(N3) Prelaunch Industry Board Newsletter: Monthly Innovation & Insights

Dear Industry Board Members,

I hope this message finds you well.

I had a great week at VivaTech in Paris, and now heading to IIEX Amsterdam.

At Prelaunch, our mission is to foster innovation, so we’re always keeping a close eye on the latest trends, technologies, and breakthroughs shaping the future.

As always, I wanted to share a few highlights from the event and some interesting insights I came across along the way.

Here are my 7 highlights from Vivatech. 

1. Humanoid Robots are Coming

“Humanoid robots are going to be a thing,” said NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, surrounded by robots.

Jensen's vision is where humanoid robots become as common as smartphones—trained by humans, powered by AI, and developed using NVIDIA’s Thor computer and Omniverse digital twin. 😎

Chinese startup (probably not anymore) Unitree, as always, had one of the most crowded booths, showcasing its humanoid and dog robots, which entertained visitors.

2. Medical Robotics and AI-Driven Surgery

XARLabs showcased AI and AR applications in brain surgery, offering real-time decision support and digital overlays for enhanced precision.

Led by neurosurgeon Dr. Ali Haddad, the system integrates robotics, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence to reduce surgical risks and improve access to complex procedures.

3. Personalized Drug Discovery

Itay&Beyond, led by Dr. Nisim Perets, introduced AI-powered drug screening using brain organoids grown from patient cells.

This approach allows for highly personalized treatment predictions and could cut drug development time and costs dramatically.

4. Bioelectronic Medicine and Advanced Therapeutics

Bioelectronic implants were among the most futuristic health technologies showcased, designed to fight brain cancer by interfacing directly with biological systems.

These AI-powered implants offer real-time feedback, adaptability, and precision previously unachievable with conventional medicine.

5. Europe’s AI Infrastructure 

NVIDIA announced strategic partnerships with Orange, Telefónica, Swisscom, Telenor, and Firebird to scale AI infrastructure across Europe and beyond.

AI compute capacity is expected to grow 10x over the next two years. 

6. Honda’s Smart Foot Navigation for the Visually Impaired

Honda’s startup Ashirase debuted a smart shoe insert that guides visually impaired users using vibration patterns.

As the world’s first foot-based navigation device, Ashirase launches in Summer 2025, offering more independence and mobility for the blind.

7. VivaTech Innovation Awards

VivaTech 2025 featured 30 startups for the Innovation of the Year award, showcasing breakthrough technologies that represent the cutting edge of innovation across multiple domains. 

Among the most remarkable innovations recognized were: 

  -  Microrobot swarms designed for space exploration,

  -  AI systems that can read minds to control devices, 

  -  and Bioelectronic implants for fighting brain cancer.

Wow. Pretty impressive. 🤯

CPG News and Trends

PepsiCo’s completion of the Poppi acquisition on May 19, 2025, for $1.95 billion represents one of the most significant strategic moves in the CPG sector during this period. The transaction, with a net purchase price of $1.95 billion, marks a major step in PepsiCo’s long-term innovation and health-oriented strategy.

Poppi, a fast-growing prebiotic soda brand founded by husband-and-wife duo Stephen and Allison Ellsworth, embodies the new generation of CPG brands that have successfully captured Gen Z and millennial consumers. The brand's success story began as a home-brewed concoction that evolved from a farmers' market favorite to a Shark Tank investment, ultimately achieving nationwide retail distribution. This trajectory illustrates the democratization of CPG innovation, where small brands can rapidly scale through direct-to-consumer channels and social media marketing.

Coca-Cola's Innovation Response: The TikTok-Driven Product Development

Coca-Cola's launch of Sprite + Tea in May 2025 represents a fascinating case study in how traditional CPG companies are adapting their innovation processes to respond to social media trends and consumer-generated content. 

The product, available through October 2025 in both regular and zero-sugar varieties, originated from a viral TikTok trend that combined the lemon-lime soda with tea bags, demonstrating how social media platforms have become powerful innovation laboratories for CPG companies.

The development process for Sprite + Tea began as "an intern research project" that involved multiple rounds of brainstorming and consumer testing to achieve the correct flavor balance, texture, and color. 

Sprite, which became the third-best-selling soft drink by volume in the U.S. earlier in 2025, has been actively experimenting with flavor innovations in recent years. 

Industry Innovation Stats: The Sobering Reality

BCG's analysis of CPG innovation performance reveals sobering statistics that underscore the challenges facing the industry. The finding is that 65% of new product launches are renovations rather than true innovations.

So only 35% of 2024 CPG launches were truly new products.

That’s the lowest in the past 30 years.🔻 🤯

Meanwhile, 95% of executives say innovation is their #1 priority...

So, what’s the paradox?

On one hand, brands want to innovate.

On the other hand, they pour time, energy, and budget into tweaking existing lines and cutting costs.

While big brands play it safe and focus on expenses, nimble startups steal their lunch.

The problem lies in an outdated, traditional innovation framework—built on lengthy processes, unjustified bets, and biased insights—which adds more risk than reward.

Something Really Cool

Google’s Project Beam is building an immersive video call experience—no AR/VR glasses required.

You’ll be able to see the person in 3D, in real space, without wearing any headsets.

Check out this video to see what’s coming.

🚀 What’s New at Prelaunch.com

We’re developing a smart, conversation-based chat tool on WhatsApp that eliminates the need for static surveys.

Instead of outdated forms, our intelligent interviewer bots engage people in real conversations, asking questions, following up, and collecting insights from hundreds at once.

The system then analyzes the data, connects the dots, and surfaces the most valuable insights in a clear and concise report.

The best part? You can manage multiple interviewers, each tailoring their questions based on previous answers, unlocking much deeper, more authentic insights.

P.S. We’re about to launch our beta program for testing this technology. It runs independently from the main Prelaunch flow. If you’re interested in trying it out, just send me a quick note.

Narek

CEO, Prelaunch.com