NC State Startups Bring University Innovation to CES 2026
Innovators showcased bold ideas in energy, human interaction and digital health at the world’s premier technology event
NC State–affiliated startups participated in the NC State University Startup Pavilion at CES 2026, the global technology event held Jan. 6-9 in Las Vegas, where innovators and tech companies large and small from around the world gathered to showcase emerging technologies and explore future trends. The event highlighted advances in artificial intelligence, digital health, automotive technology, smart home systems and advanced computing, while providing opportunities for startups to connect with industry leaders, potential partners and customers.
This year, three NC State startups, Clearsens, VibraPower and Onda Vision Technologies, promoted exciting innovations based on university-developed research with applications spanning energy, human-computer interaction and health monitoring.
NC State Startups at CES 2025
ClearSens is – a startup with ties to the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering – developing chip-scale, low-power ultrasonic transducer arrays that enable continuous, wearable imaging for medical, industrial, and extreme-environment applications. At CES 2026, ClearSens showcased its low-form-factor ultrasound technology designed for real-time physiological monitoring, with dual-use impact spanning diver safety, space exploration, and next-generation healthcare.
“Our goal is to make advanced ultrasound truly wearable and deployable beyond traditional clinical settings.” said ClearSens co-founder Yalcin Yammaner. “At CES 2026, we were able to demonstrate our wearable ultrasound system and engage with partners who see its potential across healthcare, space, and extreme-environment applications.”
The company has secured over $2 million in non-dilutive grant funding to support research and development.
Originating from research within the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, VibraPower is advancing vibrational energy harvesting technology designed to power industrial sensors and devices without disposable batteries. By converting ambient vibrations into usable electrical energy, the startup aims to provide maintenance-free, sustainable power solutions for manufacturing, mining and transportation, supporting the transition to Industry 4.0 and smarter industrial infrastructure.
“CES gave us an opportunity to show how vibrational energy harvesting can fundamentally change the way industrial systems are powered,” said VibraPower founder and NC State alumnus XiaoFu Li. “Eliminating batteries reduces maintenance costs and environmental impact while enabling truly autonomous sensing.”
VibraPower was the recipient of a $10,000 NCIDEA MICRO grant in 2025 to complete work that will transition their prototype to the pilot testing stage.
Onda Vision Technologies introduced its low-cost wearable hydration monitoring solution designed to prevent dehydration in sports, healthcare and occupational environments. Operating under a Safety-as-a-Service business model, the company leverages IoT-enabled wearables to generate high-value hydration data, delivering actionable insights while creating scalable data-driven revenue streams.
Onda Vision Technologies is a spin-out company from the North Carolina State University’s Advanced Self-Powered Systems Integrated Sensors and Technologies (ASSIST) Center. Onda Vision was formed by entrepreneur Dr. William D. Reynolds, Jr. to transition university research into a real-world product.
“Hydration is a critical but often overlooked factor in performance and safety,” said by Dr. Charles Johnson-Bey, an Onda Vision Technologies representative. “CES allowed us to connect with partners who see the value of combining wearable technology with real-time data to improve health outcomes.”
The company has secured over $1.3 million in non-dilutive funding to support development of its innovative hydration monitoring technology.
Looking ahead
Attending events like CES provide an important platform for founders to test ideas, gather feedback and build relationships that help shape the next stage of growth.
NC State startups interested in future CES participation, as well as industry partners looking to learn more about these companies, are encouraged to connect with Zach Williams at zdwillia@ncsu.edu to learn more about NC State’s startup ecosystem and opportunities to engage with cutting-edge university startups.
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