7 lessons from CES 2024 at Garage&co

Participate in the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2024 was a long-held dream for the Garage&co team. Alongside Christian Beaubien, our Entrepreneur-in-Residence, and Thibault Lerailler, Garage&co 's Designer-in-Residence and CEO of Punctuate Design, we immersed ourselves in the epicenter of technological innovation in Las Vegas. The event was a whirlwind of over 4,500 new product launches and revolutionary technologies (an excavator for Mars, genetically modified plants, flying cars), each offering unique perspectives. Our journey through this vibrant landscape of innovation was not just an exploration, but a valuable learning expedition. This blog post is a summary of our collective experiences and reflections at CES 2024.

Be ready to stand out

With over 4,500 products launched at CES, it's crucial for startups to be well prepared and stand out from the crowd. A striking example is Montreal startup Bello (incubated at Garage&co), which captured attention with its PSF: sexy functional product. Clément and Marc's stand was constantly invaded by hundreds of curious onlookers. This underlines the importance of having an impactful presence and a product that stands out in a crowded technological landscape.

Use of AI and Data

The ubiquity of AI at CES underlines its importance in the hardtech sector. Startups need to understand how to leverage AI and use their data effectively. The Verge 's article on CES indicates that AI was not just a buzzword but a significant driver of innovation in various fields, highlighting the need for startups to integrate AI thoughtfully into their products and services."

Focus on pre-sales

Successful pre-sales strategies are crucial to the success of startups. During our visit with our friends at Tandem Launch, we discovered startup Viridox, which has effectively used pre-sales to build momentum and validate their product in the market. Engaging potential customers early and securing sales before the official launch can provide crucial funding and market validation.

Active networking

Startups need to actively engage in networking, presentations and competitor analysis. Using resources such as the Canadian delegation to organize B2B meetings and gain an in-depth understanding of competitors can offer significant benefits. It's all about seizing every opportunity to showcase your product and learn from others in the field.

Understanding the competitive landscape

During our three days in Vegas, we saw around 20 different robotic pool cleaners, as well as autonomous, AI-powered lawnmowers. At first, it was fun; but by the end, they were becoming indistinguishable. Startups should strive to offer more than just incremental improvements. Being truly innovative and different is the key to standing out.

Sustainability as a core value

Samsung and LG devoted a large part of their (huge) stand to popularizing their sustainability strategy. Although one might question their real impact (after all, the most sustainable object is the one that doesn't exist), social and environmental discourse was omnipresent at CES. Startups should consider integrating sustainable practices and values into their business models and product designs, responding to growing consumer demand for environmentally-friendly technology.

Strategic partnerships for scaling up

We took the time to meet a few international partners to discuss product scaling strategies. Among them was Yoann Boudou from Shenzhen-based Supernova Innovation, with whom we stressed the importance of not just thinking of the product as a prototype, but taking the time to build a manufacturable product on a large scale. Having a partner on the ground to help you 'design for manufacturing' will help you avoid major and costly mistakes when scaling your startup.

Bonus: Choose your flight carefully

It's a little joke, but if you want to save a few bucks on your flight, your airline may be +/- on time. Both our flights were more than 5 hours late round trip. 💀

It's clear that the CES 2024 experience was much more than just an opportunity to present our hub to various international partners (and test a multitude of cool gadgets); it represented a comprehensive learning experience that will shape our approach in the hardtech industry. This includes an awareness of the importance of readiness for the startups we support, the effective exploitation of AI, a focus on pre-sales, as well as the importance of sustainability and strategic partnerships. These lessons are not just teachings, but real roadmaps for our success. For Garage&co. participating in CES was not just the realization of a dream; the team returned enriched with new perspectives and armed with innovative strategies to inspire and drive success.

A huge thank you to our collaborators in the field, Nicholas Nadeau, Ph.D., P.Eng.(SmartOne), Guillaume Bédard, BComm, ICD.D(Tangente Services), Vaughn DiMarco(XMachina), Zach Ronski, Danielle King (Piloter), Marc SCHAAL and Clément Bouland(Bello), Julian Lucchesi, M.Eng.(Centech)

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