How your startup can prepare to win at the ‘Olympics of consumer technology’

Every January, startups, Fortune 500 companies, investors, gadget geeks, and media from across the globe flock to Las Vegas to discover the next big trends in technology. In 2024, CES welcomed 135,000 attendees, 40% of whom came from 150 different countries.

With major media outlets keeping their eyes and ears on the show floor, CES has enabled some newbie entrepreneurs to sweep up thousands of pieces of press coverage and some lucrative new deals from buyers, all in just four days.

After struggling with a speech disorder as a child, Joris Castermans developed an AI-powered speech technology to help amplify the voices of people with whispered speech and vocal cord-impaired speech in real-time. After exhibiting at CES, his Dutch company, Whispp, received “hundreds and hundreds” of media placements, from the Washington Post to a spot on Japanese national TV. One of the highlights for him was giving a live demo of his product to Microsoft’s Satya Nadella during the show.

Serial entrepreneur Thomas Serval has started three companies off of the success his products found at CES over the past years. During his first visit, where he showcased a smart toothbrush, Serval garnered 20,000 articles, one billion views, and 40,000 toothbrush orders.

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At the same time, making it into the spotlight has gotten more difficult over the years. With more big tech brands joining the event and journalists having less time to spend on smaller businesses, startups need to be on top of their game to woo the press.

“It’s like the Olympics of technology. So you have to be well prepared and well trained,” says Serval.

With a new Pitch Battle at CES Unveiled Amsterdam giving European startups the chance to be in the spotlight and win tickets for CES 2025 in Las Vegas this October, TNW spoke with both entrepreneurs to find out how you can get in shape for both events.

Leverage media multiplier effects

Ten years ago, when Serval exhibited his first products, it was much easier to make a splash.

“[After exhibiting for the first time,] we went on every major US media show including CBS, CNN, NBC and every major European show, newspaper, etc.,” he says. “Now the rules of the game are a little tougher because the press spends less time on startups than they used to.” According to the entrepreneur, journalists are now finding one or two stand-out gadgets, and then covering big names like Samsung, Sony, or Microsoft.

Still, the gains can be huge if you capture the attention of the right reporter. Once it’s picked up by a few key publications, you’ll have others taking notice as well.

“Once you get an Associated Press article, then smaller media start taking over. That’s how you get this kind of rolling ball effect where your article is reposted to other media,” Serval adds. “So it’s not necessarily 20,000 different articles, but sometimes you get lots of smaller media sharing the same story.”

So what can you do to attract attention?

Although startups often opt to spend more time on product development and sales, if you’re going to CES, do not skimp on marketing. The key is to really invest time and resources into developing high-quality marketing materials. Serval also recommends bringing speakers who are deeply passionate about the product and can really communicate this to others.

Unlike online marketing, at a physical event, you can take advantage of what he calls the “social effect.” When a crowd is gathered around your booth, it can help create a natural curiosity and buzz.

“I remember that, at the beginning, we had a journalist from the BBC laughing at our toothbrush, like ‘this is a joke.’ Then, when they saw that other journalists were actually interested and finding it cool, the journalist came back and changed his mind,” Serval says.

Leverage the CES brand and media opportunities

CES and related events like CES Unveiled can also help startups gain credibility. The first year Whispp joined CES, the company was featured in the event’s Day One highlights.

In 2024, Whispp won a CES Innovation Award which led to additional coverage on the CES website and social channels. These tactics helped them to be scouted by Microsoft’s team — amongst others.

Whispp’s founder Castermans recounts that months later, at a different event, the VP and Show Director of CES, John T. Kelley, recognised him and came to speak with him personally. After Castermans told Kelley about the demo with Nadella, the CES marketing team reached out to provide additional coverage.

Take advantage of the marketing and exhibitor opportunities provided by CES. Attendees and media will look to CES coverage as a guide to discovering the real gems amongst the thousands of exhibitors.

Again, prepare accordingly to maximize the impact. Castermans recommends hiring a PR agency. The agency Whispp hired helped them create attractive marketing content, a press kit, press release (arguably the most important piece in your arsenal), and set up meetings with the right journalists in advance.

Be open to new opportunities

Keep your eye on the current market trends and align your product in that direction. A good way to assess the zeitgeist of the moment is by looking at the “up and coming” products and categories from the previous years.

“Some years it’s about connected devices. Sometimes it’s about health tech, cars, etc. So you have to have the right product at the right time. You may say, ‘Okay, I’m going to make an eco-friendly product without plastic.’ Twenty years ago, nobody would care. Now, everybody’s interested,” says Serval. “So there needs to be a good assessment of what is going to happen and that’s basically what I do every year.” For instance, this year the CES veteran predicts pet tech will be a trend to watch.

For Castermans and his team, their experiences at CES and CES Unveiled in Amsterdam opened them up to new possibilities. At CES, they were approached by a company in the military sector that was interested in using their technology for whispered speech. At CES Unveiled, they struck up a conversation with a fellow exhibitor and are now collaborating on a new project together.

The key is to really leverage the networking opportunities, not just with media. This can bring you a totally new perspective on your technology.

“Unforeseen things happen too. Sometimes you get surprised by new ideas and new insights,” Castermans says.

Think you have what it takes?

CES Unveiled Amsterdam will be hosting a Pitch Battle competition for the first time with the support of the European Innovation Council (EIC), taking place 15 October 2024 to showcase the best in European tech. The winner will receive a booth space in Eureka Park, the CES startup hub, at CES 2025 in Las Vegas. Note: the deadline to apply is 20 September 2024.