ABB, together with SynerLeap, its open innovation platform, has announced Wasome as the winner of the ABB Startup Challenge China 2026 – the solution will make automation engineering faster, simpler, and more accessible. Hosted for the first time in China, the challenge is now in its seventh year.
ABB experts will directly work with Wasome to create a market-ready solution with the opportunity to launch it for ABB’s customers and partners.
The winner is awarded with a 200,000 CNY project prize and will be supported by SynerLeap to boost their growth and visibility.
The competition invited innovative startups to explore how AI-powered solutions could act as technical experts, supporting engineers in their daily tasks from automation system programming and commissioning to troubleshooting and maintenance.
“At ABB, open innovation is at the core of how we operate. By partnering with startups that bring bold ideas and fresh perspectives, we can continuously unlock new possibilities and deliver even greater value to our customers with China speed,” said Tuomo Hoysniemi, Division President, ABB Drive Products. “Bringing the challenge to China was deliberate, because the innovation in the local startup ecosystem is remarkable. We see enormous potential in partnering with these startups to co-develop solutions that address customer needs and can scale locally and globally.”
This year’s challenge attracted strong interest from startups across China, out of which seven finalists pitched their solutions in Nanjing. ABB will actively explore ways to collaborate with all shortlisted companies.
The challenge reflects ABB’s continued commitment to open innovation – partnering with startups to develop solutions that lower the barriers to industrial automation, making expert-level capabilities more accessible, and helping customers run leaner and smarter.
