Over 50 Italian start-ups at Ces 2026 in Las Vegas

On 6 January the activities in the Arena will officially kick off with the ribbon cutting ceremony, which will be attended by the president of Agenzia Ice Matteo Zoppas, together with Kinsey Fabrizio, president of the Consumer Technology Association (which organises CES), the Consul General of Italy in Los Angeles Raffaella Valentini, and the Trade Commissioner of the Ice Los Angeles Office Giosafat Riganò. This will be followed by the 'Spritz & Pitch', a traditional networking event that encourages meetings between international stakeholders and start-ups in the pavilion.

An in-depth discussion on the transition towards clean energy systems and new mobility models will follow in the afternoon, featuring Professor Francesco Cupertino, former Rector of the Politecnico di Bari and President of Fondazione NEST, Marco Ferrari (CEO of Eltech) and Luca Foresti (AIDA Project, Politecnico di Milano). The AIDA project of the Politecnico di Milano is the protagonist of another Italian exhibition area at CES 2026, curated by the ICE Chicago Office in the West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, the area dedicated to the automotive industry. The space, which also sees the participation of ANFIA (Associazione Nazionale Filiera Industria Automobilistica), Stellantis and Eldor, will present the most advanced and innovative Italian technologies in the field of on-board electronics and connected and autonomous mobility systems. The stand will feature a Fiat 500e self-driving car, equipped with a robo-driver developed by the Politecnico di Milano: a vehicle that represents a concrete step towards new solutions for intelligent and sustainable mobility. This will be followed by a panel dedicated to female leadership in tech, with the participation of numerous founders and managers of Italian start-ups at Ces, in a debate focusing on overcoming gender bias in data and artificial intelligence and growth strategies in international ecosystems. The day will end with a focus on the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, the first Italian territory classified as a 'Strong Innovator' by the European Commission. Thanks to its research and development ecosystem, its network of scientific hubs, and its strategic logistical position, the region presents itself as the ideal environment for the development of innovative projects in sectors such as AI and quantum computing. The meeting will explore investment opportunities in the region and the support services offered by the Select Friuli Venezia Giulia agency.

The second day will open with the first pitch sessions of Italian start-ups: the first dedicated to solutions for energy and smart mobility, followed by an in-depth look at technologies for the future of work, with a focus on EdTech, legal services, and cybersecurity. This will be followed by the presentation of the 2026 initiatives of WMF (WeMakeFuture), a certified international exhibition on AI, Tech and Digital Innovation, one of the most important events in Europe for the sector. In the afternoon, Marco Paglia (co-chairman of Musixmatch), Marco Palacino (founder of Ovington Capital) and Luciana Mirizzi (CMO of Agos) will discuss how AI is transforming content creation and distribution in entertainment and marketing. The startup presentations will continue with a session dedicated to smart management of territories and cities, followed by an overview of innovations for the manufacturing sector.

The day will close with a panel discussion on the future of consumer electronics in retail, with the participation of Alessandro Penasa, CEO of the DAO Group, Roberto Omati, GM of Expert Italy, and Daniele Pucci, CEO and co-founder of Generative Bionics, an Italian startup born in 2025 from technologies developed within the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Genoa with a €70 million initial funding round led by AMD.

Eight January will open with pitches focused on the health and life sciences sector, followed by innovative solutions for lifestyle, sports and entertainment. The morning will be closed by a talk hosted by bitCorp. In the afternoon, a panel organised by the national research organisation Area Science Park - the historical co-organiser of the Italian mission to CES - will address the theme of the transformation of scientific research into investable enterprises, and the support of start-ups in complex technological domains. The last thematic pitch session will be dedicated to innovations in the fields of marketing and media.

The last day of events in the Arena Italia will be on 9 January: the proceedings will open with the Italian Startup Carousel, a high-tempo showcase in which all 51 start-ups in the pavilion will have one minute each to present their technology to investors and partners, offering a complete overview of the Made in Italy innovation present at CES 2026. The pavilion activities will end with a closing talk by WeMakeFuture.

Innovations on show range from green energy management via community management and wireless laser charging, to monitoring infrastructure and landslide-prone areas or smart irrigation materials. The future of work sees AI 'career coaches', blockchain for document and supply chain certification, software for media authenticity and cloud for advanced computing. In the area of safety and health, offerings include wearable airbags against falls, exoskeletons for heavy loads or rehabilitation, wearables for psychological state and AI systems for health navigation, as well as sensors for drowsiness and vibration motorbike saddles. AI also supports personal finance and football, while sensor-enabled soles enable VR navigation. Finally, innovation touches marketing with platforms for creators and text-to-audio tools, to the smart factory with advanced sensors, plug-and-play solutions for energy saving and electrostatic robotic arms.