Two years ago when we covered the first Eureka Park at the International CES in Las Vegas, we were amazed by the amount of good quality startups showcasing there. Last year when we embarked on Eureka Park it had doubled in size and also offered some great talks from the likes of Scott Case, Tony Hsieh and Brad Feld (just to name a few).

This coming year (January 2014), CEA has partnered with the new UpGlobal (the global partnership between Startup America and Startup Weekend) to expand the Eureka Park TechZone.

Now in its third year, the Eureka Park TechZone will span more than 2,000 square meters and showcase more than 200 exhibitors at the 2014 CES. Eureka Park will be located on level one of The Venetian and returns as the vibrant hub for the entrepreneur and startup communities to learn, connect, and inspire.

“The Eureka Park TechZone provides a stage for new companies with technologies for which we don’t yet have product categories, to market their innovation to venture capitalists, media and buyers. Eureka Park’s continued success solidifies the International CES as the ultimate proving ground for innovators of all shapes and sizes in consumer technology,” said Karen Chupka, senior vice president, International CES and Corporate Business Strategy, CEA. “We are thrilled to once again partner with UP Global and the National Science Foundation for the 2014 CES, and can’t wait to experience the ‘Eureka’ ideas that will fuel and transform our lives in the years to come.”

Also new for 2014, the Academia Tech TechZone will be floored within Eureka Park. Academia Tech focuses on the unique technologies coming from colleges and universities. The TechZone will showcase a collection of academic institutions at the 2014 CES, with Columbia University, N.C. State, University of Texas at Austin and Penn State University already confirmed as exhibitors.

CEA today also announces the launch of the Eureka Park: NEXT TechZone, a dedicated area at the 2014 CES, designed for mid-stage startups that have launched a product within the past year. Eureka Park: NEXT will be located on level two in The Venetian Ballroom.

Check out our previous coverage of EurekaPark at the International CES by clicking here.

CES 2013: CEA Welcomes Startups With New Membership Category

We could see the writing on the wall for this one over two years ago when Eureka Park was announced. CEA, the Consumer Electronics Association and the producers of the International CES show in Las Vegas January 8-11, has created a new membership category making it easier for startups to join the ranks of the top consumer electronics association in the world.

In addition to Eureka Park, one of the largest global gathering of startups in the world, CEA has been busy fostering startups, innovation and entrepreneurism in the United States. They’ve started a grassroots campaign “The Innovation Movement” to educate lawmakers on the spirit of innovation, they produce the International CES and have launched a new magazine called “It Is Innovation”.

This year, CEA has also partnered with Startup America to provide continuous programming at the Startup America stage as part of Eureka Park’s Tech Zone.

CEA’s President and CEO Gary Shapiro is also very supportive of innovation, startups and entrepreneurism. He often writes about innovation across the country, lobbies for innovation and speaks at startup events. Shapiro was on-hand for Chicago TechWeek this past June where he spoke to startups and founders as well as gave away and signed books.

“Startups are jumpstarting our economy and are paving the way for America’s future,” Shapiro said in a statement. “Creating a unique membership category for startups is another way we are pursuing our strategic goal of promoting innovation, the lifeblood of our industry. Many of the individuals behind startups have put all of their resources on the line to make sure their companies have the best chance of succeeding. Every bit of support we can offer as an organization is critical not only to advancing the consumer electronics industry but also to ensuring the world’s most cutting-edge technologies end up in consumers’ hands.”

CEA’s new Startup membership category is just $95 per year. In order to qualify for this membership level companies must be in development of a technology product, service or app that has been introduced in the market within the last year or will be in within the next year. They must have annual sales under $1 million, be located in the U.S. and not have been CEA members in the last two years.

To sign up for this membership International CES Attendees can visit the CEA booth in the Grand Lobby of the Las Vegas Convention Center during the show. You can also email membership@ce.org beginning January 3, 2013.

Linkage:

More CES 2013 team coverage from nibletz.com here

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