Samsung just announced 10 global ambassador teams from its Solve for Tomorrow program at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, backing young innovators tackling accessibility and environmental challenges with AI and tech. The teams - spanning Australia to the US - are building everything from AI-powered smart bandages to brainwave-controlled wheelchairs, each receiving up to two years of funding and Samsung support to scale their prototypes into real products. It's a rare corporate bet on youth-led innovation at a moment when AI accessibility tools remain largely overlooked by Big Tech.
Samsung is putting real money behind youth innovation. At the Winter Olympics in Milan, the tech giant unveiled 10 global ambassador teams from its Solve for Tomorrow program, each tackling accessibility and sustainability problems with AI-driven solutions. The announcement came during a three-day event running February 8-10 at Samsung House, with IOC President Kirsty Coventry and Samsung's Global Marketing Head Won-Jin Lee on hand to signal the company's commitment to youth-led STEM innovation.
The teams didn't just win a trophy. Each gets funding plus up to two years of Samsung mentorship to turn their prototypes into market-ready products. Five teams in the Sport & Tech category are being jointly supported by Samsung and the International Olympic Committee, while five others in Accessibility & Environment get Samsung backing. It's a corporate citizenship play, sure, but one with tangible resources attached at a time when accessibility tech remains a niche afterthought for most consumer tech companies.
The Sport & Tech winners show how AI can bridge gaps in athletic participation. Indonesia's Run Sight team built a wearable AI system that detects lanes and obstacles for visually impaired runners. Australia's TeamUp created an AI platform connecting people to local sports communities. From Great Britain, Curastep developed smart sneakers with sensors that detect early blister formation in diabetics, encouraging safer physical activity. The US team Storm Shield designed a protective headband that shields hearing aids during sports, addressing a problem faced by ambassador Danielle Yang herself.
