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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowWhen the Indiana Economic Development Corp. returns to the big CES trade show in Las Vegas next week, they’ll be bringing along some special guests—seven Indiana startups.
This will be the IEDC’s third straight year attending CES, which this year takes place Jan. 9-12. The annual trade show and conference, which launched in 1967 and was originally known as the Consumer Electronics show, is a splashy event that attracts attendees, and media outlets, from around the world. Last year’s event drew 117,841 attendees, about a third of whom came from outside the U.S.
As in years past, the IEDC will be showcasing the Indy Autonomous Challenge at CES. But this year, the IEDC will also have a second space featuring seven Indiana startups, with the aim to boost both the startups and Indiana’s own image as a startup-friendly state.
“We’re excited to showcase Indiana’s tech startups, kind of help them accelerate their revenue, find customers, do business development while they’re there along the IEDC, as we talk about our strategy on how we support entrepreneurs, how we are changing the landscape here in Indiana, to really benefit all small businesses and entrepreneurs,” said Natasha Jensen-Matta, vice president of entrepreneurship and innovation development at the IEDC.
The seven selected startups are:
— Antidote Electronics LLC of Westfield. The company, which launched in 2023, is developing a computer controller for computer-aided design and other three-dimensional software programs.
— DaVinci Wearables Inc., which launched in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and this week announced plans to establish a presence in Indianapolis. DaVinci, which launched in 2022, is developing sensor-embedded smart clothing for female athletes.
— Ganance Inc., which launched in Chicago and recently established an Indianapolis presence at the Emerging Manufacturing Collaborative Center, or EMC2, on the campus of the 16 Tech Innovation District. The company has developed a health-tracking device that attaches to the back of a wristwatch.
— Heliponix LLC, which does business as Anu. The Evansville-based company, which was founded in 2016 and formerly did business as GroPod, is an ag-tech company that allows customers to grow fresh produce in their homes.
— Pierce Aerospace Inc. of Fishers. Founded in 2016, the company has developed technology that can remotely identify and track unmanned aircraft systems such as drones.
— Primary Record Inc. of Fishers. Launched in 2020, the company offers a mobile app where users can collect, organize and share their and their family’s health information.
— Soloist LLC of Bloomington. The company, which launched in 2022, is developing an app that allows users who are practicing music alone to simulate the experience of playing with bandmates.
Jensen-Matta said the IEDC selected the startups by first reaching out to partners around the state and asking for suggestions. From there, she said, the IEDC vetted the list to make sure the startups met CES’ eligibility criteria for Eureka Park: They had to be working in the area of consumer technology, and their product or service must have been on the market no earlier than Jan. 1, 2023.
The startups also had to be able to travel to Las Vegas and participate in the show.
“Really, it’s a very narrow list of people who fit that criteria,” Jensen-Matta said of the selection requirements.
The IEDC is paying for the exhibit space, Jensen-Matta said, but each of the startups is responsible for paying its own way to and from CES.
The seven companies, and the IEDC, will be exhibiting in Eureka Park a startup-focused exhibit hall which is adjacent to the Venetian Hotel. Two IEDC-affiliated groups, Elevate Ventures and Sports Tech HQ, will also participate in the Eureka Park exhibit, Jensen-Matta said. Elevate Ventures does venture investing on behalf of the IEDC, and Sports Tech HQ was launched by the IEDC in 2022 to target the sports tech industry.
The Eureka Park space will be separate from the IEDC’s exhibit at the Las Vegas Convention and World Trade Center, where the IEDC will share space with several other partners: the Indy Autonomous Challenge, the Applied Research Institute, the Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen, and the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research.
Including booth rentals and other associated costs, the IEDC said it is spending a total of $150,000 on its exhibit spaces at CES.
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