Prelaunch Industry Board Newsletter: Monthly Innovation & Insights

Dear Industry Board Members,

Welcome to our first monthly newsletter! 

Thanks again for agreeing to be part of our Industry Board. As more people join the board, I want to create a monthly newsletter sharing some insights and updates. 

I attend numerous conferences and speak to experts across the globe, and I’d love to share these insights with you.

Highlights from CES 2025

We’ve recently exhibited at CES in Las Vegas, and if you haven’t visited it, here’s what was happening there. 

Smart Home Ecosystems

Big tech companies (Samsung, LG) are shifting from showcasing standalone products to unveiling entire ecosystems. Their “home orchestration” platforms connect everything—from TVs to dishwashers—through AI. This means when you buy a fridge, you’re essentially buying into an ecosystem.

Flying Cars Are (Almost) Here

At least five companies revealed flying car prototypes (eVTOLs) that can travel about 30 kilometers on a single charge. Regulatory frameworks are still lagging, but some brands are eyeing deliveries as early as this year.

AI Glasses Everywhere

Lightweight, stylish AI/AR glasses with gesture controls and high-res displays are emerging as the next big thing. Building on the buzz of Meta-Rayban, more companies are trying to bring AR into everyday life.

Multi-Tasking Robots

We’ve graduated from simple vacuum bots to robots that can mow lawns, load dishwashers, and learn your habits. AI advancements and better sensors bring these sci-fi helpers closer to everyday reality.

Health Tech is on the rise

Wearables are now tracking stress, glucose, and more. Coupled with AI, these insights turn into actionable health tips. The quirkiest gadget? A spoon that tricks your mouth and tongue sensors into sensing more salt without the sodium… 🤯

Innovation Impossible Podcast: 

We’ve started a podcast named Innovation Impossible 😀

The name was inspired by conversations with executives who sadly admit that they don’t truly innovate. We want to share insights, expertise, and advice to show that innovation is not only possible—it’s essential.

In this episode, Jorge Calvachi, Director of Insights at La-Z-Boy, shares incredible stories.

Like how Easy Mac was struggling—until a mom’s surprising insight led to a game-changing repositioning that saved the brand.

Learn this and more by watching the episode and let me know what you think.

P.S. Innovation is hard, but never impossible. 🚀 

What’s happening with Innovation in CPG

Global CPG innovation dipped to an all-time low last year. 

Companies are wary of investing heavily in R&D due to ROI concerns. Consequently, many are expanding existing product lines instead of launching completely new ones. 

Here’s an interesting article that deep dives into the CPG innovation landscape and dilemma. 

What’s Happening at Prelaunch.com

We leverage AI but remain Human-Centric 

We’re ramping up our AI capabilities, but we firmly believe that for true innovation, humans must be at the core. AI can crunch data and predict trends, but it’s people who will truly and authentically decide if they want to buy the innovation or not. 

Our AI-generated personas reflect real people and their actual insights from post-reservation interviews. P.S. You can chat with an AI avatar and learn what actual customers think. 😎

Conferences we are planning to visit this year. 

We are actively participating in many innovation and insights-related conferences.  As in most cases, we are sponsoring them, we have many free passes. So if you’re around, we’d love to invite you as well and catch up there. 

Let me know if you can consider being one of the following ones. 

📍 IIEX Washington – April 30, May 1

📍 Quirk’s London – May 7-8

📍 IIEX Amsterdam – June 17-18

📍 Quirk’s NY – July 26-27

📍 MRMW Berlin – Nov 6-7

Thank you for reading and for being part of our Industry Advisory Board 🙏

Stay tuned for next month’s newsletter, where we’ll dive deeper into AI, sustainability, robotics, and other trends shaping innovation.

Narek
CEO, Prelaunch.com