2026 Best of IoT Awards

About the 2026 awards

The 2026 Best of IoT Awards recognize the companies, products, leaders, platforms, technologies, and real-world solutions that helped define the year across the Internet of Things.

This flagship year-end program celebrates standout achievement throughout the connected technology ecosystem. Recognition spans company leadership, breakthrough innovation, successful deployments, security, hardware, sustainability, platforms, executive impact, and collaborative ecosystems.

How this program differs from other IoThinkTank awards: Our in-year awards focus on specific technologies, industries, or applications. The Best of IoT Awards recognize the marquee achievements that shaped the broader IoT landscape during 2026.

Entries open Tuesday, December 1, 2026. Organizations may enter multiple categories when their work represents a legitimate fit, although each category requires a separate submission.

2026 award categories

Review the categories below to identify the strongest fit for your company, product, leader, platform, solution, deployment, or ecosystem achievement.

Each category page includes its specific focus, eligibility guidance, judging considerations, and recommended supporting evidence.

2026 program schedule

• Entries Open: Tuesday, December 1, 2026
• Early Bird Deadline: Friday, January 15, 2027
• Final Entry Deadline: Friday, February 12, 2027
• Winners Announced: Tuesday, March 9, 2027

Entries must be completed and paid by the applicable deadline.

Entry fees

• Early Bird Entry: $395 per category
• Standard Entry: $495 per category

Each category submission is treated as a separate entry. Organizations may enter the same company, product, platform, leader, or achievement in multiple categories when each submission addresses the category’s specific focus and criteria.

Who should enter

The 2026 Best of IoT Awards are open worldwide to companies, organizations, startups, teams, and individuals operating within the Internet of Things.

The program is a strong fit for:

• Established IoT companies demonstrating market leadership and measurable customer impact
• Growth-stage companies and startups showing meaningful adoption, momentum, or validated results
• Device manufacturers, hardware developers, platform providers, software companies, and solution providers
• Integrators, connectivity providers, infrastructure companies, and technology partners
• Product, engineering, operations, and implementation teams delivering practical IoT innovation
• Executives and industry leaders who materially advanced IoT adoption, strategy, or outcomes
• Multi-company ecosystems demonstrating successful collaboration and interoperability

Eligible entries should highlight work developed, released, updated, deployed, validated, or materially advanced during the 2026 calendar year.

What to submit

Each entry should clearly explain what was accomplished during 2026, why the achievement matters, and how it stands apart within its category.

Strong submissions generally include:

• A concise overview of the company, product, platform, leader, deployment, or ecosystem being entered
• A clear explanation of the challenge addressed and the innovation or approach used
• Evidence of impact, such as customer outcomes, adoption data, performance improvements, deployment metrics, growth, or operational results
• Supporting materials, including case studies, product information, screenshots, technical documentation, customer references, or media coverage
• Relevant links, images, reports, videos, or other materials that strengthen the submission

Confidential information may be summarized or redacted for judging. Entrants should include enough supporting evidence for the judges to understand and evaluate the achievement.

Evaluation criteria

Every entry is evaluated using five universal criteria. The weighting assigned to each criterion varies by award category to reflect the qualities most important to that category.

• Innovation & Differentiation: The originality of the entry, its meaningful technical, product, strategic, or business-model advances, and how clearly it stands apart from existing alternatives.
• Evidence & Measurable Impact: Credible evidence demonstrating tangible operational, financial, safety, sustainability, customer, or industry outcomes.
• Execution & Scalability: The quality of implementation, reliability, adoption, security, operational readiness, and ability to scale successfully.
• Category Fit: How directly and convincingly the entry satisfies the purpose, eligibility requirements, and expectations of the selected award category.
• Leadership, Vision & Industry Contribution: The strength of the entry’s leadership, strategic direction, broader influence, and contribution to advancing the IoT industry.

Judges consider the quality, specificity, relevance, and credibility of the evidence provided. Each category page lists the scoring weights applied to that particular award.

What winners receive

Winners of the 2026 Best of IoT Awards receive:

• An official 2026 category winner badge and digital promotional assets
• A dedicated winner profile on IoThinkTank
• Recognition through an IoThinkTank newsroom announcement
• Visibility across relevant IoThinkTank digital and social channels
• Promotional guidance for sharing the recognition with customers, partners, media, and stakeholders
• Potential opportunities for interviews, features, or additional editorial coverage

Winner recognition is designed to provide lasting third-party validation that organizations can use across public relations, marketing, sales, investor communications, recruiting, and partnership development.

How to enter

1. Review the 11 award categories and select the strongest fit.
2. Read the applicable category page for its focus, eligibility guidance, and recommended evidence.
3. Prepare a distinct submission for each category being entered.
4. Complete the application and payment by the applicable deadline.

Questions about category fit or the submission process may be sent to awards@iothinktank.com.