CES 2024: The biggest stage to gain visibility and investment in international markets, as well as a golden opportunity to validate one’s business idea on a global scale. This is the chance the 50 Italian startups present at the Consumer Electronics Show, the world’s most important technology fair, will have. Staged in Las Vegas from 9 to 12 January, CES 2024 is the pivotal event for the tech world because it is there that companies showcase products and innovations that they will launch on the market in the course of the year. Even just sharing the experience with European and US partners, getting advice from mentors and guidance from investors is a great opportunity for startups.
Among the 3,500 exhibitors spread across the city, more than 30% are startups. These include those in the Italian Pavilion at Eureka Park, the area dedicated precisely to young companies, led by ICE, the agency that promotes Italian companies abroad, and Area Science Park, which organised a training course to teach startups how to maximise their presence in Las Vegas in terms of business.
Artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things and the digitalisation of healthcare are the areas in which most Italian startups are active. This is the complete list: 3DNextech, AI4IV, Aindo, Aitem, Alba Robot, Alert-Genius, ARIA Sensing, ArtCentrica, Athics, Blockchain Italia, BrainWaves, Certy, Coderblock, Contents, Develop-Players, Domethics (CES Innovation Awards 2024 Honoree), EZ Lab, Fifth Ingenium, Flywallet, Ganiga, Genuino, Hexagro, Innoitaly, Innova, It’s Prodigy, Kintana, Levante, Light On Your Side, M2Test, MyCulture, NExT, Partitalia, Powandgo, Protom Robotics, REair, SAM, Searcode, Skyproxima, SnapAll, Sport Business Lab Consultancy, Sunspeker, Tecnojest, The Meter, The Nemesis, The Thinking Clouds, TMP Group, Travel Verse, Truesense, Visual Note, Vitrum Design.
Five startups to watch out for
In this group, several have aroused my interest, although, for space constraints, I want to emphasise five of them. The first is Aitem, founded in Turin and dedicated to developing AI software that facilitates the work of medical personnel and veterinarians during the diagnosis phase. Thanks to data analysis, starting from the recurrence of certain biometric indicators, the tool developed hypothesises the possible presence of tumours with high accuracy. Similarly, examining chest X-rays can sanction cases of COVID-19.







Also involved in software development is BrainWaves, which has developed a tool that can translate brain waves to activate and control various types of devices. Through a system that combines the artificial intelligence of the robotic arm with a brain interface controller, ALS patients can steer a wheelchair using their minds.
The first device designed by Domethics, a startup that produced Carəpet, a smart mat that monitors the vital parameters of dogs and cats, is dedicated to pets. By collecting data on heartbeat, breathing, sleep and environmental information such as temperature and humidity, the device can determine the animal’s state of health. Another useful feature is the ability to share the information with your vet in real time so that you can intervene immediately if needed.
Look to school ArtCentrica, which helps teachers create dynamic and engaging art lessons to stimulate students’ curiosity. The digital reconstruction of the works allows students to observe them in very high resolution and thus find multiple points of interest through the interactive experience.
Facilitating waste collection is the goal of Holly, a smart litter bin that communicates with citizens to sort their waste automatically. It was created by Ganiga, a Pisa-based startup that has developed a system that uses AI to obtain data and statistics to alert and plan an optimised process for emptying litter bins. In this way, the pollution required to collect waste using traditional methods and the costs for personnel (who will have to be employed elsewhere not to lose jobs) are reduced.