From the Desert to the Great Lakes: How Israeli Deep Tech Is Solving Michigan’s Biggest Challenges
CES 2026 Field Notes from the Michigan Israel Business Accelerator
Written by Casey Iaccino, Senior Director of Business Development
The Consumer Electronics Show is often framed—no pun intended, given the abundance of AR and VR eyewear on display—as a spectacle of consumer gadgets and headline-grabbing demos. On the ground, however, CES 2026 told a very different story, and one that felt especially relevant for Michigan.
Over two days in Las Vegas, I logged more than 25 miles on foot, navigating multiple convention centers, hotel campuses, and off-strip activations. In that time, I met with 12 Israeli startups, each operating at the intersection of deep tech, physical systems, and real-world deployment. What stood out most wasn’t any single device or demo—it was the unmistakable convergence of agentic AI, robotics, simulation, and hardware moving decisively out of labs and into industrial reality.
For the Michigan Israel Business Accelerator (MIBA), this is exactly where CES shines. Far from a consumer electronics showcase, the event functions as a global scouting ground for technologies that map directly onto Michigan’s economic DNA: mobility, manufacturing, defense, and healthcare.
That relevance was reinforced throughout the week by a strong and visible Michigan presence—including well-attended activations from Michigan ecosystem partners and consistent engagement from organizations like MEDC and TechTown Detroit. But the clearest proof point wasn’t just Michigan showing up—it was Michigan and Israel showing up together.
A real-world proof point: AIR + Emotiv, on display at CES
One of the most tangible examples of Israeli innovation pairing with Michigan execution was AIR, an Israeli eVTOL aircraft company, exhibiting AIR ONE through a joint presence at the Emotiv Mobility booth. Emotiv Mobility is headquartered in Wayne, Michigan, and positions itself as an advanced manufacturing and logistics partner across mobility and aerospace—exactly the kind of Michigan capability Israeli hardware companies need when moving from prototype to scaled production.
In other words: CES wasn’t just a place to talk about Michigan–Israel collaboration. It was a place to see it—publicly, physically, and credibly—on the show floor.
Within that context, two additional Israeli companies stood out not because they were flashy, but because they were practical, deployable, and deeply aligned with Michigan’s strengths.
1. Democratizing DNA: The “Lab-on-a-Chip” Revolution
The Partner: Per Me
Michigan is home to world-class research hospitals, a growing life sciences corridor, and advanced manufacturing capabilities. Yet one persistent bottleneck in personalized medicine remains logistics: samples are collected locally, shipped to centralized labs, and results often take days—or weeks—to return.
The Technology
Per Me is eliminating that friction entirely.
Their platform is a lab-free, at-home DNA testing system built on a proprietary bio-semiconductor chip that converts biological reactions directly into digital signals—in real time.
- Accessible: Targeting a price point under $10 per test
- Private: On-device processing removes the need to ship samples offsite
- Versatile: Designed as an “App Store for biology,” enabling new diagnostic and wellness applications on the same hardware platform
Why It Matters for Michigan
This approach aligns directly with Michigan’s push toward preventative care, health equity, and scalable healthcare innovation. By removing cost and logistical barriers, healthcare providers could deploy population-scale genetic screening and personalized wellness programs. Just as importantly, Michigan’s manufacturing ecosystem is well positioned to produce and scale bio-semiconductor hardware, transforming a scientific breakthrough into a durable industrial opportunity.
2. Beyond the Pavement: Rugged Autonomy and Simulation
The Partner: Cognata
Detroit may define the future of on-road mobility, but Michigan is also the modern Arsenal of Democracy—a hub for defense, off-road vehicles, and autonomous systems designed to operate where lane lines fade, maps fail, and GPS signals disappear.
The Technology
Cognata has moved beyond traditional autonomous vehicle simulation, deploying Generative AI-driven, photo-realistic digital environments tightly integrated with physical hardware.
At CES, their work highlighted the convergence of software and rugged autonomy:
- AVBox: A retrofit, all-in-one autonomy, sensing, and compute unit for off-road and defense vehicles
- GPS-Denied Navigation: Designed for complex, contested environments without reliance on satellite signals
- OneSim Platform: Enables OEMs and defense contractors to simulate millions of miles in digital-twin environments, testing edge cases too dangerous or costly to replicate in the real world
Why It Matters for Michigan
Cognata’s capabilities map directly onto Michigan’s Defense Corridor, particularly Macomb County, home to U.S. Army TACOM and major defense primes. As demand accelerates for autonomous convoys and robotic combat vehicles, Cognata provides the validation and training layer that ensures these systems are safe, reliable, and mission-ready—before they ever touch a proving ground. For Michigan manufacturers, this can mean years shaved off development timelines.
The Bottom Line
Walking CES end-to-end made one thing clear: the future is no longer just digital—it is physical, autonomous, and deeply industrial. The convergence of agentic AI, robotics, simulation, and hardware is no longer theoretical; it is being deployed now.
The synergy between Israel’s startup velocity and Michigan’s industrial scale was palpable throughout the week—and the AIR + Emotiv joint CES presence made that synergy real: Israeli aerospace innovation paired with Michigan manufacturing capability, showcased in front of the global mobility and hardware ecosystem.
We look forward to facilitating deeper conversations—and concrete pilots—between these Israeli innovators and Michigan partners in the months ahead.
