Deutsche Telekom and T-Mobile US today announced the 12 finalists for the sixth annual T Challenge competition. This year’s global competition focuses on a singular, transformative vision: building the AI-native telco – an autonomous, customer-focused, and intent-based network ecosystem.
Following a rigorous review of submissions from around the world, the selected teams now enter the "Development Phase," where they will refine their AI-driven prototypes alongside experts from both Deutsche Telekom and T-Mobile. These innovators are competing for a slice of a €300,000 (or U.S. equivalent) prize pool and the opportunity to see their solutions deployed on the most awarded Telekom networks across Europe and America’s Best Network.
Innovation Across Three Strategic Pillars
The 2026 cohort represents the cutting edge of telecommunications, with solutions spanning four key focus areas:
- Autonomous Networks: Intelligent, self-managing systems capable of real-time adaptation and self-healing.
- Energy Efficiency & Zero-bit Zero-watt: AI-powered innovations designed to minimize energy consumption across the entire network lifecycle.
- Security: Advanced threat detection, autonomous remediation, and the protection of AI agents and platforms themselves.
The 2026 T Challenge Finalists
The following 12 teams (selected from a global pool of researchers, developers, and startups) will showcase their solutions at the T Challenge Finals in Bonn on April 28 and 29, 2026:
Autonomous Networks
- Anyops (Italy)
- Cubig (Republic of Korea)
- Telorics (USA)
- ValueGrid (United Arab Emirates)
- zTouch (USA)
Energy Efficiency
- Companion Energy (Belgium)
- Daisytuner (Germany)
- Stanford University (USA)
- Vigilent (USA)
Security
- Excalibur (Slovakia)
- Selfhack (Finland)
- Spotlight Security (USA)
The Road to Bonn
Finalists now have until April 27, 2026, to finalize their prototypes. In addition to the top three awards ranging from €50,000 to €150,000 (or U.S. equivalent), all nominees are eligible for a special award of €25,000 and an "Experience Package" worth up to €150,000, which includes travel to Germany, mentoring, and networking with top-tier executives.
For more information on the finalists and the 2026 T Challenge, visit www.t-challenge.com.
About Deutsche Telekom: Deutsche Telekom is one of the world's leading integrated telecommunications companies, with more than 261 million mobile customers, 25 million fixed-network lines, and 22 million broadband customers. We provide fixed-network/broadband, mobile communications, Internet, and IPTV products and services for consumers, and information and communication technology (ICT) solutions for business and corporate customers. Deutsche Telekom is present in more than 50 countries. We generated revenue of 115.6 billion Euros in the 2024 financial year.
About T-Mobile US, Inc.: T-Mobile US, Inc. (NASDAQ: TMUS) is America’s supercharged Un-carrier, delivering an advanced 4G LTE and transformative nationwide 5G network. Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile provides services through its subsidiaries and operates its flagship brands, T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile, and Sprint.
