A new wave of hot tech startups is moving beyond experimentation and into scaled deployment in 2026. These promising companies stand out in ABI Research analyses for their execution, technical depth, and influence across enterprise and industrial markets.
The year 2026 is shaping up to be a defining one for the next generation of technology leaders. As markets mature and enterprise expectations shift, a new class of tech startups is answering the call for innovation.
Over the last 12 months, ABI Research has analyzed numerous emerging startups across various technological niches. Our Competitive Rankings and Hot Tech Innovators reports identify the companies shaking up the status quo.
In many cases, it’s forward-looking startups—not industry titans—that are reimagining how businesses leverage technology. These companies view markets through a fresh lens, translating into new value drivers that incumbents can fail to see.
Here are six of the hottest tech startups recognized by ABI Research for their visionary approaches and commercial potential.
Companies to Watch:
Motive
Headquarters: San Francisco, California
Industry: Fleet management
ABI Research Award: Leader and Top Innovator, Commercial Video Telematics
Why it’s a hot tech startup:
- Hardware innovation is a clear differentiator for Motive. The Silicon Valley-based firm’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Dashcam lineup, including Omnicam and the new AI Dashcam Plus, pushes beyond basic video telematics. Stereo vision, Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR), advanced sensor fusion, and 3X more AI processing power allow risks to be detected faster, more accurately, and with lower latency.
- AI is used to change driver behavior as it happens. Principal Analyst Adhish Luitel notes that, “On-device computer vision detects behaviors such as phone use, distraction, tailgating, lane
departure, fatigue, and unfastened seat belts to deliver in-cab audio/visual alerts in the moment.” From there, audio and visual alerts prompt self-correction before unsafe behavior turns into an incident. - Safety programs are built to scale, not react. Motive automatically curates events, scores risk severity, and surfaces repeat patterns. AI Coach delivers personalized, post-trip coaching through the Driver App. This way, driver coaching shifts from ad hoc reviews to a structured, data-driven process.
- Strong growth reflects growing market traction. Motive’s Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) grew 26% Year-over-Year (YoY) in 2025, with Net Revenue Retention (NRR) above 130%. The fleet management platform now supports nearly 100,000 customers and 1.88 million active subscriptions. The unicorn’s recent success is backed by a large integration ecosystem and expanding enterprise adoption.
Motive’s December 2025 Initial Public Offering (IPO) filing underscores how strong enterprise adoption and sustained venture capital investment have fueled rapid growth.
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GreyOrange
Headquarters: Roswell, Georgia
Industry: Inventory management
ABI Research Award: Top Innovator, RFID Inventory Platforms for the Retail Market
Why it’s a hot tech startup:
- Retail operations are the lens through which GreyOrange approaches innovation. Rather than treating Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) as back-end infrastructure, the up-and-coming tech company uses it as a sensing layer that feeds decision-making and task execution on the store floor. This helps GreyOrange resonate with retailers looking to extract more value from existing RFID investments.
- gStore is built around workflows, not dashboards. The platform turns inventory, sales, and operational signals into prioritized tasks for associates and managers. Conversational AI allows staff to ask questions in plain language and receive actionable guidance tied directly to customer success.
- Real-time inventory insight is a practical differentiator. Support for overhead RFID readers enables continuous inventory visibility in active deployments, particularly in high-volume stores. When combined with advanced store analytics, customers report clearer insight into product availability, movement, and execution gaps.
- Its ecosystem strategy is broad and flexible. GreyOrange integrates RFID, barcodes, Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS), vision systems, and Internet of Things (IoT) sensors. The company also works closely with many systems integrators and retail software providers. An extensive partner list enables retailers to either adopt gStore as a standalone Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform or embed it into existing Point of Sale (POS), Operations Management System (OMS), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), and Warehouse Management System (WMS) environments.
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Tulip
Headquarters: Somerville, Massachusetts
Industry: Manufacturing software
ABI Research Awards: Overall Leader and Top Innovator, MES for Process Industries
Why it’s a hot tech startup:
- Tulip stands out for how much freedom it gives manufacturers. The cloud-based platform feels closer to a sandbox than a traditional out-of-the-box Manufacturing Execution System (MES). Teams can configure, extend, or build applications as deeply as they choose, without being boxed in by rigid workflows.
- Time to value is one of its strongest advantages. Preconfigured templates and Good Practice (GxP)-ready applications can be deployed quickly, while low-code/no-code tools lower the barrier for both large manufacturers and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). This makes it easier to see value early, even with limited internal Information Technology (IT) resources.
- AI is treated as a future-ready capability, not a forced dependency. Tulip is steadily building AI and Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) tools that customers can adopt when they are ready. Accordingly, manufacturers can modernize at their own pace while preparing for next-generation production technologies.
- Usability is a clear differentiator for Tulip. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) spin-off lets manufacturing operators adapt workflows and interfaces without specialist development skills, a rarity in MES environments. Combined with strong support for life sciences and regulatory requirements, this balance of flexibility and compliance helped Tulip secure the top overall ranking.
After a US$120 million Series D funding round steered by Mitsubishi Electric, Tulip became a unicorn on January 15, 2026. Its valuation reached US$1.3 billion.
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i-charging
Headquarters: Porto, Portugal
Industry: e-Mobility
ABI Research Awards: Leader and Top Innovator, Commercial EV Charging Solutions
Why it’s a hot tech startup:
- High-power Direct Current (DC) charging is the company’s clear focus. i-charging supports everything from passenger vehicles to heavy-duty trucks. Its blueberry chargers scale up to 900 Kilowatts (kW), and a Megawatt Charging System (MCS) solution reaches 1,500 kW.
- Efficiency is built into the design. Average efficiency reaches around 96% at 800 Volts (V), increasing to as high as 98% for MCS. This is key to e-Mobility support as Electric Vehicle (EV) charging sites grow and energy costs increase.
- Hardware is designed to scale over time. Modular power units and multi-dispenser configurations allow charging sites to expand without full infrastructure replacements. Moreover, broad connector support enables deployments across global EV markets.
- Software addresses operational constraints. Over-the-Air (OTA) updates, vehicle diagnostics, online monitoring, and dynamic load management are supported by the my. i-charging asset management platform. This is complemented by the omni-e energy management solution that factors in local energy production/demand to mitigate grid constraints.
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CryptoNext Security
Headquarters: Paris, France
Industry: Cybersecurity
ABI Recognition: Hot Tech Innovator, Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) IP
Why it’s a hot tech startup:
- Deep cryptographic credibility underpins CryptoNext's position. Founded by a co-author of NIST PQC algorithms, CryptoNext is closely involved in global standardization efforts across NIST, IETF, NCCOE, and MITRE. This gives the startup early insight into how post-quantum standards are evolving and how they will be implemented in practice.
- The platform addresses the full PQC transition, not just algorithms. CryptoNext starts with discovery and visibility to help organizations identify cryptographic assets and dependencies. Subsequently, it supports policy management, crypto-agility, and structured remediation, which is where many PQC initiatives tend to stall.
- Low-level libraries are built for real-world deployment. The Quantum Safe Library supports NIST-standardized KEM and signature algorithms, and achieved NIST CAVP certification in 2025. Additional countermeasures protect against side-channel attacks, reflecting a strong focus on implementation security, not just mathematical correctness.
- Partnerships anchor its go-to-market strategy. Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and infrastructure providers embed CryptoNext’s libraries into Hardware Security Modules (HSMs), encryptors, and secure operating systems. This positions the company at the foundation of quantum-safe upgrades across defense, finance, and critical infrastructure.
“CryptoNext provides a suite of tools that support organizations at each stage of the PQC transition. It offers a comprehensive discovery framework to identify and assess cryptographic assets within organizations and provides the tools for managing crypto policies, enabling organizations to maintain crypto-agility throughout their transformation. The remediation stage includes solutions for upgrading existing applications and integrating PQC into their systems.”—Michela Menting, VP, People and Processes
OQ Technology
Headquarters: Leudelange, Luxembourg
Industry: Satellite telecommunications
ABI Research Recognition: Hot Tech Innovator, Satellite IoT Platforms
Why it’s a hot tech startup:
- Standards-based satellite IoT is the company’s core focus. OQ Technology developed a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) network based on the 3GPP 5G NTN standard to enable global IoT connectivity. By building cellular services upon 5G standards, the company possesses a clear brand distinction from legacy operators like Iridium.
- Filling connectivity gaps allows for vertical specificity. OQ Technology differentiates itself from established satellite IoT operators by focusing on regions with limited terrestrial connectivity. It delivers measurable value to enterprises in sectors such as energy, oil & gas, logistics, maritime, and agriculture.
- Early execution has created a meaningful lead. Since its inception in 2016, OQ Technology has swiftly launched 10 satellites and plans to expand its constellation beyond 60. This head start enabled early commercial engagement, notably its work with oil & gas giant Aramco.
- Carrier partnerships support faster market access. Commercial agreements with Deutsche Telekom, O2 Telefónica, and Transatel link OQ Technology’s satellite services into existing cellular ecosystems and simplify IoT adoption. The company also expands its global footprint through partnerships with cloud connectivity providers such as Monogoto.
- Recent milestones solidify OQ Technology’s market ascendance. In November 2025, the company achieved a first for Europe-based satellite operators by delivering space-based emergency broadcast messaging directly to smartphones. More recently, in December 2025, OQ Technology and Nordic Semiconductor completed a successful demonstration showing that standard Narrowband (NB)-IoT devices can connect directly to a LEO satellite network.
How ABI Research Can Help
These top tech startups are disrupting markets by taking an outsider’s perspective. They address business challenges by meeting Business-to-Business (B2B) decision makers where it matters most. Up-and-coming innovators leverage AI advancements, enhance user experience, and address niche use cases that legacy vendors have historically overlooked. Often, these solutions are underpinned by cost advantages, which is increasingly important amid economic uncertainty.
Beyond technology markets, the hottest tech startups disrupt stock markets. As newcomers rise, others risk descent. Investors move on to the next big thing, leaving an organization’s financial stability in jeopardy.
Long-term success depends on a company’s ability to identify and respond to rising stars in the market. Access to technology intelligence, including forecasts, analyst guidance, and competitive benchmarking, has become a strategic necessity.
ABI Research’s global team of technology experts can help guide your organization through these uncharted territories with confidence. Regardless of company size or maturity, our research and content marketing services provide the clarity and direction needed to achieve your internal goals. Reach out to a member of our team today to discuss your current challenges and learn how technology intelligence ensures that you stay on the right path.
Supporting Resources:
ABI Research Competitive Rankings
Startup Leaders & Founders Technology Research/Advisory