Fostering AI Innovation in Asia Pacific
Qualcomm AI Program for Innovators 2026 - APAC
Fostering AI Innovation in Asia Pacific
Qualcomm AI Program for Innovators 2026 - APAC
Accepting Applications for Qualcomm AI Program for Innovators 2026 - APAC
About the Qualcomm AI Program for Innovators
The Qualcomm AI Program for Innovators (QAIPI) empowers professional developers and startups to design and implement cutting-edge on-device AI solutions across diverse sectors, including consumer, healthcare, smart industry, smart city, agriculture and education, driving regional and societal impact.
Qualcomm AI Program for Innovators 2026 - APAC
The Qualcomm AI Program for Innovators (QAIPI) 2026 – APAC is open to any startup companies incorporated and registered in Japan, Singapore, and South Korea.
The program support shortlisted teams to creating and commercializing on-device end-to-end AI solutions on Qualcomm Technologies’ Qualcomm Dragonwing™ and Snapdragon® platforms.
The program also invites shortlisted teams to experiment with a wide range of edge AI use cases using the new Arduino® UNO™ Q development board. Built on the Qualcomm Dragonwing™ platform, this open-source board offers Linux compatibility, real-time control capabilities, and lightweight AI inference, empowering startups to accelerate the creation of edge-intelligent solutions.
To speed up the development of on-device AI solutions across diverse use cases, startup teams can leverage the Qualcomm® AI Hub—a developer-focused platform offering a growing catalog of over 175 pre-optimized AI models. This resource helps reduce time and effort, enabling faster development, deployment, and iteration cycles.
Program Benefits
Startup cohort: Selection of up to 15 shortlisted startups for the 2026 program
Mentorship: 1:1 mentorship with Qualcomm subject matter experts
Platforms: Shortlisted Startups will receive access to a hardware development platform, based on Qualcomm Snapdragon® or Dragonwing™ products, up to US$2500 for their product development
Masterclasses: Online training sessions including Business Coaching and Intellectual Property Law, and more
Shortlist Grant: The shortlisted startups will receive a grant valued at up to the equivalent of US$10,000 upon successful completion of the program
Patent filing incentives: The shortlisted startups would be eligible to receive a patent filing incentive up to the equivalent of US$5,000 for filing one or more complete (non-provisional) patent applications
Demo Day: The startups will be exposed to industry leaders, system integrators, and investors. The Demo Day will be held for better visibility for the startups and their future business success
Please see the QAIPI official rules for more details.
Timeline
Application Phase (Until 30 April 2026): accepting applications till 11:59 p.m. PST Time on 30 April 2026
Shortlisting Announcement (May 2026): Up to 15 startups will be selected through a jury process and announced on the program website.
Mentorship Phase (June to November 2026): Shortlisted startups will be eligible to receive the grant, patent filing incentives, and support mentioned above.
Demo Day for shortlisted startups (November 2026): Demo Day will be held where shortlisted startups can present their pitches and product demos to showcase their AI innovations.
Note: the above timeline may be subject to change.
