilbao, Spain.
The six winning startups each receive $30,000 in collaboration funding to develop a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) with ABB over a six-month period:
- U.S.-based Sesame Sustainability’s Meridian platform helps industrial companies cut carbon emissions faster and more cost effectively. Replacing expensive traditional audits, it analyses a company’s facilities in days and recommends a decarbonisation plan for lowest-cost electrification, microgrid, battery storage and demand-response opportunities. By quickly identifying the most cost-effective solutions, Meridian enables ABB’s Navigate advisors to move faster from customer uncertainty to actionable decarbonisation investment.
- NYC and London-based MorphoAI automates circuit breaker design, cutting months of manual work down to hours. Engineers input their requirements – like opening time, force, stroke, and voltage class – and the software generates and tests hundreds of possible designs using real components. Each design is ready to manufacture with no extra steps. This catches design problems early, eliminates costly rework, and gets products to market much faster.
- Bisly from Estonia developed a digital twin-based building automation platform that simplifies the deployment of smart building systems by completing engineering and commissioning work before the on-site phase. It reduces manual work, eliminates duplicate data entry and decreases dependency on specialist on-site engineers. The result: projects cost up to 35% less, take less time, and have fewer installation errors. This makes advanced building automation more affordable and scalable across homes and businesses.
- eRoots Analytics from Barcelona automated the creation of digital twins for power electronics converters, cutting work from weeks to hours. Engineers feed the software measurement data and component specs, and it builds accurate simulation models that work with any testing software – avoiding costly vendor lock-in. The software uses plain English commands, making it easy for any engineer to use. Models are 7.4 times more accurate than data-sheet-only models, speeding up testing and validation – critical amid regulatory pressures and grid complexity.
- Forgis from Europe won with an AI platform that connects engineering and operations across factory systems. Using AI trained on industrial data, Forgis automates tasks that usually require specialists – programming, configuration, commissioning, and diagnostics. The platform diagnoses failures early and optimises setup time, uptime, throughput, quality, and energy efficiency. By helping manufacturers compete on intelligence rather than labour cost, Forgis supports industrial reshoring and resilience.
- Using only voltage and current signals, Faraday Predictive’s sensorless, physics-based technology monitors entire motor systems for predictive maintenance – no extra hardware needed. By embedding their patented algorithms directly into ABB drives, the Cambridge startup turns motors into a condition-monitoring device, detecting mechanical faults, anomalies, and energy waste. Operators get early failure warnings, enabling proactive maintenance and near-zero unplanned outages. It also integrates into ABB’s drive ecosystem at no added complexity or cost.
Each winner will pilot their solutions with ABB customers to validate performance in real-world environments and accelerate the path to commercialisation. Winning teams will gain access to ABB’s global network of experts, shared lab environments, and customer ecosystems, alongside eligibility for up to $150,000 in Microsoft Azure credits, and mentorship from Microsoft advisors and SynerLeap, one of ABB’s open innovation platforms.
“Innovation doesn’t happen in isolation. This year’s Startup Challenge highlights the power of collaboration to accelerate the development of new approaches to meet the growing demand for energy,” said Massimo Muzzi, Head of Strategy, Business Development & Sustainability for ABB’s Electrification business. “By working closely with startups from around the world, we can transform new ideas into practical solutions that address real-world challenges.
The quality and diversity of this year’s participants demonstrate the critical role startups play in shaping a more resource and energy efficient future.”
Since its launch in 2020, the Startup Challenge has become a key platform for co-developing solutions that advance innovation in the energy sector. ABB has invested $23 million in startups as a direct result of the program, supporting the development of 35 MVPs and the launch of eight solutions to market. More than 20 startups have progressed beyond the MVP stage, and seven have secured venture investment, reflecting the program’s role in scaling promising technologies and fostering long-term collaboration.
