# T-26-012 : Founders From The Show Floor - CES 2026

- Show: [TRADEOFFS](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/tradeoffs)
- Published: 2026-02-04
- Length: 40m
- Episode: 12
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/tradeoffs/2026-02-04-t-26-012-founders-from-the-show-floor-ces-2026
- Listen: https://tradeoffs.fm/12

## Summary

Chris and Nate interview founders from Eureka Park at CES 2026, including Rajeev Ramanath of Blueberry Technology, Cole Ashman of Pila Energy, and Scott Hickle of Throne. They discuss specific products like the autonomous Blueberry Go airport robot, Pila Energy's modular home batteries, and Throne's toilet health tracker. The episode highlights trade-offs in hardware design, such as Pebble's Eric Migicovsky choosing ODMs for speed over control, and Roam's Aaron Pollack accepting thickness for battery life. Other founders like Niclas Bertelsen of Naya and Michael Churchill of Kombu discuss modular ecosystems and material choices for fermentation.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/tradeoffs/2026-02-04-t-26-012-founders-from-the-show-floor-ces-2026#t=0) Introduction: CES 2026 and Eureka Park Overview
- [0:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/tradeoffs/2026-02-04-t-26-012-founders-from-the-show-floor-ces-2026#t=44) Rajeev Ramanath and Blueberry Technology's Autonomous Airport Robot
- [3:57](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/tradeoffs/2026-02-04-t-26-012-founders-from-the-show-floor-ces-2026#t=237) Cole Ashman and Pila Energy's Modular Home Batteries
- [8:52](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/tradeoffs/2026-02-04-t-26-012-founders-from-the-show-floor-ces-2026#t=532) Scott Hickle and Throne's Gut Health Toilet Tracker
- [12:27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/tradeoffs/2026-02-04-t-26-012-founders-from-the-show-floor-ces-2026#t=747) Eric Migicovsky and Pebble's Return with the Index 01 Ring
- [16:21](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/tradeoffs/2026-02-04-t-26-012-founders-from-the-show-floor-ces-2026#t=981) Aaron Pollack and Roam's Smart Tracker with Cellular Triangulation
- [19:12](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/tradeoffs/2026-02-04-t-26-012-founders-from-the-show-floor-ces-2026#t=1152) Jakub Popowski and Modue's Modular Gaming Controller
- [21:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/tradeoffs/2026-02-04-t-26-012-founders-from-the-show-floor-ces-2026#t=1304) Niclas Bertelsen and Naya's Customizable Keyboard Ecosystem
- [25:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/tradeoffs/2026-02-04-t-26-012-founders-from-the-show-floor-ces-2026#t=1528) Neil Olien and The Haptics Company's Programmable Rotary Tech
- [27:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/tradeoffs/2026-02-04-t-26-012-founders-from-the-show-floor-ces-2026#t=1660) Amit Kumar Gupta and Nosh's AI Cooking Robot
- [30:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/tradeoffs/2026-02-04-t-26-012-founders-from-the-show-floor-ces-2026#t=1829) Cody Soodeen and Kara Water's Air-to-Water Coffee Machine
- [32:43](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/tradeoffs/2026-02-04-t-26-012-founders-from-the-show-floor-ces-2026#t=1963) Zach Sweitzer and Hummingbird's Smart Blind Attachment
- [35:34](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/tradeoffs/2026-02-04-t-26-012-founders-from-the-show-floor-ces-2026#t=2134) Michael Churchill and Kombu's At-Home Kombucha Brewer
- [38:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/tradeoffs/2026-02-04-t-26-012-founders-from-the-show-floor-ces-2026#t=2298) Rachel Osnos and Fotostax's 3D Photo Printer

## Topics

- [Prototyping & iteration](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/prototyping)
- [Design for manufacturing & NPI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/design-for-manufacturing)
- [Crowdfunding & preorders](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/crowdfunding)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [Batteries & low-power design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/batteries-and-low-power)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Blueberry Technology (company)
- BB Go (product)
- Pila Energy (company)
- Throne (company)
- Pebble (company)
- Index 01 (product)
- Roam (company)
- Modue (company)
- Naya (company)
- The Haptics Company (company)
- Nosh (company)
- Kara Water (company)
- Hummingbird (company)
- Kombu (company)
- Fotostax (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Shiny New Pebble with Eric Migicovsky](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-02-10-shiny-new-pebble-with-eric-migicovsky) (The Amp Hour)
- [52: Maximize the Sonic Boom](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2014-05-21-52-maximize-the-sonic-boom) (Embedded.fm)
- [Simulating doors falling off](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2024-04-04-simulating-doors-falling-off) (The Amp Hour)
- [Sipping Coulombs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-04-23-sipping-coulombs) (The Amp Hour)
- [An Interview With Andrew Witte - Telistic Timepiece Technomania](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2013-12-11-an-interview-with-andrew-witte-telistic-timepiece-technomania) (The Amp Hour)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/tradeoffs/2026-02-04-t-26-012-founders-from-the-show-floor-ces-2026. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to TRADEOFFS.