- Top 20 finalists represent the most promising tech & AI solutions, with more than half coming from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities
- Participants will advance to Grand Finale, with continued mentorship from FITT-IIT Delhi and Samsung experts, and exposure to the startup ecosystem through an Investor Meet
- Finalists will receive a cumulative grant of INR 20 lakh and a Samsung smartphone for each participant for prototype enhancement
GURUGRAM, India – Sep. 10, 2026 – Samsung India today announced the Top 20 finalists of Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2026, a programme that combines technology and education to help youth grow into future leaders with creative thinking and problem-solvingskills.
A global problem-solving platform, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow helps youth around the world use STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) to build a better future. Participants identify problems in their communities and develop creative solutions withthe help of technology.
In its fifth edition, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2026 is bringing together young innovators from across India who are turning problems they see around them into technology-led solutions. More than half of the participants in the Top 20 come from Tier 2 andTier 3 cities, with the finalists representing 18 cities across 12 states – reflecting how youth-led innovation is expanding beyond India’s traditional technology hubs.
“What stands out about this year’s Top 20 is not just the technology they are building, but the problems they have chosen to solve. Young innovators from across India are looking closely at challenges in their own communities – from accessibility and healthcareto agriculture, pollution and sport – and asking how technology can make a difference. Samsung Solve for Tomorrow gives them the opportunity, mentorship and resources to take an idea rooted in a local need and build it into a solution with the potential tocreate wider impact,”said SP Chun, Corporate Vice President, Samsung South West Asia.
A defining trend among this year’s finalists is the focus on making technology more useful and accessible. Across the four themes – AI Living for India, Environmental Sustainability, Health and Education, and Sport & Tech – young innovators are applying AI,computer vision, sensors, voice technology and low-cost wearables to challenges ranging from low literacy and disability access to agricultural waste, pollution, neurological health and para-sports.
Several solutions are being designed for people who have traditionally had limited access to technology. These include an offline AI application that explains complex documents to people with low literacy, real-time Indian Sign Language translation, a voice-firstlearning companion for visually impaired students, technology to anticipate sensory meltdowns among children with autism, and assistive technologies to help visually impaired swimmers train more independently. Other finalists are tackling environmental challengesthrough ideas that seek to convert agricultural residue into clean energy and useful carbon materials, reduce textile waste and construction-site pollution, and mitigate human-wildlife conflict.
The geographical spread of the Top 20 reflects this expanding innovation map. Finalists come from Sundargarh in Odisha, Chittoor and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, Raebareli and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, Amritsar and SAS Nagar in Punjab, Sonipat in Haryana and Raipur in Chhattisgarh, alongside Bengaluru, Chennai, Coimbatore, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai.
The Top 20 teams emerged from a semi-final phase that brought together 40 teams for an experiential, hands-on Prototyping Programme conducted in collaboration with FITT-IIT Delhi. Through Innovation Bootcamp, the teams worked with mentors to strengthen theirsolutions, better understand the people they were designing for and gain practical exposure to the innovation process.
As part of the Bootcamp, the teams also visited Samsung Design Delhi (SDD), Samsung R&D Institute India – Noida (SRI-N), Samsung R&D Institute India – Delhi (SRI-D), Samsung R&D Institute India – Bengaluru (SRI-B) and Samsung’s Head Office in Gurugram, gainingexposure to Samsung’s approach to design, technology, innovation and Research & Development.
The journey culminated in a National Pitch Event, where 20 experts comprising mentors from Samsung R&D and Samsung South West Asia evaluated the teams and selected five finalists from each of the four themes.
Meet the Top 20
AI Living for India
4 Percentage – Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu: MicroLearning AI, a voice-first multilingual platform that converts complex healthcare and government-scheme information into simple spoken micro-lessons in Indian languages.
itzFOD – Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh: VaakSetu, an offline mobile application that uses AI to read documents such as loan papers, land deeds, FIRs and hospital forms and explain them in simple spoken language.
JARVISS – Chennai, Tamil Nadu: SafePath AI, a smartphone and IoT-assisted platform that uses AI and sensor data to detect road hazards, assess their severity and provide safer-route recommendations.
QuantHunt – Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh: An AI-based cybersecurity solution designed to identify encryption vulnerabilities and help organisations prepare their digital systems for emerging quantum-computing risks.
SignBridge AI – Kolkata, West Bengal: An AI-powered platform that translates Indian Sign Language into text and speech in real time, helping improve communication in schools, hospitals, workplaces and public spaces.
Environmental Sustainability
AeroShield – New Delhi: A low-cost construction debris net, designed to capture and degrade airborne pollutants while integrating with existing scaffolding.
AgriVolt – Amritsar, Punjab: AgriVolt Carbon AI, which aims to use agricultural residue to generate electricity and recover biochar and other carbon-rich materials while reducing emissions.
IndieJeanous – Mumbai, Maharashtra: A circular denim initiative that converts discarded denim and textile scraps into lifestyle products while creating livelihood opportunities for women artisans.
InnoBotix – New Delhi: Sentinel, a solar-powered AI edge device that uses cameras, radar and seismic data to detect wildlife approaching human settlements and provide early warnings.
KINVA BIO – Sonipat, Haryana: An AI-based platform that seeks to optimise the production of protein-rich mycoprotein from sugarcane bagasse using bioreactors.
Health and Education
404NotFound – Bengaluru, Karnataka: StepSense, a sensor and edge-AI system that turns footwear into a gait-monitoring platform to identify indicators associated with fall risk, neuropathy, fatigue and other health conditions.
Equinox – New Delhi: SARA AI, a voice-first study companion that enables visually impaired students to access textbooks, explanations, quizzes and personalised learning support without relying on a screen or keyboard.
morphism – Raipur, Chhattisgarh: An AI system designed to help autistic individuals better understand emotions by analysing subtle facial expressions and other behavioural signals.
NeuroTrace – SAS Nagar, Punjab: A smartphone-based AI solution for post-stroke monitoring that analyses changes in voice, facial movement and reaction time to identify potential neurological deterioration.
VB SenseGuard – New Delhi: Sense Guard, a low-cost AI wearable designed to identify physiological patterns associated with sensory meltdowns in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and provide caregivers with early alerts.
Sport & Tech
Code Blooded – Sundargarh, Odisha: ParaSync, an AI-powered platform that analyses smartphone videos of para-athletes to assess sporting technique, track progress and help connect talent from underserved regions with scouts.
Para-athlete swimming solution – Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh: A wearable navigation system that detects when visually impaired swimmers veer from their intended direction and provides haptic cues for course correction.
Rogue – Chennai, Tamil Nadu: NeuroStride, an AI-powered wearable that seeks to distinguish involuntary Parkinson’s tremors from intentional muscle movement and provide targeted electrical stimulation.
Somatrace – Hyderabad, Telangana: A wearable IoT training tool that measures spinal angles and load during training to help precision-sport athletes and coaches better understand injury risk.
Untethered – Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh: Smart swimming goggles using ultrasonic sensing and haptic feedback to warn visually impaired swimmers as they approach the pool wall.
Taking Solutions to the Next Stage
The Top 20 finalists will now receive continued mentorship from Samsung experts and FITT-IIT Delhi as they prepare for the Grand Finale on October 14 and 15.
The Grand Finale will feature the final pitch presentations, followed by an Investor Meet for all Top 20 teams. The interaction will give the young innovators an opportunity to engage with the startup and investment ecosystem and understand the next steps involvedin developing their solutions further
The competition will culminate in the Winner Announcement and Awards Ceremony. The Top 20 teams will receive a cumulative grant of INR 20 lakh for prototype development, with INR 1 lakh awarded to each team. All 36 participants in the Top 20 will also receive the latest Samsung Galaxy Z Flip smartphone. Four winning teams – one from each theme – will collectively receive an incubation grant of INR 2 crore from Samsung through FITT-IIT Delhi. The incubation support will help the winning teams further develop and validate their solutions while exploring their potential to evolve into market-ready ventures.
The programme will also recognise participants through special awards at the Grand Finale, including the Digital Impact Award of INR 50,000 and two Community Choice Awards of INR 1 lakh each.
Guided by its global CSR vision, “Together for Tomorrow! Enabling People,” Samsung India is committed to empowering young Indians through its focus on Smart Education and Skilling Youth, providing equal access to the knowledge, skills and resources needed toshape a better future.
Find the full list to the Top 20 finalists here
About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Samsung inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, digital signage, smartphones, wearables, tablets, home appliances and network systems, as well as memory, system LSI andfoundry. Samsung is also advancing medical imaging technologies, HVAC solutions and robotics, while creating innovative automotive and audio products through Harman. With its SmartThings ecosystem, open collaboration with partners, and integration of AI acrossits portfolio, Samsung delivers a seamless and intelligent connected experience. For the latest news, please visit the Samsung Newsroom at SamsungCertified Re-Newed Brings Galaxy S26 Series to More Customers
