Deadline: October 22, 2025
The 4YFN Awards 2026 is a global startup competition organized by GSMA 4YFN Event Management to find the best digital startups worldwide, taking place within 4YFN at MWC Barcelona 2026.
The competition focuses on five categories: Health Tech, Fintech, Climate Tech, Mobile Frontiers, and Digital Horizons.
The 4YFN Awards 2026 framework promotes innovation and entrepreneurship in the mobile ecosystem, offering a wide program of conferences, workshops, pitches, and expert meetings tailored to mobile entrepreneurial needs. The awards gather top mobile industry leaders, successful entrepreneurs, digital experts, renowned accelerators, incubators, and investors. The event will be held from March 2 to March 5, 2026, culminating in the awards finale on March 4, 2026, in Hall 8 of Fira Gran Via, Barcelona.
After a remote evaluation, the Top 20 startups, divided equally among the five categories, will be announced. These startups will pitch on stage at the semi-finals, where a panel of investors selects one finalist per category. The five finalists pitch at the awards finale before a live audience comprising investors, business executives, entrepreneurs, government officials, and the general public. Only one winner emerges from the finalists.
Participation requires startups to submit applications online in well-written English, with eligibility criteria including digital technology relevance, market launch status, incorporation within seven years, and location in eligible countries excluding those on certain sanction lists. Selected startups must attend the event in person with an exhibition pod and provide all necessary documentation.
The awards provide significant benefits for participating startups. The Top 20 startups receive a cash prize of €1,500, a free exhibition pod for four days at 4YFN 2026, attendee passes, exclusive lounge access, pitching opportunities, networking invites, inclusion in the startup catalogue, and digital trophies for marketing. Each of the five finalists gains a €2,500 cash prize, enhanced exposure with a pitch at the main awards stage, a feature article on the 4YFN website, inclusion in the startup catalogue shared with investors, and a GSMA Foundry showcase package.
The overall winner receives €20,000 cash (non-cumulative with lower prizes), a free exhibition stand at 4YFN 2027, content opportunities at the main 4YFN stage, passes for the next event, international press meetings, interviews, dedicated winner articles, social media mentions, and further marketing materials.
All participants must consent to terms including use of personal data for communication, promotion, and evaluation purposes, with strict confidentiality and intellectual property rules in place. The competition promotes fair play and compliance with its rules, with decisions by the jury and organizer being final.
For more information, visit 4YFN.
