Hoosier tech takes CES 2025
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
This flying car concept from LEO Flight is one of the Hoosier-designed innovations heading to CES 2025. Photo: Courtesy of LEO Flight Corporation
Indiana innovators are preparing to make an impact at the world's biggest annual showcase of bleeding-edge consumer technology next month.
The big picture: The Indiana Economic Development Corporation has been making its presence felt at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas since 2022 alongside Indiana-based tech companies.
- The goal, officials say, is to prove to the world that Indiana is the right place with the right talent to push the tech landscape forward and our tech savvy shouldn't be overlooked.
What they're saying: "The opportunity to have this type of presence at CES has proven to be extremely successful for the featured companies," Erin Sweitzer, IEDC's vice president of external communications, told Axios.
Here are the eight startups that will get the chance to further that mission at CES 2025:
- Plantennas: Makes an ag tech tool that automates plant propagation, life cycle inventory and data management.
- EchoTech AI: Developer of an "AI co-pilot" for wheelchair users.
- Laxis Inc.: Maker of an AI assistant tailored to support revenue teams.
- Davinci Wearables: Specializes in wearable monitoring tech geared toward female athletes.
- Hearsight Inc.: Creates tech to help people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
- Wicked Technologies: A smart bedding company that makes sleep tech for senior living communities.
- Ateios: A battery manufacturing startup.
- LEO Flight: Designer of the LEO Coupe, an electric flying car concept.
Zoom in: The IEDC's longtime partner in this effort is the Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC), a local nonprofit that organizes autonomous racing competitions among university-affiliated teams.
- IAC was initially envisioned as a $1 million one-off competition with more than 30 university teams competing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in October 2021.
- The program has evolved into a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) partner that is assisting in the nation's development and training of physical AI.
The latest: The IAC has become a regular fixture at CES since that first race in 2021, and will hold its fourth race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Jan. 9.
- The teams that competed at the most recent IAC event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sept. 6 will return, including the teams from IU and Purdue.
- The CES running will also feature the first multicar autonomous race with three or more race cars competing at high speeds.
- "We love the CES partnership. It's a great venue and a great audience that really appreciates and understands the technology and everything that's going on," Indy Autonomous Challenge CEO Paul Mitchell told Axios. "It's kind of a second home for us beyond our home base here in Indianapolis."
What next: CES 2025 is Jan. 7–10.
If you go: If you're a Hoosier who happens to be making a trip to Sin City that week, the IEDC and IU Ventures are throwing their annual Friends of Indiana networking event from 4–6pm on opening day.
- RSVP at this link to attend.