It’s undeniable that AI has dominated discourse across the tech sector and startup community in 2025. Throughout the year, we saw power moves from incumbent tech companies, allocating billions of dollars to accelerate their respective lead in AI-powered solutions through bespoke development and strategic acquisitions.
In June 2025, Meta invested $14 billion to acquire a 49% stake in data labeling startup Scale AI. Meanwhile, the insatiable demand for disruptive AI solutions saw US chip giant NVIDIA rapidly move from a niche graphics-chip designer to becoming the first company in the world to reach a market value of $5 trillion in 2025.
Yet this doesn’t mean that startups have been left out of the picture. Seed investors poured money into early-stage startups at an incredible rate. Crunchbase data found that 42% of all global seed funding in 2025 was allocated to AI-focused categories, up 30% from in 2024.
The landscape for AI startups is transforming at an unprecedented pace as 2026 approaches. A wave of innovation is sweeping across the globe, driven by record-breaking investment, bold entrepreneurs, and a hunger for industry-specific solutions. Startups are no longer limited to Silicon Valley or traditional tech hubs, with new players emerging from Europe, Asia, and beyond.
As we approach the cusp of the new year, the next wave of AI innovation will be driven by agile startups with founders who pivot upon this robust infrastructure to deliver a range of industry tools and unique applications that cater to the needs and pain points of specific industry use cases.
1. Ibrahim Hasanov, Founder of MyUser
As the Founder of MyUser, Hasanov is the mind behind the AI-powered platform designed to make B2B sales effortless.
At the core of MyUser is an intelligent AI engine that automates everything from finding leads, creating hyper-personalized emails, and answering questions to booking meetings and even building landing pages. There’s no setup, no mailbox management, and no technical expertise required. Businesses just chat with the AI, and it handles the rest, autonomously and at scale.
The company is on a mission to change how businesses grow by making high-quality customer acquisition accessible to anyone with a marketing budget. The platform is built for startups, SMBs, and enterprises looking to supercharge their outreach efforts without the overhead of a traditional sales process.
2. Daniel Domingues, Founder of Planno
Daniel Domingues is the founder of Planno, an AI-powered software developed by solar developers for solar developers. Born and raised in Portugal, he has spent the last decade in the Middle East and is currently based in Dubai, UAE.
With an MSc in Civil Engineering and years of experience in the solar industry, Domingues knows how much time teams lose trying to identify the right opportunities. He founded to Planno to solve this by combining geospatial AI with third-party market insights, turning months of manual research into hours of actionable intelligence.
Planno is the first AI-powered prospecting platform for solar companies to identify and pre-qualify commercial and industrial rooftop opportunities faster, easier, and at scale. Through its proprietary technology and a growing list of strategic global clients, the company is helping to accelerate the transition to renewable energy by uncovering ideal locations for solar adoption that don’t require high upfront investments.
3. Manuela Gutierrez, Director at 360 Health Data
Manuela Gutierrez has over 10 years of experience in the software industry, specializing in client management, visual design, and UI/UX. She has a proven track record of collaborating with international entrepreneurs to create and develop initiatives in Colombia, particularly in healthcare software and clinical trial studies. Gutierrez is skilled in managing complex projects from inception to completion, ensuring timely delivery while maintaining strong client relationships.
A close group of industry veterans launched 360 Health Data to create a bespoke resource platform that connects Spanish-speaking clinicians in Latin America with high-quality medical knowledge. This will empower healthcare professionals across South America by harnessing the vast potential of scientific research and Real-World Evidence (RWE), providing up-to-date journal articles on all relevant disease areas and comprehensive information on pharmaceuticals and other treatments.
4. Julian Ahrends, Chief Technology Officer at ADvendio
As the Chief Technology Officer at ADvendio, Julian Ahrends leads a global team of professionals who provide innovative and scalable CRM and order management solutions for the media and advertising industry. With over 17 years of experience in the Salesforce ecosystem, Julian has successfully delivered multiple solutions for clients across various regions and sectors, leveraging his advertising industry knowledge and expertise.
Earlier roles include positions at Fujitsu Siemens Computers and Siemens AG, with foundational experience as a retail merchant at Sondermann’s Mode & Textilien. Julian Ahrends holds a degree in Business Information Systems from Hochschule Wismar.
His mission is to help media and advertising businesses optimize their processes, enhance performance, and increase revenue with ADvendio’s cloud-based software.
5. Deepti Juturu, Co-Founder of Prezent AI
Deepti Juturu leads Customer Success and Service Delivery at Prezent, focusing on driving long-term client impact. With a deep understanding of executive communication needs, she ensures every customer interaction reflects the company’s mission of democratizing business communication. Before joining Prezent, Deepti founded Prezentium, a high-growth firm delivering overnight business presentations for Fortune 2000 companies.
Her leadership helped scale the business rapidly and earned her recognition in Silicon Valley Business Journal’s “40 Under 40.” Deepti’s professional journey spans roles at Genentech, McKinsey & Company, and ZS Associates, where she led cross-functional teams and brought analytical rigor to marketing and communication strategy. She holds an MBA from The Wharton School and a B.S. in Industrial Engineering with a minor in Computer Science from Northwestern University. Deepti is also committed to social impact, aligning business success with purpose through charitable initiatives supporting children in need.
6. Nate MacLeitch, CEO at Quickblox
Nate MacLeitch, a seasoned business professional boasting over two decades of diverse industry experience, including telecom, media, software, and technology, was drawn into the realm of digital communication solutions in the early 2010s. Recognizing the fading relevance of older communication methods with the advent of smartphones and app stores, he envisioned a future where communication would be dynamic, convenient, media-rich, and cost-effective.
Teaming up with seasoned developers, they forged a path to revolutionize mobile applications with SDKs and APIs, enabling features like chat, video calling, file sharing, and push notifications. This venture bloomed into QuickBlox, of which Nate became the proud sole owner and CEO in July 2018.
Since then, Nate has been at the helm, diligently reshaping the company, assembling a top-notch team of developers and operational managers, and strengthening operations in the UK. Their customer base has swelled to over 500 worldwide, a testament to the appeal of QuickBlox’s offerings.
Furthermore, the company has broadened its product portfolio, venturing into ready-made solutions. In 2020, they introduced Q-Consultation, a private video calling app with virtual meeting rooms and instant messaging. In 2023, QuickBlox unveiled Q-Consultation Lite, a streamlined version of the original, providing pre-built chat apps complete with user interfaces. Presently, they’re forging ahead with a suite of cutting-edge AI-enhanced communication tools and integrations.
7. Brandon Tobman, CEO of Get Covered
Brandon Tobman is the Chief Executive Officer of Get Covered, an insurance technology company transforming how property managers, insurance providers, and residents connect across the multifamily housing industry. Under his leadership, Get Covered has become a leading bridge between real estate and insurance, delivering innovative software solutions that simplify policy management, compliance, and customer experience.
A technologist and entrepreneur at heart, Brandon has spent his career leveraging technology to drive efficiency and impact. From building computers in high school to serving as CTO for large-scale enterprises, his focus has always been on creating scalable systems that solve real-world problems. His work at Get Covered reflects that same vision — developing a platform that makes buying, selling, and managing insurance products seamless, transparent, and touchless.
Beyond his professional endeavors, Brandon is passionate about mentorship and dedicates time to guiding high school and college students interested in technology, entrepreneurship, and innovation.
8. Mike Hoey, Founder of Source Meridian
Mike Hoey is the Founder and Owner of Source Meridian, a software development company that specializes in life science, big data, business intelligence and machine learning solutions running on commercial clouds.
His company’s mission is to provide its customers with early access to cutting-edge technologies, helping their clients to maintain their competitive advantages in the marketplace.
Source Meridian includes a staff of international software engineers and data scientists and has offices in the US and Colombia. Mike Hoey, has long been praised for his mentorship of colleagues.
In addition to leading Source Meridian, Mike serves as a Mentor at various prestigious institutions, including Techstars, Universidad de Medellín, Orion Startups at Tecnológico de Monterrey, Cambridge University Entrepreneurs, and the Yale Entrepreneurial Society.
9. Dr. Rankit Tinaikar, CEO of Ness Digital Engineering
Ranjit Tinaikar is the CEO of Ness Digital Engineering, an innovator in AI and one of the world’s leading development firms.
With over 30 years of experience in the technology services sector, he has built a distinguished career driving growth and innovation across global businesses. He is an expert in software engineering productivity, recognized for pioneering advancements that optimize development processes and accelerate results.
Recently, he spearheaded a new approach at Ness called Intelligent Engineering, which leverages AI and cutting-edge technology to transform software development practices.
Having worked on both the demand side with CTOs to address strategic technology challenges and the supply side with service providers to deliver impactful solutions, he brings a unique perspective to his role. He earlier founded the Lean Software Development practice at McKinsey, where he led initiatives to streamline engineering processes and improve efficiency.
10. Milad Geravand, Co-Founder and CEO of Deep Care
Dr. Milad Geravand is the co-founder and CEO of Deep Care GmbH, a healthtech startup based in Ludwigsburg, Germany. With a background in robotics and engineering, he held research positions at the Technical University of Munich and the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation.
Before founding Deep Care, he also worked at Bosch Engineering, focusing on robotics software development. At Deep Care, he leads the development of AI-powered solutions to enhance workplace health and prevention. With its award-winning digital health assistant Isa, and growing adoption across Europe (by over 230 organizations and major health insurers), Deep Care is rapidly scaling to become a global leader in intelligent, preventive healthcare.
The company’s AI-supported resilience coach was recognized as a CES Innovation Awards 2026 Honoree in the digital health category.
