In July Green Power, a start-up from Issaquah, Washington, showed off of a technology for converting waste to oil.
But in the world of art auctions, a start-up from India recognized the Web potential of art a decade ago.
A start-up from Great Britain called Pachube (pronounced Patch-bay), which was purchased last year by LogMeIn for $15 million, collects both public and private sensor data.
Neither does Andreessen Horowitz, which will invest as little as $50,000 in a start-up from its $300 million fund.
But the Photo Violation Technologies Corporation, a start-up from Vancouver, British Columbia, has found a solution that may please both drivers and local governments.
Leap Motion, a start-up from San Francisco, touted an $80 motion sensor that, when plugged into a computer, allows users to manipulate items on a screen just by waving their hands.
Mr. Firestone, a 28-year-old software engineer, said he could try to get financing for a start-up from venture capital firms now, "but I feel like I'd be having a hard time.
Harrison's Vodafone, a start-up from inside the wider Racal defence and electronics company, had beaten BT Cellnet to start the UK's first mobile network by just nine days.
Such is the state of the auto show in 2018: A start-up from Vietnam grabs the media glory, and — Ferrari notwithstanding — companies like Ford and Fiat, Volvo and Volkswagen, don't even bother to show up.
"The idea is, 'Let's take all the things that we think are wrong with this business and try to change them,' " said Mr. Miller, 51. "It really seemed to require a start-up from scratch because it will be very experimental".
