Welcome Batch #10 to the 5G Open Innovation Lab program
Not to be unnecessarily nostalgic, but given the circumstances, I think it’s appropriate. This week, we have the good fortune to launch our 10th Batch program with 11 incredible teams. Over the last five years, the 5G Open Innovation Lab has onboarded 138 alumni across 10 Batches, raising over $2.86B in venture backing — all made possible through our 19 innovative partners (see announcement below).
When the Lab started, we set an ambitious goal: to develop a global enterprise-focused software ecosystem, blending startups and partnerships with a singular vision. Why? Because 5G is far more than just faster connectivity — it’s the key to unlocking the application potential of edge computing, AI, IoT, big data, robotics, and more.
The telecom industry stands at a critical inflection point. It’s no longer enough to simply improve network speed and coverage; the future lies in fully leveraging the power of 5G to enable transformative applications. Whether it’s AI-driven automation, advanced machine learning models, or seamless IoT integration, telcos must act now to embrace the full scope of these opportunities. The ecosystems that evolve from this moment will shape the future of business, technology, and innovation.
Batch #10: 11 Startups Shaping the Future
We are excited to introduce Batch #10, a cohort of pioneering startups that are harnessing 5G, AI, and edge computing to push the boundaries of possibility. Here’s a look at the new batch:
Armada — Armada provides a full-stack solution for the edge by combining connectivity, compute, storage, and AI/ML applications tailored for edge environments. Armada leverages this comprehensive edge solution to address customer challenges across various industries, including oil & gas, mining, manufacturing, and logistics in the commercial sector, as well as SLED (State, Local, and Education) and Federal in the public sector. As a trusted partner for digital transformation, Armada delivers solutions anywhere in the world, even in locations where connectivity has previously been limited or non-existent.
aiOla — aiOla is a first-of-its-kind speech AI technology that improves how businesses in every industry complete processes. Our patented solution understands business- specific jargon in any language, accent, and acoustic environment, enabling efficiency, safety, data capture for insights, and collaboration.
Glide — Glide offers an innovative telco-based identity solution, ensuring secure and seamless management of user identities across multiple platforms. Partnering with leading global telco providers and leveraging GSMA’s Open Gateway trusted network, Glide simplifies and strengthens user verification and consent management.
Contoro Robotics — Contoro Robotics provides a turnkey solution for the repetitive task of container unloading at a lower cost than traditional warehouse manual labor. Contoro‘s patented and unique “Human-in-the-Loop” robotic teleoperation technology fast tracks the AI training of the robots, enables quick resolution of anomalies, and lowers overall operational costs.
Diligent — Diligent is an AI company creating robot assistants that help healthcare workers with routine tasks so they can focus on what they do best: patient care.
Groundlight — Groundlight extends modern machine learning (ML) with revolutionary escalation technology, enabling computer vision without a pre-existing dataset for industrial inspection, retail analytics, mobile robotics, and much more.
Koyeb — Koyeb aims to dramatically reduce deployment time and operational complexity by removing server and infrastructure management for businesses and developers. The company’s next-generation serverless platform runs applications across clouds and edges, providing strong primitives for application hosting with a focus on the developer experience.
Liquid AI — Liquid AI, an MIT spin off, is a foundation model company headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. Liquid builds general-purpose, capable and efficient AI systems to solve problems at every scale for enterprises.
Tiami Networks — is bringing sensing and compute intelligence to every wireless device and node. Tiami’s unique signal processing technology goes beyond the traditional paradigm, to materialize the world’s largest distributed radar network, offering scalability and widespread adoption.
TheLoops — TheLoops is an all-in-one, enterprise grade ready, ML and AI platform providing actionable insights for CX teams. TheLoops key use cases — AI Agent Copilot, AutoQA, and Predictive Case Intelligence — increase the productivity of support agents and managers alike while significantly reducing costs and inefficiencies.
Xona — Xona is a zero-trust user platform for the OT enterprise, enabling secure operational access to critical systems from anywhere.
Welcome Booz Allen Hamilton!
We’re also excited to welcome Booz Allen Hamilton as our newest corporate partner. A global technology firm, Booz Allen leads 5G innovations by pioneering the use of next-gen technologies like edge computing and AI to solve real-world challenges. Joining the 5G OI Lab ecosystem will help enable them to further extend, and gain insights into, the ecosystem of 5G-enabled devices, applications, and use cases.
This partnership isn’t just about technology — it’s about collaboration. Together, we will explore and develop groundbreaking solutions in areas such as 5G, edge computing, AI, and beyond.
AI is a Telco opportunity for their edge
Earlier this year, I wrote about the immense opportunity for telcos in AI — not in packet moving, but in edge AI computation. Since then, we’ve made significant strides. In July, we showcased how Archetype AI’s large behavioral models (LBMs) can help developers build real-time AI applications, using sensor data from cameras, LiDAR, and IoT devices. This edge-based AI compute, running via CSP networks, offers lower latency, reduced costs, and data sovereignty benefits.
Then, in September, we demonstrated real-time AI processing using drone video footage — an exciting first for our team and partners. The demo was a showcase at Mobile Future Forward hosted by industry analyst Chetan Sharma. With data generation expected to surpass 463 exabytes per day by next year, telcos have no time to waste. Packet moving alone won’t suffice; real value lies in leveraging AI at the edge to unlock new opportunities.
Within the next couple of months will be announcing much more details about the Telco AI Cloud pilot program. Included will be participating CSPs, enterprise clients, use cases, ways for app developers to get engaged. The pilot is slated to go live in early 2025.
Looking Ahead
As we celebrate the launch of Batch #10, it’s hard not to see the opportunity before the Telco industry. The Lab is at the forefront of building an ecosystem that redefines the potential of 5G and showing what is possible through our alumni and partners. We’ve taken an engineering first approach from identifying alumni that are truly building unique tech to working hands on with our partners building platforms and deploying solutions. I can’t help be proud of our alumni, partners being a collective force driving the telco industry toward blue ocean opportunities — untapped markets, disruptive technologies, and entirely new ways of thinking about connectivity.
The Lab’s ecosystem is proof that telcos must move beyond incremental improvements to unlock the vast possibilities of 5G and edge technologies. The companies in this ecosystem are not waiting for the future to happen — they are creating it. Together, we are building a bridge between today’s potential and tomorrow’s reality.
Let’s make history Batch #10!
