WIPO 2026 Global Awards Winners: Eleven Companies Recognized for Using IP to Build and Scale Their Businesses

Geneva, July 10, 2026
PR/2026/956

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) today announced the 11 winners of the WIPO Global Award 2026, celebrating companies that demonstrated excellence in using intellectual property (IP) to bring to market products including drugs to regenerate lung tissue, semiconductors that cut energy loss, AI-guided crop spraying devices and helmet sensors promoting athletes’ brain health.

The WIPO Global Awards reward excellent small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups, which make up over 90 percent of all businesses in the world and around 50 percent of jobs, and highlights how IP improves lives and drives enterprise and job growth.

An international jury of experts selected winners from a pool of 1,300 applications representing 126 countries, Jurors evaluated firms’ business case, IP strategy, internal IP culture and contribution to addressing societal challenges.

This year’s winners represent a diverse range of sectors, from health care to agriculture to drone technology (see below for a list of winners).

WIPO Director General Daren Tang presented the awards to winners’ representatives at a ceremony held during the WIPO Assemblies of Member States in Geneva, Switzerland.

SMEs make up the majority of companies in every country, driving growth, creating employment and often driving the most disruptive innovation. Yet most remain unaware about the power of IP as a business tool. These Awards shine a spotlight on those exemplary SMEs that are not just registering and protecting their IP, but also using it strategically for business growth. We hope that they will inspire other entrepreneurs, and encourage policymakers to put in place programs and policies to help IP be part of every SMEs toolkit for success.

WIPO Director General Daren Tang

Winners receive six months of 1:1 mentoring on IP strategy, market access and fundraising, and join the Global Awards Alumni Community, through which they connect with investors, accelerators, corporates, and service providers.

The 2026 winners are:

Agriculture & Food

SME:   AgZen (United States) -- AI-optimized crop spraying

Startup:   Infira (Argentina) -- Annual crops made perennials

Environment

SME:   Botree (China) -- Lithium battery recycling

Startup:   FLOSFIA (Japan) -- Energy-saving semiconductors for greener electronics

Health

SME:   ArteryFlow (China) -- AI cardiovascular diagnostics platform

Startup:   Regend Therapeutics (China) -- Lung tissue regeneration

Creative Industries

SME:   Jade ND (Brazil) -- Game-based learning platform for neurodivergent children

Startup:   DABIDA (Republic of Korea) -- Handwriting-based AI tutoring system

ICT

SME:   ICTK (Republic of Korea) -- Keyless hardware security chips

Startup:   Drovid (Chile) -- Drones detecting human-caused forest fires early

Sports -- Special Award

Bearmind (Switzerland) -- Helmet sensors tracking brain health in contact sports

Special Mentions

Best Youth Entrepreneur 2026 -- Vishnu Jayaprakash, CEO of AgZen (United States)

Support for this recognition is provided by the ITC Ye! Community, a global platform powered by the International Trade Centre that connects young entrepreneurs with peers, mentors, and business opportunities.

Best Woman Entrepreneur 2026 -- Renata Reinheimer, CEO of Infira (Argentina)

Support for this recognition is provided by ITC SheTrades, an initiative of the International Trade Centre that works to create the conditions for women entrepreneurs to grow and trade internationally.

About the WIPO Global Awards Program

The Global Awards program is rooted in WIPO's mission to ensure a world where intellectual property rights support innovation and creativity from anywhere, for the good of everyone.

These independent, jury-selected awards recognize and support smaller companies that contribute to progress and improve people's lives. Winners receive a personalized mentorship program to help them use IP for business growth, along with support to facilitate their access to funding and business opportunities.

Startups and SMEs are broken out into two applicant pools: Startups have not yet reached recurring revenues, while SMEs have an established revenue base in at least one market.

This year's competition drew over 1,300 applications from 126 countries, across five established sectors -- Environment, Health, ICT, Food & Agriculture, and Creative Industries -- plus a Sports category introduced in 2026 to mark the World IP Day theme "IP and Sports: Ready, Set, Innovate!"