Samsung Electronics will use CES 2026 to highlight the next wave of consumer technology, not just through its own products, but by putting the spotlight on startups emerging from its C-Lab incubator. From January 6 to 9, the company will host a dedicated showcase at Eureka Park in the Venetian Expo, featuring 15 startups working across AI, robotics, digital health, and sustainability.
This year feels different for Samsung’s exhibition, because more startups are coming from outside Seoul. A surge in startups from other regions points to an evolving open innovation strategy at Samsung, one aimed at nurturing a more diverse and sustainable technology across South Korea.
“Samsung supports C-Lab startups through CES as a platform to validate innovative technologies and build momentum for global growth,” said Byoung Chul Lee, Vice President and Head of the Creativity & Innovation Center at Samsung Electronics. “This year, expanded participation from regional startups highlights the continued evolution of the C-Lab ecosystem.”
Samsung will showcase a record seven startups from its regional C-Lab programs in Daegu, Gwangju, and Gyeongbuk at CES 2026. Since its expansion in 2023, the initiative has focused on enabling collaboration and access to Samsung’s resources without requiring startups to relocate to Seoul.
Early results show the strategy is working. Repla, a Gyeongbuk-based plastic recycling startup, has earned a CES 2026 Innovation Award for its “Puri-Checker,” a device that identifies plastic composition. According to CEO Dong-eun Seo, collaboration with Samsung has helped position the company to address plastic recycling as a global market opportunity rather than a purely regional one.
Other regional startups include Stress Solution (AI mental care sound creation), Deepscent (AI digital scent solutions), and 10kM.ai (enterprise AI video production).
Continuing a practice that began in 2016, Samsung will showcase projects from its C-Lab Inside program, which develops ideas generated by employees. This year, two AI projects recognized for their innovation and scalability will be featured: ChronoMix, an object-centric video composition solution, and EZ Reco, a generative AI platform for electronics recommendations.
The program’s performance has been formally recognized by the Consumer Technology Association, which awarded C-Lab startups a total of 17 CES 2026 Innovation Awards. Among them were two Best of Innovation awards for MangoSlab and StudioLab, both originally developed through C-Lab Inside.
Four startups from the Samsung Financial C-Lab Outside program will participate in CES for the first time. The group includes Selectstar from Samsung Life Insurance, which develops AI evaluation platforms; Datumo from Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, focused on cyber risk modeling; and Pillsang from Samsung Securities, offering an on-device AI phishing detection solution.
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