Home hardware: Canadian founders at CES talk challenges and opportunities
Canadian companies secured some high-profile awards at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, even while most face hurdles building their solutions on home soil.
Haply Robotics, from Montréal, earned its own Best of Innovation award for the minVerse.
It’s a small “haptic device” meant to provide precise interaction in virtual environments, such as 3D modelling and animation. The $1,500 unit is considerably more affordable than the company’s professional products (which cost as much as $7,500) and is aimed at “prosumers” who want more dexterity than the usual VR controllers and hand gestures can provide.
Haply Co-Founder Colin Gallacher noted that his firm had oversold pre-launch orders, and anticipates a bright future for minVerse. It’s more of an AI-driven robot than a 3D mouse, he said.
Made in Canada?
Haply Robotics Co-Founder | Colin Gallacher
There was little doubt, however, that the Canadian tech companies exhibiting at CES still faced an uphill battle when it comes to the global tech landscape—first and foremost, with production.
Other companies don’t have that option. Gallacher noted that Haply has to outsource some elements of production, though large portions (including final assembly) take place in the country.
The Canadian brands at CES also had common complaints about a lack of support. VueReal’s Park and Cobionix’ Vu argued that government support has been lacking, while VCycene’s Yin contended that Canada’s industrial infrastructure is not robust enough to back up innovative projects. There was more positivity from Gallacher, though, as he said investments from Canada’s Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) program dramatically eased Haply’s work.
Gallacher even suggested that Canadian companies tend to have a defeatist mindset. They look for quick exits (that is, being acquired) rather than ways to scale to the large valuations of American heavyweights. And that greater ambition might be important when the threat of steep US tariffs looms over many Canadian businesses.
This article has been condensed for relevance.
