Winners Announced Across Global Industries
January 15, 2026–Philadelphia, PA–The Business Intelligence Group today announced the winners of the 2026 BIG Innovation Awards, a global recognition program honoring companies, products, and leaders who are transforming industries through applied innovation, intelligent platforms, and measurable real-world impact. This year’s cohort of 159 winners demonstrates how trailblazing organizations are reshaping markets, from health and financial services to logistics, manufacturing, and enterprise technology.
"This year's winners demonstrate that innovation has entered a new accountability era," said Russ Fordyce, Chief Recognition Officer at the Business Intelligence Group. "The 2026 winners are not celebrating experimentation for its own sake. They are operationalizing advanced analytics, automation, and intelligent systems with the discipline of balance sheets and clinical trials. They are not just riding the AI wave, they are architecting the operating models that will define the next decade of global business performance."
Overall Winner 2026 BIG Innovation Awards: Alcon Unity VCS
Alcon, the global leader in eye care, has been recognized as the overall winner in the BIG Innovation Award for its UNITY® Vitreoretinal Cataract System (VCS). UNITY VCS is a combined surgical platform that integrates both cataract and vitreoretinal procedures into one console, eliminating the need to change machines between anterior and posterior surgeries.
The system features breakthrough innovations including advanced fluidics, technology for faster removal of cataracts, and ultra-high-speed cutters for vitreoretinal surgeries. Additional features include real-time monitoring, light exposure limits, ergonomic enhancements, all based on feedback from 2,500+ surgeons and surgical staff.
The result is a more stable, physiological surgical environment that delivers up to 38% faster setup and teardown times and a 16% improvement in overall workflow efficiency gains over the company’s market-leading prior systems.
“At Alcon, our mission is to help people see brilliantly, and that’s why we’ve invested more than $5 billion in research and development (R&D) since 2018,” said Franck Leveiller, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer and Senior Vice President, Global R&D at Alcon. “We are thrilled to be recognized by the BIG Innovation Awards for our transformative surgical platform, UNITY VCS — delivering superior efficiency for vitreoretinal and cataract surgery compared to our previous technologies. Developing this innovation was a huge undertaking by our world class R&D team over the past decade, and involved surgeons and their staff across the globe.”
Innovative Individuals
Brandon Sawalich, President and CEO of Starkey, is the Overall Winner – Individual for his visionary leadership in transforming hearing technology. Under his direction, Starkey launched Omega AI, the most advanced hearing aid on the market, which blends deep neural networks, real-time language translation, health monitoring, and AI assistance. Sawalich’s work has shifted the narrative from hearing aids as medical devices to high-tech wearables that empower users to connect, communicate, and live life to their fullest potential. His focus on innovation, culture, and employee engagement has driven record sales, global expansion, and industry recognition, making Starkey a leader in intelligent health technology.
“Starkey is setting the speed of innovation with advanced hearing technology like Omega AI,” Sawalich said. “To be recognized in this category of innovative individuals is an incredible honor, and I accept this on behalf of our industry-leading team that is redefining what’s possible and transforming lives with intelligent hearing technology.”
- Aditya P Thakur, Salesforce, Inc. – Software
- Andrew Schaap, Aligned Data Centers – Telecommunications
- Brandon Sawalich, Starkey - Health
- Davidson Charles , Citibank NA– Banking and Financial Services
- Dr. Tina P. Srivastava, Badge, Inc. – Software
- Jeff Rushton, Media Resources Inc – Manufacturing
- Joe Depa, EY – Consulting/Professional Services
- Kirsti Racine, TD Bank Group – Banking and Financial Services
- Lukas Haffer, Casca – Banking and Financial Services
- Maksims Volkovs, TD Bank Group – Banking and Financial Services
- Matanya Hanan, DigitalOwl – Insurance
- Mohammed Vaid, Simplify Healthcare – Internet and Technology
- Moshe Morgenstern – Insurance
- Omer Kehat, Revuze – Internet and Technology
- Tim Vanderhook, Viant Technology – Internet and Technology
Innovative Teams
The Paysafe Marketing Team is recognized for transforming banking and financial services marketing with data-driven, customer-centric campaigns. Their innovative approach blends analytics and storytelling to deliver measurable results in acquisition, retention, and engagement, setting a new standard for how fintech brands connect with their audiences.
- Alisa Barber, Chief Marketing Officer
- Lea Iaricci, Director Global Events
- Claire Rudall, Director, Global Affairs
- Haley Malone, Senior Director, Marketing Operations
- Phil Siemens, Senior Manager, B2B Campaign Management
- Nilce Piccinini, Senior Director, Global Public Relations
- Jon Nicolosi, Global Creative Director
- James Ross, Senior Director, Marketing Center of Excellence
- Rosie Elsley, Senior Director, B2C Campaign
- Kyle Sith, Senior Director, Marketing Strategy
“What makes this achievement so meaningful is the collaboration behind it. The Paysafe Marketing team aligned around a clear vision and executed with precision across a global rebranding, experiential marketing campaigns and new initiatives. Our ability to move as one team, at scale, is what powered this transformation and delivered measurable results,” Alisa Barber, Chief Marketing Officer, Paysafe.
- BDO USA’’s Research and AI Development (RAID) Team
- Gavin Martin, Engineer II, Software, Innovation
- Nate Hodges, Sr. Software Engineer, AI
- Steven Wangler, Software Development Manager, AI
- Zak Fay, AI Innovation Manager
- Blue Stream Fiber’s AI Innovation Team
- Joshua Turiano, SVP, AI Strategy & Deployment
- Montana Tuska, Senior Software Developer
- John North, Senior Software Developer
- Brooke Bailey, Manager, Value Creation Program Lead
Innovative Organizations
Hangar A has been named the Overall Winner among Innovative Organizations for its data-rich express delivery platform, which uses artificial intelligence to orchestrate carriers, routes, and service levels for time-critical shipments. Hangar A illustrates the broader “AI in the physical world” trend, where logistics, energy, mobility, and supply chains are re-architected using real-time data and optimization engines.
“Being named the Overall Winner in the Innovative Organization category, alongside some of the world’s most respected enterprises, is a powerful validation of what we’ve built at Hangar A,” said Kevin Kerns, CEO and President of Hangar A. “This recognition reinforces that innovation today is defined by real-world execution, where automation and advanced analytics deliver measurable impact and customer adoption.”
- ACM Research – Manufacturing
- Ali Essa – Streaming RPA through procurement process – Government
- Alorica IQ – Business Services
- Alumni Ventures – Banking and Financial Services
- apexanalytix – Software
- Atlantic.Net – Internet and Technology
- Atombeam Technologies
- Automation Anywhere – Internet and Technology
- Avida Land Corp. – Real Estate
- Bayer’s Ecosystem Services (BES) Business Unit – Agriculture
- CallRevu – Automotive
- BigHand – Software
- BigID – Software
- Blackbaud – Software
- Blackbird.AI – Software
- BlackCloak – Internet and Technology
- Boost Payment Solutions – Banking and Financial Services
- CAA Data – Entertainment and Media
- Cargill – Agriculture
- Casca – Banking and Financial Services
- Clearspeed – Government, Defense, Insurance
- Cotality – Internet and Technology
- Crothall Healthcare – Health
- DeepL – Internet and Technology
- eBay with DeepSights by Market Logic – Software
- Electrify America’s Battery Energy Storage System Initiative – Automotive
- Everseen – Internet and Technology
- Fetcherr – Software
- Filevine – Law
- Freedom Forever – Energy
- Glaukos Corporation – Pharmaceutical
- Helix – Health
- Icertis – Software
- Infosys – Business Services
- Integrity – Insurance
- Intent IQ – Internet and Technology
- Intrado Life & Safety – Telecommunications
- Invisible Technologies – Internet and Technology
- Lenovo International Services Supply Chain – Computer
- Netcracker Technology – Telecommunications
- OncoHost – Health
- Penguin Ai – Internet and Technology
- San Diego Transformation Center – Health
- Simplify Healthcare – Internet and Technology
- SimplifyX – Internet and Technology
- Sinomax USA – Manufacturing
- Stareep – Health
- TD Bank Group – Banking and Financial Services
- Titan Secure - Automotive
Innovative Products
Indovinya and LSU’s AI-Driven Surfactant Design has been named the Overall Winner – Innovative Product for its groundbreaking approach to materials science. By combining advanced generative AI with high-performance computing, this collaboration dramatically accelerates the discovery and optimization of surfactants, reducing experimentation cycles and enabling more sustainable, high-performance formulations. The innovation represents a new frontier in AI-accelerated R&D, demonstrating how intelligent systems can transform traditional research and development processes in the chemical and materials industries.
- ABM Connect™ by ABM – Business Services
- Accountant Connect℠ by ADP – Business Services
- ADP Lyric HCM – Business Services
- Adversa AI Agentic AI Security Platform – Software
- Airrived – Internet and Technology
- Alesta e-PRO FG Black: Axalta’s Fire-Resistant Coating for Battery Assemblies
- Axalta Coating Systems Lumeera 3250 Low Bake Clearcoat
- Axalta Coating Systems Total Cabinet Coating Solution
- Axalta Coating Systems Voltatex 1255 Electrical Steel Coating for Dot-Bonding Processes
- Axalta OEM Low-Bake Integrated Metal Body and Plastics Coatings Technology
- Axalta Premium Waterborne Clearcoat for the Collision Repair Market
- Axis Communications ARTPEC-9
- Badge Inc – Internet and Technology
- beyoutica 1905 – Health
- BioEfficac.AI: Predictive Intelligence for Agrochemical Formulation Innovation – Chemical
- Businessolver – Software
- Capital One Auto, Chat Concierge – Automotive
- Comviva – Banking and Financial Services
- Comviva – Telecommunications
- ContractPodAi’s Leah – Software
- CropVoice by InnerPlant – Agriculture
- D-Fend Solutions’ EnforceAir C-UAS System – Defense
- DailyPay – Defense
- Dassault Systèmes 3DLive – Software
- DEXCARE CD-2 Polymer – Chemical
- DigitalOwl Self-Serve Portal – Law
- Dot by Included Health – Health
- DOWSIL 213S Additive – Chemical
- DOWSIL EG-4175 High-temperature 180°C Resistant Silicone Gel – Chemical
- Dropzone AI SOC Analyst – Software
- enSights – Energy
- Experian Assistant for Model Risk Management – Banking and Financial Services
- EZVIZ 9c Dual 4G Series Camera – Manufacturing
- Fuel iX Fortify by TELUS Digital – Business Services
- Glaukos Corporation Epioxa – Pharmaceutical
- Granite360 by Granite Telecommunications – Telecommunications
- XCharge North America’s GridLink – Automotive
- HGS AMLens – Internet and Technology
- Hyper-Beam Array Lithography System by SecureFoundry – Manufacturing
- IFS.ai – Software
- Innovative VORATRON MA 8300 streamlining battery assembly and integration of EV and ESS – Chemical
- Inspiro iX – Business Services
- Instnt – Banking and Financial Services
- Intent IQ – Internet and Technology
- Lattice MachXO5-NX TDQ FPGA family – Internet and Technology
- Lavazza Group with Stravito AI Personas
- Lexipol’s Performance Reporting – Software
- Manitowoc NEO Ice Machine – Manufacturing
- Mastercard Threat Intelligence – Banking and Financial Services
- Mattermost Enterprise Advanced – Software
- McAfee’s Scam Detector - Software
- ModMed Scribe – Health
- Morse Micro – Internet and Technology
- NETFLY Advantage Suite – Advertising, Marketing, and Public Relations
- NeuShield Data Sentinel – Internet and Technology
- Oversight, Inc. – Software
- PAR Technology’s Coach AI – Food
- ParaScript Embedded Signature Verification Solution – Banking and Financial Services
- Pega Blueprint – Internet and Technology
- Phonak Virto R Infinio – Health
- Prophix One, the Autonomous Finance PlatformI – Software
- Capital One Auto ProtectID – Banking and Financial Services
- Pulse by Fierce – Business Services
- QuickFi Embedded Lending Platform – Banking and Financial Services
- RapidSOS – Telecommunications
- Regenesis Colloidal Activated Carbon Full-Spectrum PFAS Treatment
- RICOH UHL3660 Projector – Internet and Technology
- RUN Powered by ADP with CashFlow Central – Business Services
- Scorpion Convert – Advertising, Marketing, and Public Relations
- ShiftUp Autonomous AI Revenue Intelligence – Software
- Sprinklr AI Agents – Software
- Starkey’s Omega AI – Manufacturing
- SURFONIC H-1040: Redefining Sustainable Cleaning Performance – Chemical
- ThreatModeler Software – Internet and Technology
- Titan Secure - Automotive
- TP.ai FAB
- Union Credit Marketplace – Banking and Financial Services
- Verint Genie Bot - Technology
- Veryon AIRE – Software
- ViantAI – Internet and Technology
- WalkMe Learning Arc – Education
- WEX Claims AI Tool – Health
- Wheels Pool CheckOut – Automotive
- Wolters Kluwer CCH® Tagetik Intelligent Platform with Expert AI – Software
- Yale Lift Truck Technologies - Automotive
- Yseop – Software
What the 2026 Winners Reveal About Innovation
The 2026 BIG Innovation Awards winners show a clear story: innovation is no longer about just having AI, it’s about how you use it. More than one-third of winners put AI at the heart of their story, but it’s not just about being “AI-powered.” The real winners are those who are building platforms, not point solutions; automating workflows, not just analyzing data; and focusing on trust, privacy, and security as core to their mission.
Platforms and ecosystems are winning, with nearly one in four winners framing themselves as infrastructure that lets others build and scale. Automation is the new productivity layer, with winners embedding AI agents and copilots into meetings, lending, logistics, and customer service. Security, identity, and privacy are no longer add-ons, they’re central to the story, with winners prioritizing zero-credential architectures and responsible AI.
Climate resilience is a growing theme, with winners focused on hard outcomes like flood mitigation, climate-risk-aware insurance, and energy efficiency. Fintech and SMB capital access are hot, as AI is used to speed up lending and open up new markets. And in health and well-being, AI is moving from medical necessity to high-tech lifestyle, with devices and platforms that blend care and convenience.
In short, the winners of 2026 are not just innovating, they’re redefining what it means to be innovative: building platforms, automating action, and making trust and resilience the foundation of every breakthrough.
About the BIG Innovation Awards
Since 2014, the BIG Innovation Awards recognize organizations, products, and individuals that bring new ideas to life and change how we experience the world. The program is judged by experienced business executives who evaluate nominations based on measurable performance, responsible implementation, and the ability to shape the future of work and culture.
About Business Intelligence Group
The Business Intelligence Group was founded with the mission of recognizing true talent and superior performance in business. Unlike many recognition programs, these awards are evaluated by business leaders and practitioners who reward programs, products, and people that deliver real, quantifiable excellence rather than marketing narratives.
Contact
Eliana Starbird
Chief Nominations Officer
Business Intelligence Group
+1 909-529-2737
contact@bintelligence.com
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