Daily London
CES is easily the biggest technology trade show in the world, with more than 140,000 industry experts and retail buyers flocking to Las Vegas to see what’s new, what’s innovative and what might make big sales across the world in the year ahead.
Alongside the biggest brands, such as Samsung, LG, Hisense and Sony, you’ll also find small companies trying to make the big time, as well as some successful businesses trying to expand their market share across the world.
Here at the Las Vegas Convention Centre in 2026, 9News has found at least four Aussie companies doing just that.
Espresso might sound like a shot of coffee, but in the tech world it’s an Aussie business making ultra thin and portable monitors.
Operating out of Sydney and now with offices in Austin, Texas, Espresso’s screens have become popular with content creators and other workers who do a lot of work on the go, either out and about or travelling.
They offer something light and genuinely portable that can fit in a backpack with your laptop, but also has a simple, slim stand to set up when you’re working remotely. It’s a game changer for many people.
During the CES, the company announced a new 15-inch model which is also its first model to come in multiple colours. It is launching first in the US, with an Australian launch expected in the coming months.
From selling online direct to consumers, to clinching a deal to showcase their products in JB Hi-Fi and now in Costco across the US, the company has a strong growth trajectory. A show such as CES exposes them to even more buyers from around the world.
RØDE started out as a premium microphone brand, manufacturing products in Sydney, it became the go-to brand for on-camera microphones in the YouTube boom.
Now in the social media generation, it has expanded its range to include small clip-on microphones used by content creators among many others.
The company has also expanded into audio and video podcast production, and at CES has been showcasing upcoming products in this space to content creators at the main convention hall.
That a company the size and scale of RØDE could come out of Australia in the first place is an achievement to be proud of, but even more so they still manufacture in Sydney is a “Made in Australia” badge of honour on show to the world at CES.
STM Goods started in the Sydney suburb of Bondi by a couple looking to make stylish and durable smartphone accessories. Today, it makes a huge range of accessories and backpacks among much more.
Its showcase stand at CES is the largest of all these Aussie companies, showing off its large range and colourful offerings, and using a well-worn conference trick of gifts at the stand to attract huge numbers and queues of people to the STM booth.
A show like CES and other global trade shows allows STM to find more retail companies across the world to sell its range and expand their global footprint and market share.
At the other end of the spectrum is Aussie start-up Strapsicle. Attending CES to showcase its new iPad mini case, Strapsicle makes a silicone case for iPads and Kindle e-readers that allows you to hold the device in the palm of your hand, making reading, drawing or interacting even easier.
Co-founder and chief executive Louise Rice said: “What started as an unfortunate incident in a moment of post-partum sleep deprivation, which led me to dropping my Kindle e-reader on my newborn son’s head, has turned out to be one of the greatest accidents of all time.”
“We’re a small, scrappy start-up who is delivering a series of products for the most popular mobile devices in the world, as customers find not only tremendous convenience when using them to hold their device, but more importantly they’re also finding overwhelming health benefits while using our straps, which is very rewarding to my partner and I.”
Who knows, Strapsicle might be noticed at CES by a major retail brand from around the world and take the company to all new levels.
Trevor Long travelled to Las Vegas with support from Hisense, LG, Reolink, LEGO and Samsung.
