Southwest Florida highlighted as ‘global hub for innovation’ at 2026 Edison Awards

 

Five tech-focused companies headquartered in Lee and Collier counties earned praise at the 2026 Edison Awards, generating additional buzz internationally as the region emerges as a thriving hub for innovation and entrepreneurship.

The five local companies earned a combined six awards, including a Gold Edison Award for Fort Myers-based ADDMAN.

“Southwest Florida is no longer just the host venue for the Edison Awards… It’s become a global hub for innovation, and the 2026 Edison Awards was our region’s coming out party,” said Helen Edenfield, president of the Horizon Foundation, Platinum Sponsor of the 2026 Edison Awards. “Our local honorees stood shoulder-to-shoulder on the big stage with some of the world’s most innovative and recognizable brands, proving that Southwest Florida is indeed fertile ground for innovation, opportunity and growth.”

Held April 15-16, the Edison Awards program recognized gold, silver and bronze winners across 50 categories. Local honorees included:

ADDMAN
• Location: Fort Myers
• Innovation: ADDCAAM
• Category: Manufacturing and Logistics (Advanced Manufacturing Processes)
• Award: Gold

e2companies
• Location: Bonita Springs
• Innovation: Virtual Utility
• Category: Critical Human Infrastructure (Predictive and Real-Time Systems)
• Award: Silver

Arthrex
• Location: Naples
• Innovation: Percutaneous Pars Fracture Compression Screw
• Category: Health, Medical and Biotech (Orthopedic and Soft Tissue Repair)
• Award: Silver

EmCyte Corporation
• Location: Fort Myers
• Innovation: Pure SupraPhysiologic Concentrating System with AspiraDome Technology
• Category: Health, Medical and Biotech (Point of Care Therapeutics)
• Award: Bronze

Digital ShortCutz
• Location: Naples
• Innovation: Conversion Velocity Engine
• Category: Software Solutions (AI-Enhanced Workflow Solutions)
• Award: Bronze

Arthrex
• Location: Naples
• Innovation: Synergy Power System
• Category: Health, Medical and Biotech (Surgical Robotics and Precision Therapy)
• Award: Bronze

The annual event, which has been hosted in Fort Myers since 2021, attracts an international contingent of tech CEOs, engineers and entrepreneurs who experience the future of innovation coming to life. An Innovators Forum featured a series of panel discussions and fireside chats exploring new technologies that will impact energy, medicine, food and water, the environment and more, while the Innovators Showcase exhibited breakthrough scientific innovations and served as a networking session for local, national and international guests. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush was among the featured panelists, along with representatives from Samsung, Lenovo, Mayo Clinic and other organizations.

In 2026, the Edison Awards presented NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and pop culture icon Rihanna with Edison Achievement Awards, prestigious honors bestowed to distinguished leaders who have made a significant and lasting contribution to innovation and human-centered design throughout their careers. Past recipients include visionary leaders such as Steve Jobs (Apple), Elon Musk (Tesla Motors, SpaceX), Jensen Huang (NVIDIA), Ginni Rometty (IBM), Ted Turner (Time Warner), Martha Stewart (MSL Omnimedia) and other corporate leaders.

Additionally, the Horizon Foundation, in collaboration with the Edison Awards, honored winners of the AI + HI Innovation Challenge, a competition featuring teams of middle and high school students from Lee County who addressed concerns with artificial intelligence and human intelligence. Winners included:
• First Place: Tech Tigers from Dunbar High School (presentation on LeeConnect)
• Second Place: Solvably Strategists II from Dunbar High School (presentation on SafeLee)
• Third Place: Together We Grow from Island Coast High School (presentation on Resilient AI)

“The Edison Awards bring some of the world’s greatest minds to Fort Myers, and 2026 was no different,” said Frank Bonafilia, CEO of the Edison Awards. “This year’s award winners are redefining their respective industries through technology, including health care, energy, manufacturing, transportation, agriculture, aerospace, public safety and more.”

Since 1987, the Edison Awards has built on the legacy of Thomas Edison – an iconic inventor and entrepreneur who spent his winters in Fort Myers – to foster a global community celebrating innovation, excellence in product design, breakthrough services and visionary thinkers reimaging the future. The Horizon Foundation, in partnership with the Lee County Economic Development Office and City of Fort Myers, helped recruit the Edison Awards to Southwest Florida in 2021. This year’s event was held at Caloosa Sound Convention Center in Fort Myers.

A full list of Edison Awards honorees is available online at EdisonAwards.com.