The self-proclaimed “Most Powerful Tech Event in the World” wrapped up this week.
The annual Consumer Electronics Show, known as CES, swept Las Vegas for another week of action-packed product launches and teases from global tech titans to local startups.
Among the B.C.-bred firms showcasing their innovation at CES 2025 in Vegas was Naqi Logix, a Vancouver-based neurotech startup founded by Mark Godsy and Dave Segal.
Naqi Logix is seeking to redefine human-device interactions with its flagship product, the Naqi Neural Earbud.
Similar to the concept behind Elon Musk’s Neuralink—only much less invasive—Naqi’s patented earbud technology converts facial micro-gestures, such as jaw clenches and eyebrow lifts, into digital commands.
These gesture-powered commands enable hands-free, voice-free, screen-free control of devices—from computers to wheelchairs.
Recognized last year as one of TIME’s “Best Inventions of 2023” and a 2024 Edison Award Gold winner, Naqi this month garnered accolades at CES: the startup was an Honouree in the Innovation Awards’ Accessibility & AgeTech category and also look home a CES TWICE Picks award.
No wonder Naqi was recently named a B.C. Startup to Watch.
Another local startup-to-watch who attended this year’s CES was MATT3R.
The Vancouver company is using advanced AI to elevate road safety through its K3Y device, which enables owners of Tesla vehicles to turn their car’s built-in external cameras into a smart dashcam system.
The K3Y is a USB device that sits in the glove box of Tesla vehicles, acting as a silent bridge between the vehicle’s built-in external cameras and a user’s phone.
The device records footage from the Tesla vehicle’s external front, side, and rear cameras, offering a surround view of every trip, and its built-in sensors add important context using advanced AI technology to intelligently flag events like honks, harsh braking, front collision warnings, and autopilot disengagement.
MATT3R was founded by CEO Hamid Abdollahi, a serial entrepreneur whose previous startup, Recon Instruments, pioneered wearable tech before being acquired by Intel in 2015.
Also at CES this month was Human In Motion Robotics.
Vancouver’s Human In Motion, another Innovation Awards Honouree for 2025, was recognized by CES for its novel self-balancing exoskeleton system, XoMotion.
XoMotion stands out due to its ability to mimic natural, human-like movements, making it intuitive to use for both patients and therapists. Rooted in advanced humanoid robotics, the exoskeleton tech reduces the physical burden on therapists by lifting, assisting, mobilizing, and training patients.
Human in Motion recently received its Medical Devices Establishment License to market and sell XoMotion in Canada, marking a significant milestone for the B.C. firm.
I have been influenced by David Segal for 25 years, who has facilitated my own sequential development of educational models and devices for international medical education. He has been a loyal, and relentless advocate for innovation for improving medical care, and education, worldwide.