Beyond Las Vegas: Key takeaways from Post-CES AW in Stockholm
- Marie-Louise Cleeren
- Jan 27
- 4 min read
The dust has settled in the Nevada desert, but the conversations are just heating up here in Sweden. Last week, SUNMICO attended a post-CES after-work event in Stockholm, hosted by Technology Industries of Sweden (Teknikföretagen), to discuss the trends from this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas and Swedish tech in a global perspective.
This year’s show had more than 148,000 attendees, of which more than one third was international, and 55% senior-level executives; 4100 exhibitors, including some 1200 startups; over 60% of Fortune 500 companies was there; as well as some 6900 global media, content creators and industry analysts.
Every year, Teknikföretagen together with Sweden Growth Alliance (Tomas Bennich), Business Sweden, Electrification Hub and KPMG Sweden, help Swedish startups with activities, exposure and connections at CES. At the Swedish breakfast and Sweden Night that they organized this year, about 400 representatives from over 120 Swedish tech companies came to mingle, meet investors and partners.
So what were some of the take-aways from CES this year from a Swedish business perspective?
Sweden’s global presence: A call for coordinated strategy
In her keynote presentation, Julia Valentin, Director of Communications at Teknikföretagen/ Tech Forward, pointed out that while Swedish tech innovation is high and we have the momentum to show what a great tech nation we are, Sweden lacks a long-term, coordinated strategy to show up globally. "Sweden has great potential but needs more presence". Julia also noted we need more politicians engaged at events like this, as they can be powerful ambassadors for Swedish tech internationally.
To truly compete on a global arena and leverage events like CES, Swedish tech companies need sustained momentum rather than one-off initiatives. Here’s where tech marketing firms like SUNMICO can help – more about that further down.
Post-CES tech panel debunking an AI myth
The major tech trends from this year’s CES: AI everywhere, robotics (lots of humanoid robots being demonstrated), self-driving cars and the smart home/office (various IoT, sensor and AI-enhanced solutions like smart door locks/mirrors/conference rooms, etc).
Jonas Kjellstrand (Translink Capital/EcoData Center) addressed a common misconception: the notion that Sweden is lagging behind in Artificial Intelligence. According to him, Sweden is already one year ahead of the rest of Europe when it comes to rolling out AI infrastructure. Sweden also has a range of companies that work with what he calls ”the new generation of AI applications” (e.g. Legora, Lovable).
Jonas highlighted the deep academic roots and talent in the region. A Stanford professor (Erik Brynjolfsson) was recently named an Honorary Doctor in AI Economics at Uppsala University. Furthermore, Jonas teased a major announcement regarding digital sovereignty in AI coming in the next couple of weeks.
Advanced Swedish semiconductor technology
Louise Ribrant from Myvox shared her experience demonstrating MEMS-based chipsets to prospective customers from a hotel suite during CES. Myvox develops two types of chipsets: one for high-performance air-flow based cooling (’airflow-on-a-chip’ used in consumer electronics and AI devices) and one for audio in ultra-compact formats (’speaker-on-a-chip’ for in-ear audio).
Expert Tip: For those looking to dive deeper into specific technical scouting, Jonas recommended following Mikael Klintberg from Örebro University, a recognized "super-scout" for CES tech trends (read his summary – in Swedish – from CES 2026).
Reflection: Tech companies need better marketing
The keynote highlighted the risk of Swedish tech innovation failing to achieve global impact due to the lack of a "coordinated strategy" and consistent presence. This is exactly where a B2B marketing consultancy firm like SUNMICO can help.
SUNMICO can offer specialized marketing support to tech companies by:
Developing long-term marketing and content strategies: Moving away from "one-off initiatives" to building a brand presence that sustains interest before, during, and long after major events like CES.
Translating deep tech into market value: Taking complex innovations, like the MEMS-based chipsets or AI digital sovereignty mentioned by the panelists, and crafting marketing strategies and messaging that resonate with global customers, investors and partners.
Strategic global positioning: Helping Swedish tech firms debunk "lagging" myths by highlighting technological excellence and local commercial success stories via international marketing and communication efforts.
By aligning marketing with your long-term business goals, SUNMICO can ensure that Swedish innovation doesn't just have potential, but a global voice.
If your company needs marketing help, don’t hesitate to contact us for a discussion.
Text and photos by Mimmis Cleeren, CEO of SUNMICO
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