Shaping a Sustainable Future Through Innovation in Climate Tech: CES 2024 Recap
CES® 2024, the apex of tech innovation and entrepreneurship, concluded recently, provided a unique opportunity for networking, showcasing finalists from the Deep Tech Climate Innovations Startup Challenge, presented by Cadence Giving Foundation of Cadence Design Systems, and celebrating the Samsung Climate & Circularity Tech Challenge. CES was more than just a trade show; it was a convergence point for over 135,000 attendees from 150 countries, offering access to a staggering array of 250 conference sessions, 1,000 speakers, and 4,300 exhibitors; and leaving a lasting impression of groundbreaking technologies and forward-thinking initiatives.
One of Extreme Tech Challenge’s founding partners, Samsung Electronics, kicked off CES with a press conference, announcing their ambitious AI for All vision. Central to this vision is their AI for Society initiative, emphasizing sustainability and aligning seamlessly with their Climate & Circularity to support startups addressing global challenges.
On January 10, our networking reception opened with a keynote from Lars Reger, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of NXP Semiconductors; Board Member of Extreme Tech Challenge, who highlighted the pivotal role of entrepreneurs in forming global partnerships to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges. This theme of collaboration was further explored in a fireside chat featuring Dr. Vanessa Z. Chan, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Chief Commercialization Officer, Office of Technology Transitions, and Victoria Slivkoff, Executive Managing Director of Extreme Tech Challenge and Head of Ecosystem at Walden Catalyst Ventures. Dr. Chan’s encouragement for innovators to engage with DOE resources to propel clean energy commercialization was particularly noteworthy.
The Deep Tech Climate Innovations Startup Challenge startup pitch session opened with a welcome from Nicole Johnson, President, Cadence Giving Foundation and Global Director of Social Impact, Cadence Design Systems. Then Finalists, 7Analytics, Barrow Green, BioEsol, Dynamic Air Cooling (DAC), EarthEn, EH Group, SeaO2, and Water Warriors delivered their pitches to a packed room of VCs, ecosystem builders and partners. We celebrated as the winner, EarthEn, was announced.
Dr. Chan, who also served as a final judge said, “It’s been such a pleasure being asked to judge [this competition] with Extreme Tech Challenge. The startups that came through are working on critical and important technologies for this world. To have a superstar like Victoria and her team driving this is amazing.”
EarthEn COO and Co-Founder, Karthi Chakaravarty, said, “This was fantastic. One of the main reasons is due to the entire focus on commercialization and true deep tech. Deep tech and sustainability have turned into buzzwords, and I think there are very few competitions and very few people that emphasize the value of it and what it truly means.”
Adding to the immersive experience of the Extreme Tech Challenge reception, a slideshow showcasing the September 2023 finalists of the Samsung Climate & Circularity Tech Challenge provided a visual accolade for their innovative solutions designed for integration into Samsung’s product lines. The Top 6 Finalists: Aquasaic, Baleena, Barrow Green, Blip Energy, (Winner) Camfridge, and River Otter Renewables were also displayed at Samsung Electronics’ CES booth to spotlight its support for startups.
Our time at CES culminated with the Deep Tech Climate Innovations Startup Challenge finalists presenting on the CES® Startup Stage at Eureka Park. Renowned as the birthplace of future tech, this platform, which has seen over $10B invested in showcased companies, provided a fitting finale to an event that not only celebrated technological innovation but also reaffirmed the tech industry’s commitment to environmental stewardship and global collaboration.
Watch the keynotes, fireside chat with Dr. Vanessa Chan and startup pitches at the CES Networking Reception: https://youtu.be/Vv82SgezWy0?si=kaJJGOT6rOqoWSlv
Watch the full private pitch session: https://youtu.be/Pn5nlW8JOqk?si=Uv5abw69PPFdFtOP