Beyond Faster Internet: Ericsson’s 2026 Winners Show What 5G Can Actually Build

Ericsson has named six startups as winners of its Innovation Challenge 2026, spotlighting companies using 5G, artificial intelligence and advanced connectivity to solve problems ranging from disability access and healthcare to agriculture, logistics and aerial communications.

The winners — Torchit, Skye Air Mobility, scanO, Okulo Aerospace, Proxgy and KissanAI — were announced at India Mobile Congress 2026. The programme, organised with IAN Mentoring and Incubation Services and TiE Delhi NCR, evaluated startups on innovation, scalability, sustainability, societal impact and their ability to apply connectivity technologies to real-world problems.

Ahmedabad-based Torchit is building assistive technologies including its Saarthi mobility aid and AI-powered smart glasses for visually impaired users. Skye Air Mobility, meanwhile, is developing autonomous drone-based last-mile delivery supported by its unmanned traffic management platform. Pune-based scanO uses computer vision for automated oral screening,

with its scanO Air device capable of detecting more than 40 dental and oral conditions.

Okulo Aerospace is working on solar-electric long-endurance UAVs and High-Altitude Pseudo- Satellites for surveillance, connectivity and data collection. Proxgy is applying IoT hardware, software and SaaS tools to workplace safety for blue-collar workers. KissanAI rounds out the group with agriculture-focused AI models and a multilingual, voice-first assistant designed to help farmers with crop, pest and market information.

Ericsson positioned the winning startups alongside demonstrations involving programmable networks, AI and mission-critical connectivity, while also looking ahead to technologies associated with 6G, such as edge intelligence and sensing.

Taken together, the six winners show where telecom infrastructure is heading next. The opportunity is no longer just about delivering faster connections; it is increasingly about turning networks into an underlying layer for intelligent machines, healthcare tools, autonomous systems and services built around real-world outcomes.