Startups Demo Their Products at the 50th Anniversary of CES

Once again, I had the pleasure of attending CES®, the world's largest innovation event, from Jan. 5-8, 2017. In addition to more than 3,800 exhibiting companies,over 600 startups demonstrated their latest innovation at the Eureka Park Marketplace, which is a specialized exhibit area that provides startups a unique exhibiting opportunity to launch a new product, service or idea. According to the Consumer Technology Association, the Arlington, Va.-based organization that produces CES®, "More than 175,000 industry professionals, including 55,000 from outside the U.S., convened in Las Vegas to drive the ever-evolving global technology industry forward." This post, which is the first of three regarding CES® 2017, focuses on a few companies that I saw demonstrate some interesting (or amusing) products at the Eureka Park Marketplace.

Image: Wezzoo

Seattle has a reputation for its rainy weather (although despite exaggerated rumors, it does not "rain all the time" in the Pacific Northwest). Produced by the French company Wezzoo, the Oombrella is a smart connected umbrella that sends you severe weather alerts in your vicinity. In addition, "the unforgettable umbrella" sends you an alert to your smartphone if you forget it a restaurant or somewhere else. You can also share live date to the Wezzoo community.

Image: Sprimo

As with many of you, I spend too much time working inside an office. Therefore, I found interest in the Sprimo, which is a personal air purifier. Designed by Sprimo Labs and promoted as the "world's smallest air purifier," the Sprimo "learns, adapts and delivers clean air towards your breathing zone in less than 30 seconds, regardless of room size," according to the Santa Clara, Calif.-based company's press release. Scientifically proven to be 50 times more effective than conventional air purifiers, Sprimo uses advanced sensors to continually analyze air, adapt filtration, and deliver clean air--based on your personal preferences.

The company also lists two important value propositions of its product: (1) Energy efficient and (2) economic and sustainable. Regarding the former, the Sprimo uses only 12.5% of the energy that whole room purifiers use. As for the latter, the unit and filters cost half as much as whole room purifiers and filters, and filters are recyclable. While many people spend as much as 90 percent of their time indoors, I appreciate the claim that the "Sprimo helps to block airborne virus/bacteria, which reduces the exposure to contagious particles that can help your immune system in an open office environment, especially during flu season."

Image: Catspad

And for cat lovers, the Catspad is a smart and connected cat feeder and water fountain. The dry food dispenser and water fountain helps you manage your cat(s) as well as their food and water intake from your smartphone. The water dispenser provides fresh, filtered, running water to encourage them to drink more. The Catspad app allows you to check the amount of food and water available from your smartphone. The French-designed product will detect each individual cat, using either their microchip or collar tag--the latter of which is provided by the company.

The was the sixth year of the Eureka Park Marketplace at CES®. Having attended each year, I am continually impressed with how this event provides a great platform for new and growing companies to introduce and market their technologies to influential media, key investors and potential collaborators. This link provides a complete list of the exhibitors at this year's event.

Did you attend CES® 2017? If so, what products or services did you find interesting?

Aaron Rose is an advisor to talented entrepreneurs and co-founder of great companies. He also serves as the editor of Solutions for a Sustainable World.