GoKawiil
Tech News
Australian fintech Zeller has released Terminal 2, an affordable all-in-one point-of-sale device built and designed domestically. The product won Best Design in Asia Pacific at the 2026 Innovation by Design Awards, recognized for reimagining payment hardware as a consumer-facing product rather than purely functional equipment.
Fast Company named the winners of its 2026 Innovation by Design Awards in the architectural design category, honoring buildings and interiors that address challenges in the built environment. The top prize went to UC Berkeley's Grimes Engineering Center, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, an adaptive-reuse project featuring a new seismic-responsive structural system aimed at improving earthquake resilience.
Fast Company's Innovation by Design Awards named its 2026 advertising and marketing winner: '1837 Tiffany Blue Conservation,' created by agency L&C for Tiffany & Co. in partnership with Pantone. The campaign repurposes Tiffany's signature blue color as a vehicle for promoting ocean conservation, and the awards also recognized several other honorees in the category.
Fast Company named the winners of its 2026 Innovation by Design Awards in the accessible design category. Make Good's Toddler Mobility Trainer, an open-source device that can be fully produced with 3D printing, took the top honor, alongside a list of other recognized projects in the category.
Silkroad Innovation Hub and TechCrunch picked Cerberus, WeGlobal AI, and LOOQ as the top three startups from Central Eurasia's Road to TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 2026 regional final. The trio beat out 22 finalists chosen from a record 726 applications spanning 39 countries, and will now pitch at Startup Battlefield 200 during TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 in San Francisco this October.
Speakers at the Innovation Festival offered a set of 12 guiding principles meant to clarify what genuine innovation looks like, distinguishing it from the overused corporate buzzword it has become. The rules draw on their firsthand experience building and scaling new ideas across industries.
Fast Company's 12th annual Innovation Festival will feature a set of experiential, activity-based sessions alongside its traditional panel discussions. Organizers highlighted 12 such sessions designed for attendees who prefer learning through direct participation rather than listening to speakers.
Fast Company's Best Workplaces for Innovators 2026 program singled out eight companies that depend heavily on skilled tradespeople for their category honors. Judges evaluated how these firms foster innovation specifically among workers in skilled-labor roles rather than traditional office or tech positions.
Fast Company's judging panel selected six companies with more than 1,000 employees as category winners in its Best Workplaces for Innovators 2026 rankings. The recognition highlights organizations judged to have strong cultures of innovation despite their large size.
Fast Company recognized nine companies based in Asia, Europe, and South America as International category winners in its Best Workplaces for Innovators 2026 list. Judges highlighted these firms for how they invest in employees and build internal systems that support innovation, with seven of the nine also ranking among the overall top 100 companies on the broader list.
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, representing major automakers, has formally asked Congress to permanently ban the sale, import and manufacture of Chinese-made cars, parts and software. CEO John Bozzella cited concerns over unfair trade practices, subsidies, IP theft and surveillance, urging lawmakers to act before the current session ends. The request aligns with existing bipartisan legislation, the Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026, targeting vehicle tech tied to China, Russia, Iran and North Korea.
An opinion piece from the leader of Celleste, maker of the first chocolate bar using cell-cultured cocoa butter, argues that innovation strategy is shifting away from pure speed-to-market toward long-term adaptability. The author draws on experience navigating cocoa supply chains, manufacturing and consumer trust to argue that lasting innovations solve existing industry problems rather than forcing wholesale reinvention.