A New Collaboration for IoT Innovation

Latvia based LMT IoT and Austrian semiconductor big name Infineon Technologies AG have started a new mentorship push, sorta aimed at startups and product companies building smart IoT devices. It’s meant to support the teams that are developing products where edge artificial intelligence and low power cellular connectivity have to work together, so they can move quicker from the idea stage to actual , real field deployment.

This initiative is looking at companies working on connected technologies across a bunch of areas, like industrial monitoring, predictive maintenance, environmental sensing, smart agriculture, asset tracking, and smart building systems. The selected teams will get free hardware, technical mentoring, hands on engineering help, and also access to connectivity infrastructure. If you want in, applications for the current intake are still open until July 31 2026.

Combining Edge AI and Cellular Connectivity

The mentorship program kind of revolves around putting together Infineon’s edge AI hardware solutions with LMT IoT’s cellular communication know-how. With LMT IoT’s extension board developers are able to hook up Infineon AI kits to LTE-M and NB-IoT networks while keeping the setup routine a lot simpler, and less messy than before. That means teams can start sending device data to the cloud way quicker.

The companies also mention that the program is particularly handy for products that process information on site instead of leaning too hard on cloud systems, all the time. Those products are built so they can use battery power smartly while transmitting only the really essential data over cellular networks. Kind of lean transmit, short payloads, less chatter.

Infineon executive Andreas Mühlberger said Infineon wants to support startups and developers by providing dependable, straightforward hardware that helps turn early ideas into truly connected commercial products. He went on to add that Infineon’s microcontroller portfolio, along with the Deepcraft software solutions, gives solid backing for edge AI use cases.

Engineering Support for Startups

LMT IoT reps said that hardware development can be a bit messy for startups that have limited engineering time and resources. Their mentorship program is basically meant to take the edge off some of the toughest technical parts, including cellular integration , getting the hardware dialed in, putting AI into place, and handling prototype hiccups.

 

People who get accepted will get direct help from LMT IoT engineers, covering system architecture, firmware, connectivity setup, testing , plus troubleshooting. On top of that there are webinars, technical workshops, and live Q&A sessions that focus on scaling IoT products. 

Also, the program doesn’t ask companies to give up equity, and there aren’t participation fees either. Chosen startups will receive hardware at no cost, and the most promising applicants will be invited into deeper one-on-one technical support, depending on how ready the product is and how strong the commercial potential looks.

Strengthening Latvia-Austria Tech Cooperation

The initiative has also been seen as a fairly important example of technology collaboration between Latvia and Austria , and honestly it kinda shows how both sides  try to move faster. Officials pointed out Latvia’s growing expertise in IoT, connectivity , and engineering-driven innovation. 

The program comes at a time when LMT continues expanding its role in advanced IoT technologies. Earlier this year, the company teamed up with the European Space Agency on a project centered around dual-mode satellite and cellular IoT connectivity , which was quite a headline. 

Infineon has likewise increased its backing for startup ecosystems through several innovation programs. The company just unveiled its Startup Challenge 2026, focused on humanoid robotics, and also on deep-tech development.