en.Wedoany.com Reported - Qualcomm announced on the 24th the list of 15 Asia-Pacific startups selected for the "Qualcomm AI Innovator Program (QAIPI) 2026." The program aims to identify and support startups developing next-generation artificial intelligence solutions across various industrial sectors.
QAIPI 2026 supports Asia-Pacific startups in developing scalable edge AI solutions using Qualcomm platforms. Participating companies can utilize development tools such as Qualcomm DragonWing, Snapdragon platforms, Arduino UNO Q development boards, as well as Qualcomm AI Hub, technical resources, training, and mentorship. The 15 selected teams are developing solutions in aerospace, agriculture, drones, healthcare, robotics, smart infrastructure, and smart industrial sectors. Over the next six months, they will receive one-on-one expert guidance, up to $2,500 in product development support, and up to $5,000 in patent application support. Startups that complete the project will receive up to $10,000 in funding, with the program concluding at the Demo Day in the fourth quarter of 2026.
Selected companies by country: 5 from South Korea, including Energize AI (optimizing large language models and audio AI technology), WithRobot (providing multimodal monitoring solutions for industrial safety), UnderMilli (offering on-device voice translation), Clica (providing automatic AI model compression technology), and Plad Labs (developing visual inspection solutions for small manufacturers). 5 from Japan: APTO, Cantec Kabushiki Kaisha, KimpaX, My Robot KK, and Xnova. 5 from Singapore: AIflux Technology, Quickbot Technologies, Red Dot Drone, Refined Robotics, and Zebrid.
Ohyoung Kwon, Qualcomm APAC representative, stated that Qualcomm continues to support high-potential startups in the Asia-Pacific region through QAIPI this year. 2026 will be the "Year of AI Agents," based on a highly connected and distributed computing environment. Agent experiences spanning devices, edge systems, and cloud computing demonstrate the transformation of the integrated computing continuum as defined by Qualcomm. The startups selected this year indicate that the application potential of edge AI in real industrial settings is expanding. Qualcomm will support these companies in accelerating commercialization through QAIPI, further strengthening the startup ecosystem in the Asia-Pacific region.
Sudipto Roy, Vice President of Engineering and Head of Global Ecosystem Development Programs at Qualcomm, noted that the second edition of QAIPI, following last year's, has confirmed to Qualcomm that AI is moving beyond the prototype stage toward infrastructure transformation. Over 100 applicant companies showcased differentiated capabilities in agent AI and edge intelligence optimized for physical environments in areas such as robotics, healthcare, drones, industrial safety, smart infrastructure, and multilingual safety workflows. Through QAIPI, Qualcomm provides guidance, advanced platforms, product development guidelines, and patent incentives to help transform promising prototypes into scalable and patent-protected products.
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