LAS VEGAS—Established tech brands tend to dominate CES, with people lining up to see the next giant TV from LG or Samsung, laptop prototype from Lenovo, or latest innovation from Nvidia. However, the show also offers wannabe tech giants the opportunity to get in front of the international press, as well as potential investors and partners, and pitch their innovative ideas and bold concepts. (Some were even up for our Best in Show awards.) Here are the most interesting startups we saw at the annual electronics trade show in Las Vegas.
Allergen Alert
(Credit: Andrew Gebhart)
If French startup Allergen Alert can successfully bring its portable device to market, it could be life-saving for people with severe food allergies. Put a sample of food into a single-use pouch, insert the pouch into the mini lab device, push a button, and the device will tell you if it detects ingredients you are allergic to in about two minutes. Allergen Alert only had mock-up models at CES, but it’s licensing food-testing technology from established French biotech firm bioMérieux, and plans on selling it for $200, starting in the second half of 2026.
Subtle
(Credit: PCMag)
Silicon Valley-based Subtle is working on a pair of earbuds, dubbed Voicebuds, that can record your voice even in the noisiest environments by using machine language algorithms to clean up the recorded audio. They can even capture audio as quiet as a whisper, which could be a boon for voice dictation. During a CES demo, they worked as promised, though we’ll have to see how the noise-isolation approach compares with other earbuds. Subtle is taking preorders for the $199 Voicebuds, which are slated to ship this spring, and plans to charge a $17-per-month subscription after the first year of service.
Pebble
(Credit: PCMag)
The Pebble brand has been around for over a decade. But its smartwatches have been MIA for several years after Fitbit bought the company and was subsequently absorbed into Google. But last year, Pebble founder Eric Migicovsky began the process of resurrecting the brand through a new startup called Core Devices, which was able to reclaim the Pebble trademark. The startup is now trying to revive the Pebble smartwatch line through new products boasting e-paper displays, including the recently announced Round 2, which appeared at CES.
AI Barmen
(Credit: PCMag)
For $1,500, you can rent this AI-powered bartender for your party. The “AI Barmen” was at CES offering free drinks through a touch screen containing a catalogue of both established drinks and AI-created concoctions. The machine, packed with syrups and kegs to dispense the beverages, uses facial recognition to check your age and determine if you’re too drunk for another drink. It can also talk to you and suggest drinks depending on your mood. The San Francisco startup behind AI Barmen is currently in fundraising mode, and although the concept needs work, it could take off as a novelty way to dispense drinks.
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Verne Technologies
(Credit: PCMag)
Noise-cancelling headphones are one thing, but a noise-cancelling mask? At CES, Japanese startup Verne Technologies showed off its Wearphone device, which is designed to keep your voice calls and AI chatbot commands private. Although perhaps awkward to wear, Verne says the gadget can reduce your voice by 10 to 20 decibels. The company is betting the device will gain traction as more users converse with chatbots in the AI era. Verne didn’t have a working model at the show, but it plans on selling the Wearphone later this summer, likely for $500.
iPolish
(Credit: PCMag)
Not sure about the color for your fingernails? Florida startup iPolish came to CES with artificial press-on fingernails that can change to over 300 colors, as many times as you want. The nails use the same tech found on color e-ink displays. When a nail is attached to the bundled “Magic Wand” device, you can use the iPolish mobile app to select the color you’d like. The company plans on selling the tech as a $95 kit that includes the Magic Wand device and a set of 24 nails. The product is already up for preorder with the first shipments scheduled for June. The startup told us a sci-fi movie from the 1990s inspired the concept; it’s probably Total Recall, which features a fingernail color-changing scene.
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Nirva
(Credit: PCMag)
Established about four months ago, Nirva is a brand-new startup focused on creating attractive AI-powered jewelry. The startup’s device is a small, cylinder-like piece of titanium that contains sensors, including microphones. It can then be attached to a fashionable bracelet or necklace. The company wants to go beyond health wearables by also collecting data that can be fed to an AI chatbot, making it more personalized compared to ChatGPT. Users can then see all the insights and talk to the chatbot through the startup’s mobile app. Nirva plans on launching its first product in Q1 for $200. The device can last for two days on a single battery charge.
Saltgator
(Credit: PCMag)
3D printers focus on hard plastic. But Texas startup Saltgator has created a device that can expand 3D printing into soft, squishy plastics. To do so, the company created what it says is the world’s first desktop soft gel molding machine. The device functions like a large syringe. You place the liquid resin into the device, let it heat up to 180 degrees Celsius, and then inject it into your created 3D-printed mold. Wait five minutes for the resin to cool, and you can pull your creation out. The company is already selling the device for $299.
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Michael Kan
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Experience
I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink’s cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. Earlier this year, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I’m now following how President Trump’s tariffs will affect the industry. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.
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