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Infineon has announced the winners of the Infineon Startup Challenge 2026, focused on key technologies for the next generation of humanoid robots. Following four months of intensive collaboration, development and mentoring, 15 selected startups out of more than 100 applicants presented their solutions at the Infineon Startup Challenge Demo Day, held during the Electronic Based Systems Conference (EBSCON) in Graz, Austria.
The challenge brought together startups from Europe and Asia, investors, industry experts and technology leaders to advance innovation in robotics and physical AI. Participants developed solutions that enable humanoid robots to better perceive and interact with their environment, manipulate objects, and perform precise movements. The winners were selected by an international jury comprising experts from industry, venture capital, startup ecosystems, and technology innovation.
“Strategic collaboration with startups creates a win-win situation, combining novel ideas with industrially proven semiconductor technologies and thereby accelerating innovative, market-ready applications,” said Sören Jehmlich, Vice President Ventures, Startups & Ecosystems at Infineon. “The Startup Challenge is a key pillar of our innovation culture, bringing together entrepreneurial courage, technological expertise and rapid implementation.”
"The quality of innovation we have seen throughout this year's challenge has been remarkable. Startups from Europe and Asia demonstrated how diverse perspectives and technologies can come together to solve some of the most important challenges in humanoid robotics. Programs like the Infineon Startup Challenge are essential for connecting innovators across regions and accelerating the path from breakthrough ideas to real-world impact," highlights Jerry Park, Director Asia Pacific at Infineon.
The winners are shaping the future of humanoid robotics
First place went to AdapTronics S.r.l. from Italy with its innovative gripping technology, which allows robots to safely handle a wide variety of objects without conventional suction cups or mechanical grippers. Such flexible object handling is a key capability for next-generation humanoid robots. The technology also addresses applications in logistics, packaging, and future space-robotics. The jury highlighted its versatility, innovation, and potential for industrial use. “Winning the Infineon Startup Challenge is a great recognition of our team’s work and vision,” said Lorenzo Agostini, Founder and CEO at AdapTronics S.r.l. “The challenge gave us valuable access to technology experts, industry insights and a strong innovation network. We look forward to further advancing our solution and exploring new opportunities for collaboration.”
COSMOKE and TECHiFAB complete the podium
Second place went to COSMOKE from South Korea. The startup developed COSKIN, an innovative flexible magnetic tactile sensing technology that enables humanoid robots to perceive touch, pressure, and physical interactions. By providing essential tactile feedback for dexterous manipulation and safer human robot interaction, COSKIN plays a key role in advancing next-generation humanoid robotics and physical AI.
TECHiFAB from Germany took third place with its In-Memory Computing based approach to real-time motor control for robotic actuators. This is physical AI by definition and is designed to enable faster, more energy-efficient and safer control while improving performance directly within the drive train of humanoid robots.
The solutions presented during the challenge reflect the technologies required for the next generation of humanoid robots, from tactile sensing to dexterous gripping and precise motor control. To support the startups in developing and validating their concepts, Infineon provided access to dedicated hardware and software platforms, including Environmental Sensing Kits, Artificial Skin Kits, Motor Control Kits, Visual Feedback Kits, and in-house AI development software, enabling teams to accelerate prototyping and transform innovative ideas into scalable applications.
“Humanoid robots are the most complex form of physical AI and highly relevant for Infineon," said Dirk Geiger, Senior Director & Team Lead Humanoid Robotics at Infineon. “They combine power, sensing, real-time connectivity, safety and security with software and AI compute, turning machines into autonomous systems. No single company can master this complexity alone. With the Startup Challenge, we gave startups early access to our hardware stack as well as our software and system offering and brought them together with our partners and application experts. The solutions shown prove how quickly ideas can become building blocks for scalable humanoid platforms and give valuable insight into where the technology is heading."
The Infineon Startup Challenge is part of the global Infineon Startup Co-Innovation Program, in which Infineon collaborates with startups as a technology and development partner. As the winner of the Infineon Startup Challenge 2026, AdapTronics will now join the Infineon Startup Co-Innovation Program to further develop and scale its solution together with Infineon. The collaboration will officially kick off at the Startup Night in Munich in November, where Infineon showcases successful startup partnerships and highlights the value of startup-driven innovation. Infineon continues to engage with other promising participants for future technological and business collaboration. By combining the agility and creativity of startups with Infineon’s technological expertise and global capabilities, the program supports the development of scalable applications and accelerates innovation in humanoid robotics and physical AI.
