CINCINNATI, Ohio– For those who couldn’t swing a trip to Las Vegas, Virtual CES was the perfect chance to check out some startup tech businesses on the rise and discuss the future of technology.
“The connections you make at a smaller event like this, you can talk to people, they can ask more in-depth questions,” Paul Yost, Founder of Yost Labs said. “You can really get a much more focused interaction than at an event like CES.”
About a dozen different startups were at Union Hall, headquarters for Cintrifuse, showing off their projects. One of those startups is AI Imports from Blue Ash. They specialize in timekeeping systems that use just the press of a finger to manage employees.
“On day one, register an employee through a QR code scan, they can then register their fingerprint through that same QR code, Nick Gagai, CEO of AI Imports said. “They can go to work.”
His system called, TicToks, just made its first sale, at the start of this year, and events like Virtual CES allows for his startup to gain a great amount of exposure and feedback from businesses in the Greater Cincinnati Area.
“It means everything,” Gagai said. “Here today, I get to interact with people. I’ve had great feedback on opportunities to expand our current software and meet the needs that aren’t available right now for the Better Business Bureau, for example.”
Yost Labs was also showcasing their work at Virtual CES. Yost Labs specializes in motion sensor technology. And what makes them stand out is how their tech applies to physical therapy, allowing doctors to evaluate and monitor patients’ rehabilitation progress from afar.
“It gives a chance sometimes to gamify the rehabilitation process,” Yost said. “If someone has an app on a tablet or on their phone, they put the sensors on; the sensors talk to that app. They can do the stuff, and they get achievements they can unlock, they have some kind of fun game to play. You’re really doing serious rehabilitation exercises, but it’s taking your mind off that, and you’re doing something that’s more fun.”
In addition to showcasing local startups, Virtual CES provided a live-stream of CES in Vegas and held a Q and A session with a panel of local technology experts.
Cintrifuse CEO Pete Blackshaw says CES and Virtual CES work as a catalyst for creative minds in the Cincinnati community to meld together through networking and open discussions.
“CES is a massive combustion of energy, inspiration, future of tech, and we’re trying to figure out how do we piggy-back on it,” Blackshaw said. “How do we harness that energy to inspire our startups to unlock more ideas. How do we use that to create a greater sense of urgency for our big companies that we know need to innovate more? How do we use it to catalyze conversations, similar to what you just saw? Where we’re connecting the dots between future branding and connected health. And really going deep into some of these consumer insights where Cincinnati might be able to make a unique contribution to our innovation economy.”
Cintrifuse’s goal is to make Cincinnati the No. 1 tech startup hub in the midwest, something they feel is very reachable.
“We also need to drive more entrepreneurs, and that’s one of the reasons why we have 500 events here in Union Hall to kind of do everything we can to encourage entrepreneurs to pursue their dreams,” Blackshaw said. “And we will provide them with a head start. We’ll provide them with low-cost rent. We’ll provide them with amazing advisors and wherever possible, investment, angel money, and potentially VC money down the line. We’re so committed to taking great ideas and talent and unlocking value.”