4YFN26 Awards: Meet the Top 20 startups building the future

LONDON, Dec. 5, 2025 /CNW/ -- The world's most iconic startup event 4YFN26 will return to the halls of Fira de Barcelona's iconic Gran Via during GSMA's MWC26 Barcelona next year for a groundbreaking showcase of 2026's most exciting startups. Selected from hundreds of submissions, 2026's Top 20 startups showcase the brightest ideas and leading minds from across five key industry categories.

Culminating with the 4YFN26 Awards, the Top 20 will compete to be crowned overall winner. The 4YFN Top 20 will take part in the 4YFN Awards semifinals on the first day of 4YFN Barcelona. This on-stage pitch competition will take place in front of a panel of leading investors and industry experts. The panel will evaluate them on criteria including innovation, scalability, and impact – before choosing five finalists on the same day.

The five finalists will advance to the 4YFN Awards Final, where they will compete again on the Banco Sabadell stage on 4 March, this time for the coveted prize of 4YFN Awards winner. The winner will receive a €20,000 cash prize, courtesy of the GSMA Foundry.

The 4YFN26 Awards Top 20 are:

Climate Tech

• Greenlyte Carbon Technologies GmbH (Germany) – capturing CO₂ from the air and converting it into green hydrogen and synthetic fuel feedstocks.
• Sensegrass (UK) – improving farm productivity with AI analytics, IoT, and soil intelligence that optimise input use and crop health.
• Skyfora (Finland) – enhancing weather forecasting with AI-powered weather intelligence solutions to predict and adapt to extreme weather. 
• URAPHEX (Spain) – regenerating industrial water through chemical free, sustainable treating processes that reduce pollution.

Digital Horizons

• AIM Intelligence (Korea) – AI security middleware detecting, targeting and eliminating risks in AI enterprise systems.
• DeepKeep (Israel) – protecting enterprise AI models and data pipelines with security tools designed for emerging threat landscapes.
• Enhans (Korea) – building AI driven commerce infrastructure and operating systems for large scale digital transactions.
• NeuralTrust (Spain) – helping companies deploy and scale generative AI safely by protecting applications and agents from misuse or data leaks.

Fintech

• Dost (Spain) – automating finance operations for growing businesses with AI-driven workflows.
• DRUO (USA) – enabling people and businesses to pay directly from bank accounts, removing the need for cards.
• Kistpay Private Limited (Pakistan) – increasing access to smartphones through instalment-based financing for users across emerging markets.
• Spendbase (Ukraine) – reducing SaaS, cloud, and card spend for companies through unified cost management tools.

Health Tech

• AI Diagnostics (South Africa) – delivering AI-powered diagnostic tools that support screening and early detection of TB in low-resource healthcare environments.
• Biorce (Spain) – automating clinical trial operations with AI agents that streamline planning and execution for research teams.
• Medwise AI (UK) – providing clinicians with fast, evidence-based answers that improve care decisions at the point of delivery.
• Sycai Medical (Spain) – using AI imaging to identify and track pre-cancerous pancreatic lesions for earlier clinical intervention.

Mobile Frontiers

• ConnectHear (Pakistan) – creating accessible communication for deaf users through real-time sign language interpretation and AI-assisted alerts.
• Kreios Space SL (Spain) – developing systems to extend satellite lifetimes in very low Earth orbit.
• OptAI (Korea) – optimising on-device AI performance with tools that boost speed, privacy, and efficiency.
• ZIM Connections (UK) – simplifying global connectivity by enabling travellers to activate region specific eSIM plans through a single platform.

Register for 4YFN26 today

Each year, 4YFN brings together investors, founders, and industry leaders to explore the ambitious ideas and cutting-edge technologies shaping the next wave of innovation. Its new theme for 2026, Infinite AI, captures the bold energy of founders pushing the boundaries of artificial intelligence while reflecting 4YFN's role as a dynamic hub where ideas collide, deals form, and breakout companies step into the global spotlight. In 2026, 4YFN will showcase hundreds of startups across five stages in Halls 8.0 and 8.1, offering packed demo floors, live pitch sessions, and a programme designed to connect founders with investors, corporates, and global media. Book your place at 4YFN26 here.

Click here to read the full press release.

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SOURCE GSMA

Rebecca Atherley , [email protected], [phone]