Did you enter the US50?
Well, it’s been a few weeks coming and we know all our entrants have been on the edge of their seats…
TechRound is excited to officially announce the winners of our US50 2026!
Founded in 2016, TechRound is the UK’s best-known and fastest-growing startup and tech news site. This is where decision-makers, investors and startups of all sizes and nature come to find out the latest developments and trends within the industry.
See the Top 50 List
Top 50 – See Here >>
Top 40 – See Here >>
Top 30 – See Here >>
Top 20 – See Here >>
Top 10 – See Here >>
Who Ranked Number 1? – See Here >>
Feedback From The Judges
The standout theme this year was AI applied to industries that resist software rather than AI applied to software itself. Construction was the clearest example: Buildots, Primepoint, Trayd and Spacial each solved a specific, unglamorous, expensive problem and had customers to prove it. The deep-tech entries were exceptional: SandboxAQ’s $500M CHIPS award, Sakuu’s dry-printed battery electrodes and memQ’s quantum networking are genuinely hard science. The best entries led with evidence. My favourite of the whole field was ShieldCart, two non-engineers built a checkout that quietly protects a parent with dementia. Small, early, and the most humane idea here.
Usman Adekunle Balogun, Co-Founder of Cardtonic & Breet; Board Governor, Sporting Clube de Esmoriz (SC Esmoriz)
The entries I rated highest were rarely the biggest. They were the ones where a founder had learned something expensive and visibly changed course because of it. Maestra rebuilt its business model after finding customers used a third of the product. Winventory ran the service by hand before writing any code. Drata spoke to dozens of companies and auditors before writing a line, then refused to sell until it had used the product itself. Trayd and Go X paired that instinct with commercial clarity. I marked down inflated traction, and rewarded founders honest about what they had not proved.
Subomi Oluwalana, Engineering Leader and Entrepreneur, Founder and CEO of Convoy
Evaluating the US50 contenders reveals two transformative market forces redefining American industry.
First, there is a striking concentration in organizing construction. Innovators are digitizing the physical built environment through AI schedule analytics, computer vision jobsite tracking, automated trade payroll, and 3D reality capture, turning fragmented site data into measurable operational predictability.
Separately, enterprise AI has decisively matured from experimental copilots into mission-critical infrastructure. Standout entrants deploy autonomous multi-agent orchestration, continuous compliance governance, real-time log telemetry, and governed financial data layers.
Together, these 50 finalists demonstrate defensible, high-ROI solutions tackling massive productivity bottlenecks across America’s physical and digital economies.
Furkat Kasimov, Tech Entrepreneur, Venture Studio Founder
I was impressed by the range and practical ambition across this year’s entries. The strongest companies paired a clearly defined problem with credible evidence of adoption, measurable outcomes, and a defensible route to scale. SandboxAQ stood out for me for applying quantitative AI to difficult scientific and national-security problems, while Sakuu’s dry-printed battery platform showed exceptional industrial and environmental potential. Rogervoice combined mature technology with meaningful accessibility impact, and Dexory demonstrated how robotics and AI can improve critical supply chains at scale. I also liked the human-centred thinking behind Kalogon, Foyer, and Sage Haven. Overall, the best entries used technology to create durable customer value, not simply to follow a trend.
Kayode Tayo Faturoti, Co-Founder of Cardtonic, Breet & Homevy; Chief AI Officer, Liners
This round of US50 entries was exceptionally strong. The standouts made their case quickly and clearly: what they do, who they serve, and the size of the opportunity. They articulated specific market value backed by real traction and credible validation. Most importantly, they represent some of the most compelling technology being built in and for the U.S. today – teams solving hard problems with clear use cases, differentiated products, and disciplined execution. These are founders platforms with the potential to reshape how industries operate over the next decade.
Jeffrey Herzog, Founder and CEO of Avenue Z
I was genuinely impressed by the range and quality of this year’s entries, particularly how many founders used ambitious technology to solve meaningful, everyday problems. The strongest submissions paired originality with convincing evidence of execution, customer demand and potential for lasting impact. SandboxAQ, Aveta Biomics, Rogervoice, Dexory and Sakuu were especially memorable for combining technical depth with clear commercial or societal value. Go X and memQ also stood out for bold, genuinely differentiated innovation. I appreciated the practical, customer-focused thinking behind Yuka, Hospitable, Trayd and Pie. I ranked several companies 51 because the selected entries demonstrated stronger traction and credible scalability.
Emmanuel Olarewaju David, CTO at ProtonLabs Technology Inc.
This year’s US50 entries have made one thing clear: impactful innovation is happening in every corner of the country. I specifically chose companies that reflect this breadth, those targeting real-world progress across construction, healthcare, fintech, sustainability and accessibility for all.
The standouts were companies with results to prove their impact: Buildots cutting project delays from 37% to 14%, Rogervoice enabling over 12 million captioned calls for deaf Americans, and Sakuu’s battery manufacturing breakthrough reducing CO2 emissions by 55%. Aveta Biomics entering Phase 3 cancer trials was also a noteworthy highlight.
The best entries for me did more than just innovate for its own sake; they tackled problems that move the needle for everyday people and the US economy at large.
Les-leigh A, Content and Marketing Executive at TechRound
Thank You To Our Judges
Usman Adekunle Balogun
Co-Founder of Cardtonic & Breet; Board Governor, Sporting Clube de Esmoriz (SC Esmoriz)
Usman Balogun is a fintech executive and financial infrastructure strategist with deep expertise in treasury, compliance, and capital allocation. As Co-Founder and former Chief Financial Officer of Cardtonic, he built the treasury systems and unit economics that scaled a $10,000 bootstrapped startup into a platform processing over $100M across Africa.
He is Co-Founder and Managing Director of Breet, where he led the cross-border compliance architecture behind its payment rails, which has processed over $1B. Beyond fintech, he founded Tonic FC and holds a controlling stake in Portuguese club Sporting Clube de Esmoriz, building a compliant football talent pipeline between West Africa and Europe. He’s a member of the Forbes Technology Council. Having scaled a bootstrapped startup into a high-volume platform, he evaluates startups on the fundamentals that decide whether they last: unit economics, compliance, and operational discipline.
Read more about Usman and what he’s looking out for in US50 entrants here.
Subomi Oluwalana
Engineering Leader and Entrepreneur, Founder and CEO of Convoy
Oluwalana Olasubomi is the Founder and CEO of Convoy, an enterprise webhook gateway used by engineering teams to manage reliable event delivery at scale, with an open-source core adopted across fintech, healthcare, and developer-tools companies. Alongside his role as CEO, he remains directly involved in Convoy’s product and engineering decisions. He also works as a Forward Deployed Engineer at Speakeasy, helping enterprises integrate and deploy AI systems, including the governance of AI agents and MCP servers within their internal environments.
His background spans distributed systems, API infrastructure, and developer tooling, and he regularly evaluates early-stage and growth-stage technology products from both a technical and commercial standpoint. This combination of building infrastructure and deploying it directly inside enterprise environments informs his perspective as a judge.
Read more about Subomi and what he’s looking out for in US50 entrants here.
Furkat Kasimov
Tech Entrepreneur, Venture Studio Founder
Furkat Kasimov, is an angel investor with over 20 years of experience building, scaling, and advising technology companies. As an angel investor who has backed several unicorns, he has a keen eye for companies with high-growth potential.
Read more about Furkat and what he’s looking out for in US50 entrants here.
Kayode Tayo Faturoti
Co-Founder of Cardtonic, Breet & Homevy; Chief AI Officer, Liners
Kayode Faturoti is a technology entrepreneur, software engineer, and product architect with over ten years designing and scaling high-volume digital platforms across fintech, proptech, and artificial intelligence. As Co-Founder and Chief Product Architect of Cardtonic, he bootstrapped the platform to more than two million users and over $100M in transaction volume before raising external capital.
He also built Breet, Africa’s first automated crypto off-ramp platform; the Dubai proptech firm Homevy; and Liners, a software directory run by autonomous AI agents. He’s a member of the Forbes Technology Council & Fast Company Executive Board. Having built across fintech, proptech, and AI, he brings a builder’s eye for which early-stage companies can turn a product into real demand.
Read more about Kayode and what he’s looking out for in US50 entrants here.
Omar Hafez
Founder and CEO, Think Big Technology
Omar Hafez is a technology entrepreneur, AI strategist, and founder of Think Big Technology, where he helps startups and enterprises transform complex ideas into scalable software and AI-powered products. He also serves as Head of AI Innovation at FireDesign.ai, an AI company modernizing engineering workflows through automation and intelligent design systems.
Over the past several years, Omar has led the development of platforms across construction technology, enterprise software, and artificial intelligence, working with organizations ranging from early-stage startups to established businesses. His experience spans product strategy, software architecture, fundraising support, and go-to-market execution, giving him a practical understanding of what separates promising ideas from businesses capable of achieving long-term success.
Beyond building companies, Omar is a member of the Forbes Council and Fast Company Executive Board, where he regularly contributes thought leadership on AI, innovation, and entrepreneurship. His work has been featured in leading business and technology publications, and he is an active mentor and advocate for founders navigating product development and growth. As a US50 judge, Omar brings a balanced perspective that combines technical expertise with commercial execution. He is particularly interested in founders who solve meaningful problems, demonstrate strong customer validation, and pair ambitious vision with the discipline required to build enduring companies.
Read more about Omar and what he’s looking out for in US50 entrants here.
Jeffrey Herzog
Founder and CEO of Avenue Z
Jeffrey Herzog is the Founder and CEO of Avenue Z, a digital marketing and PR company leading the next wave in AI Search and the Creator Economy. An original pioneer of search marketing, he has built a track record of founding, funding, and acquiring innovative companies at the intersection of marketing and technology.
Recognized by ADWEEK’s AI Power 50, PRovoke’s Innovator 25, Startup of the Year, and Forbes’ Best Startup Employers, he now leads Avenue Z in helping brands win AI search, grow revenue, and build reputation through PR and digital marketing engineered to move fast.
Read more about Jeff Herzog and what he’s looking out for in US50 entrants here.
Emmanuel Olarewaju David
CTO at ProtonLabs Technology Inc.
Emmanuel Olarewaju David is a software engineer, AI entrepreneur, and Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of ProtonLabs Technology, a UK-based company building practical AI solutions that simplify complex workflows and enhance productivity. He holds a master’s degree in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Manchester.
At ProtonLabs, Emmanuel has spearheaded the development of a growing portfolio of AI products that have collectively attracted over 5 million users, including more than 3 million registered users worldwide. He also led the development of the AskYourPDF Research Assistant, one of the most widely used productivity tools on ChatGPT. He brings to the judging panel strong technical expertise, entrepreneurial insight, product leadership, and a commitment to building accessible, high-impact technology.
Read more about Emmanuel Olarewaju David and what he’s looking out for in US50 entrants here.
Les-leigh A
Content and Marketing Executive at TechRound
Les-Leigh is a writer and digital marketing specialist with experience across B2B SaaS, technology, healthcare, recruitment and education. With a background in marketing strategy, content and design, she has worked with startups and established companies in the UK and United States, producing research-driven editorials, features and digital campaigns. Her work explores the ideas, businesses and trends shaping today’s economy, with a particular interest in innovation, entrepreneurship and emerging technology.
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Find our 2026 competition schedule here and contact us today for more information.
