There’s nothing quite like CES.
Every January, it feels like the world’s largest science fair colliding with Shark Tank a global proving ground for ideas, technologies, and bold bets on the future. This year, I had the privilege of serving as a judge for the CES Innovation Awards, and the experience was a powerful reminder of why I started VentureFuel in the first place.
Because when you have a front-row seat to what’s coming next, patterns emerge and those patterns matter deeply for leaders responsible for navigating what’s ahead.
As a judge, I evaluated innovations spanning AI-powered health wearables, next-generation materials, creative tools, and solutions designed to reimagine how we live and work. Some entries came from the world’s largest companies. Others came from early-stage startups doing more with less driven by urgency, creativity, and conviction.
That contrast is exactly where innovation lives.
The most meaningful breakthroughs don’t come from scale alone, or speed alone they come from the intersection of both. And that’s why collaboration between enterprises and startups isn’t just helpful anymore; it’s essential.
At VentureFuel, our mission is built on this belief: helping enterprise organizations accelerate growth by partnering with the startups shaping the future of their industries. Seeing that same dynamic play out across the CES Innovation Awards was energizing and validating.
While CES may be over, the themes emerging from this year’s Innovation Awards will define the year ahead and beyond.
The strongest innovations weren’t just impressive they were intentional. I saw technologies designed to reduce friction, improve health, expand access, and support mental well-being. This wasn’t innovation for innovation’s sake. It was technology grounded in real human needs.
Increasingly, that means automating the tasks humans shouldn’t be doing repetitive, administrative, and time-consuming work, so people can focus on creativity, judgment, and relationships. The organizations that win will be the ones that use technology to give time back to humans, not take it away.
One of the most compelling shifts I saw was the rise of agentic commerce systems where AI agents don’t just recommend but act.
From managing subscriptions and reordering essentials to negotiating services and handling routine purchasing decisions, these agents are increasingly operating on behalf of consumers and employees. The opportunity here isn’t just convenience; it’s a fundamental rethinking of how commerce, procurement, and customer experience work.
For enterprises, this raises important questions: How do you design trust into autonomous systems?
What does brand loyalty mean when an agent is making decisions?
And how do organizations integrate agent-driven workflows responsibly and at scale?
The companies asking and answering these questions now will shape the next era of commerce.
Sustainability has moved beyond storytelling. The most compelling entries embedded environmental responsibility directly into their business models, materials, and operations.
This is a critical signal for enterprises: sustainability is no longer a differentiator it’s an expectation. The opportunity now lies in finding solutions that scale responsibly while driving real business impact.
AI was everywhere but not in the dystopian way many fear. Instead, I saw AI enhancing creativity, learning, and emotional support. The most successful applications weren’t about replacement; they were about amplification.
The future of AI belongs to organizations that use it to empower people, not sideline them.
Judging the CES Innovation Awards wasn’t just an honor it was a reminder of how progress actually happens.
Enterprises bring scale, trust, and the ability to move markets. Startups bring speed, imagination, and the courage to challenge assumptions. When those strengths come together with intention, alignment, and the right structure real transformation happens.
That’s the work we do every day at VentureFuel: helping organizations move beyond inspiration to execution by building meaningful partnerships with the startups redefining what’s possible.
CES 2026 may already be behind us, but its message is clear: innovation isn’t about chasing technology. It’s about making smart bets, building the right partnerships, and staying relentlessly focused on people.
If this year’s CES is any indication, the future is bright and it belongs to leaders willing to collaborate their way forward.
About the Author
Fred Schonenberg is the Founder & CEO of VentureFuel, an innovation consultancy that helps industry leaders ignite change by partnering with the world’s most innovative startups. He is also the host of the VentureFuel Visionaries podcast, where he interviews leaders shaping the future across technology, creativity, and entrepreneurship.