Medium-sized businesses don't get enough credit. They're too small for the resources that enterprises take for granted, too large for the scrappiness that defines startups. Yet somehow, the best companies at this scale find ways to innovate that neither giants nor startups can match.
The 2026 winners of the Top 10 Innovator - Medium-sized Business category from the BIG Innovation Awards exemplify this perfectly. These companies identified problems that required both significant technical capability and operational flexibility. Then they actually solved them.
From Electrify America deploying over 170 battery energy storage systems to enable EV charging where the grid can't support it, to Veryon building an aviation AI-driven data intelligence platform trained on 80 million maintenance events, to D-Fend Solutions delivering precise non-kinetic RF cyber-based counter-drone technology - these winners are operating in spaces that demand innovation.
I've watched companies at every stage try to find their competitive advantage. Medium-sized businesses that win typically do so by being more specialized, more focused, and more willing to tackle complex problems that others avoid. These winners prove that thesis.
About the BIG Innovation Awards Medium-Sized Business Category
The Top 10 Innovator - Medium-sized Business category recognizes organizations with approximately 100-499 employees that demonstrate exceptional innovation in specialized markets. These companies combine technical expertise with operational flexibility, enabling them to solve complex problems that require both capability and agility. Winners are selected through Business Intelligence Group's transparent, crowd-sourced judging process. The 2026 program received nominations spanning automotive, telecommunications, software, defense, pharmaceutical, technology, and environmental sectors.
Award Designation Context:
- Winner: Top 10 performers across product and organizational categories
- Product: Specific product or solution innovation
- Organization: Company-wide innovation or operational transformation
2026 Top 10 Innovator - Medium-Sized Business Winners at a Glance
Measurable Innovation Impact
The 2026 medium-sized business winners delivered quantifiable results across infrastructure, safety, and operations:
- EV Infrastructure: Electrify America deployed 170+ battery energy storage systems nationwide enabling hyper-fast charging
- Emergency Response: RapidSOS serves 600M devices, 210+ enterprises, 22,000+ public safety agencies
- Aviation Efficiency: Veryon AIRE trained on 80M+ maintenance events, 1.3M+ parts, 2M+ chronic defects
- Supply Chain: Lenovo AI FRU Finder achieves 99.9% accuracy, 5-second part identification, $940K annual savings
- Retail Protection: Everseen deployed across 120,000 checkouts and 8,000 stores worldwide
- Environmental: Regenesis CAC eliminates decades of costly PFAS pumping and waste disposal
- FDA Approval: Epioxa first and only FDA-approved epithelium-on corneal treatment for keratoconus
Enabling EV Charging Everywhere
Electrify America Battery Energy Storage System Initiative - Winner
Innovation: Battery Energy Storage System Network
Industry: Automotive (EV Charging Infrastructure)
Key Leader: Jigar Shah
Impact: 170+ BESS deployments enabling hyper-fast charging where grid capacity is limited
Limited grid capacity is one of EV charging's biggest challenges, but Jigar Shah and Electrify America's battery energy storage system (BESS) rollout makes hyper-fast charging possible where the grid alone may not support it. By storing energy off-peak and discharging when demand is high, the over 170 BESS deployments on the network nationwide are helping enable wider EV adoption by expanding access to EV charging. That's infrastructure innovation that actually removes barriers.
Learn more: Electrify America
Mission-Critical Intelligence for First Responders
RapidSOS - Winner
Innovation: Public Safety AI Platform
Industry: Telecommunications (Emergency Services)
Key Leader: Michael Martin, Founder and CEO
Impact: 600M devices, 210+ enterprises, 22,000+ public safety agencies connected
Michael Martin and RapidSOS created the public safety AI company unlocking mission-critical intelligence for first responders and security teams, enabling faster, smarter emergency response. Real-time data from 600 million devices, 210+ global enterprises, and 22,000+ public safety agencies fuel its HARMONY AI engine, making the network stronger, the AI smarter, and communities safer. When seconds matter, this intelligence saves lives.
Learn more: RapidSOS
Aviation Reliability Through Predictive AI Insights
Veryon AIRE - Winner
Innovation: Aviation Predictive Maintenance AI
Industry: Software (Aviation)
Key Leader: Veryon Team
Impact: 80M+ maintenance events, 1.3M+ parts data, predictive precision
The Veryon Team built Veryon AIRE to set a new standard for aviation reliability and uptime with predictive maintenance intelligence and conversational AI. Built on real aircraft data and trained on 80M+ maintenance events, 1.3M+ parts, and 2M+ chronic defects, Veryon AIRE empowers operators to move from reactive fixes to predictive precision across their fleets. That's AI actually preventing problems before they ground aircraft.
Learn more: Veryon
Non-Kinetic Drone Defense
D-Fend Solutions EnforceAir C-UAS System - Winner
Innovation: Counter-UAS RF-Cyber Technology
Industry: Defense (Airspace Security)
Key Leaders: Zohar Halachmi (Chairman & CEO), Yaniv Benbenisti (President & CPO), Assaf Monsa (CTO)
Impact: Precise, non-kinetic, RF cyber drone control; cyber-driven, multilayer, AI-enhanced counter-drone takeover technology
Zohar Halachmi, Yaniv Benbenisti, and Assaf Monsa built D-Fend Solutions' EnforceAir as a game-changing C-UAS system, delivering precise, non-kinetic RF-cyber counter-drone technology that takes control of rogue drones and guides them to safe landings without collateral damage. EnforceAir PLUS delivers holistic, escalating cyber-driven, multilayer, AI-enhanced counter-drone defense combining foundational RF-cyber detection and takeover with, auto-calibrated radar detection, and optional smart jamming mitigation in a compact, integrated solution, redefining safety and operational continuity for security operators, critical infrastructure, and mission-critical environments in today's complex airspace.
Learn more: D-Fend Solutions
Breakthrough Eye Disease Treatment
Epioxa - Winner
Innovation: FDA-Approved Keratoconus Treatment
Industry: Pharmaceutical (Ophthalmology)
Key Leader: Thomas W. Burns
Impact: First and only epithelium-on treatment, enables earlier intervention
The teambehind Epioxa created the first and only FDA-approved epithelium-on oxygen-enriched, corneal collagen cross-linking treatment for keratoconus - a progressive eye disease that causes irreversible vision loss if untreated. Epioxa enables earlier treatment without waiting to confirm progression.
Learn more: Glaukos
AI Transforming Supply Chain Efficiency
Lenovo International Services Supply Chain - Winner
Innovation: AI FRU Finder
Industry: Computer (Supply Chain)
Key Leader: Geilin Gao
Impact: 99.9% accuracy, 5-second identification, $940K annual savings
Lenovo AI FRU (Field Replaceable Unit) Finder revolutionizes parts identification by leveraging advanced AI and LLM-based zero-shot learning on a BOM (Bill Of Materials) Graph. It dramatically reduces part search time from 1 minute to 5 seconds, slashes the wrong order rate from 1.8% to 0.2%, and achieves 99.99% accuracy. This transformation eliminates manual dependency and delivers over $940K in annual cost avoidance, proving its strategic value in modernizing operational workflows.
Learn more: Lenovo
Vision AI Protecting Retail
Everseen - Winner
Innovation: Vision AI Loss Prevention
Industry: Technology (Retail AI)
Key Leader: Joe White, CEO
Impact: 120,000 checkouts, 8,000 stores, millions saved monthly
Joe White and Everseen are transforming retail with vision AI, helping the world's largest retailers save millions of dollars every month. Deployed across 120,000 checkouts and 8,000 stores worldwide, their solutions detect and prevent loss in real time - reducing shrink, improving operational efficiency, and elevating the customer experience. Retail theft is a massive problem; this actually solves it.
Learn more: Everseen
Pioneering Eye Disease Therapies
Glaukos Corporation - Winner
Innovation: Sight-Threatening Disease Treatment Portfolio
Industry: Pharmaceutical (Ophthalmology)
Key Leader: Thomas W. Burns
Impact: New treatment paradigms for glaucoma, corneal disease, retinal disorders
Glaukos is transforming how the world treats sight-threatening chronic eye diseases. With a "We'll Go First" approach, the company pioneers breakthrough procedural and pharmaceutical therapies for glaucoma, corneal disease, and retinal disorders, building entirely new treatment paradigms that improve outcomes, reduce medication burden, and redefine what's possible in eye care.
Learn more: Glaukos Corporation
PFAS Remediation Revolution
Regenesis Colloidal Activated Carbon Full-Spectrum PFAS Treatment - Winner
Innovation: Colloidal Activated Carbon PFAS Treatment
Industry: Environmental (Groundwater Remediation)
Key Leader: Scott Wilson
Impact: Eliminates decades of pumping, provides rapid long-term protection
Scott Wilson and Regenesis developed Colloidal Activated Carbon (CAC) that's reshaping the future of groundwater remediation. CAC instantly captures PFAS with microscopic carbon particles that coat aquifer surfaces to create an immediate in-situ filtration barrier. This innovation eliminates decades of costly pumping along with dangerous and costly PFAS waste disposal, providing rapid, long-term protection for communities and ecosystems worldwide. "Forever chemicals" finally meet their match.
Learn more: Regenesis
Programmatic Advertising Intelligence
ViantAI 2.0 - Winner
Innovation: AI-Driven Programmatic Advertising Platform
Industry: Technology (AdTech)
Key Leader: Tim Vanderhook, CEO and Co-Founder
Impact: Seamless AI planning, automated buying, real-time optimization
Tim Vanderhook and Viant Technology built ViantAI 2.0 as programmatic advertising's smartest AI platform that keeps advancing. ViantAI unites AI-driven planning, automated buying, and real-time optimization into one seamless workflow. With new capabilities like Export to DSP, Dynamic Data Ingestion, Threads, and AI Measurement, ViantAI empowers marketers to work faster, plan smarter, and optimize campaigns with unprecedented accuracy.
Learn more: Viant Technology
What These Medium-Sized Business Innovators Share
Looking across these medium-sized business winners, a clear pattern emerges: specialization. These companies didn't try to solve everything for everyone. Instead, they went deep on specific, complex problems. RapidSOS focused on emergency response data. Veryon specialized in aviation maintenance software. Regenesis tackled PFAS remediation. D-Fend Solutions mastered RF-cyber counterdrone defense.
That focus allowed them to build genuine expertise and deliver solutions that actually work. The measurable results speak for themselves - 99.9% accuracy, $940K savings, 170 deployments, 120,000 checkouts. These aren't vanity metrics. They're proof of real value delivered.
Having worked with companies at various scales, I've seen how medium-sized businesses can either thrive through focus or struggle through trying to compete broadly. These winners chose focus, and it paid off.
Frequently Asked Questions
What defines a "Medium-Sized Business" in the BIG Innovation Awards?
The Medium-Sized Business category recognizes organizations with approximately 100-499 employees. These companies typically operate in specialized markets where technical expertise and operational flexibility create competitive advantages.
How does Electrify America's battery energy storage system enable EV charging?
Electrify America's BESS stores electricity during off-peak hours when demand and cost are low, then discharges that stored energy during high-demand charging sessions. This enables hyper-fast EV charging even in locations where the electrical grid alone cannot support the power requirements, removing a major barrier to EV adoption.
What makes Veryon AIRE's aviation AI unique?
Veryon AIRE is trained on real aircraft maintenance data, including 80 million+ maintenance events, 1.3 million+ parts, and 2 million+ chronic defects. This comprehensive training enables predictive maintenance recommendations that help operators prevent issues before they cause aircraft downtime, moving from reactive fixes to predictive precision.
How does D-Fend Solutions' EnforceAir control drones without kinetic force?
EnforceAir uses precise RF-cyber takeover technology to safely take control of rogue drones without kinetic interception (shooting them down). This non-kinetic approach prevents collateral damage while neutralizing drone threats to critical infrastructure and sensitive airspace.
What is PFAS and why is Regenesis's treatment important?
PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are "forever chemicals" that persist in the environment and accumulate in human bodies, causing serious health concerns. Regenesis's Colloidal Activated Carbon treatment provides rapid, long-term groundwater protection by creating an in-situ filtration barrier, eliminating the need for decades of costly pumping and hazardous waste disposal.
How accurate is Lenovo's AI FRU Finder?
Lenovo's AI FRU Finder achieves 99.9% accuracy in part identification while completing the process in just 5 seconds. This precision eliminates manual errors in warranty repairs and has generated $940K in annual savings for Lenovo's International Services Supply Chain.
Related Topics and Technologies
This article covers medium-sized business innovation across multiple domains: electric vehicle charging infrastructure, battery energy storage systems, public safety AI and emergency response, aviation predictive maintenance, counter-drone defense systems, ophthalmology pharmaceutical development, supply chain AI and parts management, retail loss prevention, environmental remediation, and programmatic advertising technology.
Key technologies discussed include: battery energy storage systems (BESS), artificial intelligence platforms, machine learning for predictive maintenance, RF-cyber drone control, FDA-approved pharmaceutical treatments, zero-shot large language models, computer vision AI, colloidal activated carbon, PFAS remediation, and AI-driven advertising optimization.
These medium-sized business innovators prove that focus beats breadth. By going deep on complex problems in specialized markets, they've built solutions that neither startups nor enterprises could match.