Startups Nurtured by Samsung C-Lab to Make Global Debut at CES 2026

15 C-Lab Startups to Join CES 2026
Exhibition Booth Set Up at the Venetian Expo
Discovering and Supporting Startups Since 2012

Fifteen startups supported by Samsung's "C-Lab" program will participate in "CES 2026," which will be held starting in January next year.

C-Lab is a startup incubation program operated by Samsung Electronics, designed to discover, nurture, and support the commercialization of startups with creative ideas. Since 2012, Samsung Electronics has been running C-Lab to invigorate the domestic startup ecosystem.

Samsung Electronics will set up a C-Lab exhibition hall at CES 2026, the world's largest IT and home appliance exhibition, held in Las Vegas, USA, from January 6 to 9 next year. The company will support 15 startups in their efforts to enter the global market.

The C-Lab exhibition hall will be located within the "Eureka Park" startup pavilion at the Venetian Expo in Las Vegas. Here, C-Lab startups will showcase innovative technologies and services across various fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and digital health.

At the Samsung Electronics C-Lab exhibition hall during CES 2025 held in Las Vegas, USA, this January. Samsung Electronics.

The 15 C-Lab startups consist of eight startups fostered directly by Samsung Electronics through "C-Lab Outside," one startup jointly nurtured by Samsung Electronics and the Daegu Center for Creative Economy & Innovation, two startups from the employee in-house venture program "C-Lab Inside," and four startups supported by "Samsung Financial C-Lab Outside," the startup incubation program of Samsung Financial Networks.

This year, notably, seven out of the fifteen participating startups originated from regional C-Lab hubs in areas such as Daegu and Gwangju, highlighting the significance of their participation.

Lee Byungchul, Vice President and Head of the Creativity & Development Center at Samsung Electronics, stated, "Samsung Electronics supports C-Lab startups in exhibiting at CES so they can validate their innovative technologies in the global market and lay the foundation for growth. This year, with increased participation from regional startups in Daegu and Gwangju, we expect the C-Lab ecosystem to expand even further."

At this CES 2026, seven startups from Daegu, Gyeongbuk, and Gwangju will participate in the exhibition, marking the highest number of regional startups ever to appear on the global stage at a C-Lab exhibition.

Since 2023, Samsung Electronics has gradually expanded C-Lab Outside to Daegu, Gwangju, and Gyeongbuk, discovering and supporting promising startups to build the local startup ecosystem.

To ensure that startups in the regions can access growth opportunities without relocating to Seoul, Samsung Electronics provides workspaces, customized consulting for each growth stage, and opportunities to connect with Samsung Electronics and its affiliates. The program aims to establish a virtuous cycle in which outstanding local talent and technology can thrive and sustain themselves within the region.

So far, 40 regional startups have been discovered and nurtured, contributing to the revitalization of the local startup ecosystem. The technological competitiveness of regional C-Lab startups continues to grow. "Repla," a plastic recycling technology startup from C-Lab Outside Gyeongbuk, developed the Puri-Checker, a device that calculates plastic composition ratios, and won a CES 2026 Innovation Award.

C-Lab startups from Samsung Electronics were recognized for their technological prowess on the global stage, winning two Best of Innovation Awards and fifteen Innovation Awards at the "CES 2026 Innovation Awards" announced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). Both "Mangoslab" and "Studio Lab," which received the Best of Innovation Award, originated from C-Lab Inside and later spun off as independent startups.

Suh Dong-eun, CEO of Repla, said, "For regional startups, receiving support and collaboration from a global company like Samsung Electronics was a tremendous opportunity and fortune. Since plastic recycling is a cross-border challenge, I hope to actively explore opportunities to enter overseas markets through this CES."