Author｜Cora Xu, Editor｜Evan

In 2025, who remains steadfast in their commitment to innovation?

Every visitor to CES has their own list of the top exhibits.

After the first day of the exhibition, Silicon Rabbit observed that AI hardware has emerged as the central theme of CES 2025. Cute desktop robots like ElliQ, fluffy AI dolls like Mirumi, active display AI glasses like Halliday, and expensive AI rings like Rare... (AI hardware shines at CES 2025, igniting a hundred-mirror battle, with desktop pets and AI baby chairs unexpectedly becoming hits)

Beyond AI hardware, Silicon Rabbit's frontline observers discovered numerous intriguing and imaginative products, including various fun screens. Most of these products are still in the nascent stages of validating their creative ideas. Despite their limited commercial maturity, they already demonstrate the boundless possibilities of future technology and life integration.

Below are some fascinating black tech discoveries and the startups behind them, unearthed by Silicon Rabbit. Enjoy!

1. "Sea Turtles" Become Ocean Quality Inspectors, Beatbot Receives Investment from Anker

Pool cleaning robot company Beatbot (Xingmai Innovation) launched the RoboTurtle at CES 2025. This robotic sea turtle is primarily used for ecological research, water protection, and emergency response. By mimicking natural sea turtle movements, it explores sensitive ecosystems precisely and non-invasively, minimizing its impact on the marine environment. Equipped with multimodal sensors on its limbs, it monitors the water environment and tracks biological characteristics. Additionally, it features an AI camera system that tracks and records aquatic life, providing abundant research materials.

Founded in 2022, Beatbot has offices in Suzhou, China, and Wilmington, Delaware, USA. Its founder, Wang Shengle, previously worked at leading robot companies like Ecovacs and Dreame, responsible for R&D, supply chain, and sales to large B customers. With 4 years of experience as an R&D engineer at Ecovacs and 6 years as Executive Vice President of Dreame Technology, he has contributed to the development of robots for sweeping, mopping, window cleaning, and solar cleaning. In September 2024, Beatbot successfully completed tens of millions of yuan in Series A financing, with investors including Anker Innovation, Cathay Capital, LeadEdge Capital, Shunwei Capital, Hillhouse Capital, Source Code Capital, Yunmu Capital, and Wuzhong Financial Holding. Its current valuation is close to 2 billion yuan. Third-party data shows that Beatbot sold over 1,278 units across 37 ASINs on Amazon's North American site within 30 days, with sales exceeding 2 million USD.

2. Colorful "Electronic Face Mask" Launched! Starting at $150

Nanoleaf showcased an electronic LED face mask at CES 2025. Made of medical-grade materials and certified as an FDA Class II device, users can adjust the LED light color based on their skin condition. The device offers seven colors: white, red, blue, purple, yellow, cyan, and green. Popular among skincare enthusiasts, it addresses issues like acne, fine lines, and uneven skin tone, promoting collagen production. However, while red, blue, and near-infrared phototherapy are FDA-approved, other colors are not, indicating potential usage risks.

Founded in 2012 by three electronic engineers from the University of Toronto, Nanoleaf is led by CEO Gimmy Chu (Zhu Jiajun), who has over 8 years of management experience at Accenture. Christian Yan (Yan Sicheng) serves as COO, overseeing supply chain management, while Tom Rodinger is CTO, leading technology roadmap development. The company, with headquarters in China and Europe, focuses on IoT lighting (IoT) R&D, aiming to transform how people interact with light through customized smart experiences. Nanoleaf has received investments from BURCH CREATIVE CAPITAL, Horizons Ventures (a private equity fund under Li Ka Shing's Victoria Harbour Investments), and KPCB. Public data shows that the latest round of financing was completed in 2017, with a cumulative financing amount of 3.17 million USD.

3. "Toaster" Can Also Charge Your Phone? Battery Replacement in Seconds

Many visitors saw this magical toaster-style charging device at the exhibition. Simply place your phone in the device, and within seconds, it returns fully charged. Of course, this toaster doesn't bake bread or disassemble phones to replace batteries. Instead, Swippitt includes a replaceable battery system installed in a specially designed phone case. You can use your phone as usual, with the case's power device charging it. Swippitt consists of the $120 Swippitt Link phone case, the $450 Swippitt Hub charging station, and the subscription-based Swippitt App. The company plans to provide protective cases for iPhone 14, 15, and 16 series, with Samsung Galaxy S series cases by the end of 2025. An Irish startup founded by Padraic Connolly, who has extensive experience in design and product development, Swippitt plans to start shipping in June 2025.

4. Test Hormone Levels Through Saliva? AI Understands Your Hormonal Changes Best

Eli Health announced the Hormometer, a home hormone system that uses saliva and a smartphone camera to measure hormone levels. Users place the small cylindrical front end in their mouths for 60 seconds, then take a photo of the test stick with their phone. The Eli app assesses test results based on color intensity and sample pattern, providing personalized trends and suggestions related to stress, sleep, athletic performance, and fertility. Currently offering cortisol and progesterone tests, it's less invasive and faster than traditional methods. The company is also researching testosterone and estradiol tests. Eli Health offers a subscription plan starting at $8 per month for 12 months, significantly lower than other health apps. The device will begin testing in the US and Canada this month, with a full release expected later this year. Eli Health, a women's health-focused company, completed a $3.6 million seed round led by Muse Capital, with participation from RH Capital and Cake Ventures. The startup team includes Marina Pavlovic Rivas and her partner Thomas, with backgrounds in physics and engineering.

5. Change Taste Through Microcurrent? Japanese Startup Creates Electronic Spoon

As living conditions improve, more people focus on food safety and health, including microelement intake. Kirin Holdings Company exhibited an electronic spoon at CES 2025 that concentrates sodium ion molecules in food through a weak current, enhancing taste while maintaining low sodium content. Priced at $127, the spoon aims to help people consume less sodium without sacrificing taste.

6. Literacy Cane Makes Its Debut, Offering Automatic Obstacle Avoidance

At CES, the Glide cane showcased the warmth of technology. Designed for visually impaired individuals, it uses AI and navigation robot technology for obstacle avoidance, providing environmental perception and audio/tactile feedback. Improved from the previous generation, Glide features automatic coasting, a fashionable design with larger wheels for smoother travel, a sturdy structure, and an ergonomic handle. Glidance, founded in 2023 with headquarters in Seattle, USA, was created by former Microsoft product director Amos Mille. The company, which completed a $1.5 million seed round in July 2024 with investors including Grep VC, Prota Ventures, Greenwood&Cavalier, St. Johns Community Service, Alliance of Angels, and TiE Oregon Angels, focuses on developing the Glide cane.

Photo taken by Silicon Rabbit's frontline observer

7. Projector and Screen in One, Foldable Too!

Arovia, the manufacturer of the Splay portable display, showcased its upgraded SplayMax at CES 2025. Larger and clearer than the previous version, it folds into book size and includes a mini projector compatible with most laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Using a patented nanomaterial screen developed for military applications, it boasts a screen ten times that of a laptop, potentially the largest portable display on the market. Founded by optical engineer Alex and mechanical engineer George, Arovia's Splay successfully crowdfunded on Kickstarter and Indiegogo, raising over 1.2 million USD.

8. E Ink Launches Digital Posters with Regularly Updatable Content

In collaboration with PocketBook and Sharp, E Ink created a low-power digital poster displaying images and artwork on a colorful e-paper screen. Combining E Ink's Spectra 6 screen technology with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, InkPoster allows regular updates and uploads of art images. Available in three sizes, the smallest has a 13.3-inch screen (1200x1600 resolution, 14,000mAh battery), while the largest is 31.5 inches (2560x1440 resolution, 20,000mAh battery). Estimated prices are $599 for the 13.3-inch model, $1,700 for the 31.5-inch model, and $2,400 for the 28.5-inch model. InkPoster is one of the first consumer products to use E Ink's Spectra 6 display technology.

9. Lenovo's Rollable Screen Laptop Will Soon Enter Mass Production, Expanding from 14 to 16.7 Inches

Lenovo's much-anticipated rollable screen has been upgraded again. ThinkBook Plus Gen 6, featuring a flexible OLED display with a built-in motor in the hinge, stole the show at CES. Users can expand the screen from 14 to 16.7 inches by pressing a button or raising their hand to the webcam, a process taking about 10 seconds. ThinkBook has undergone rigorous testing, with hinges capable of closing and opening at least 30,000 times and scrolling up and down 20,000 times, making it a relatively mature product. ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 is scheduled for launch in June.

10. A Storable In-car Screen? BOE Showcases Innovative Forms of Future In-car Screens

At CES 2025, BOE launched the Hero Program, introducing over 60 innovative products. The most eye-catching was the storable in-car screen. With a simple command, the large in-car screen folds up and stores within the device, hinting at potential future innovations in in-car screens.

Innovation in Science and Technology Continues

Serving as a bellwether for the global tech industry, CES serves as a platform to unveil groundbreaking technologies and products across a myriad of domains, ranging from display technology and robotics to health technology. As Joseph Schumpeter, the esteemed "Father of Innovation," eloquently put it, "innovation" entails integrating novel combinations of production factors and conditions into the production system. Beneath the veil of these CES innovations lies the emergence of fresh production modes, untapped supply sources, and revolutionary lifestyles. Reference Sources: The Verge, TechCrunch. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Qianlin Ma, our vigilant frontline observer from Silicon Rabbit, for her invaluable support in furnishing images and textual content for this article. End-of-article interaction: Have you encountered any other intriguing products that have caught your eye? Do share your discoveries with us in the comments section below!～