This Philly wearable tech startup generated a whole lotta buzz at CES

ActiveProtective CEO Drew Lakatos had a bizarre experience while repping his wearable tech company at CES 2017.

“That odd moment when you look up and magician David Copperfield is watching your crash-test-dummy hip airbag deployment video,” Lakatos said in an email.

A strange celeb sighting wasn’t the only thing the company — which is currently developing its flagship product, a belt with built-in airbags (!) to prevent hip fractures — brought back from Las Vegas with: ActiveProtective landed a spot in BBC’s roundup of promising tech sighted at the trade show, as well as $10,000 in cash and prizes (namely, free booth space) from the Consumer Technology Association.

“Sore feet, voice gone, endless parade of people,” Lakatos said of the three-day trade show. “One radio show interview, five film interviews including Discovery Channel.”

“But a more intriguing development is wearables with built-in airbags,” BBC’s Leo Kelion said of the company.

ActiveProtective, based out of University City’s Plexus Innovation Hub, raised a $2,6 million round back in November from a number of health-care-leaning venture firms, including Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine’s venture fund. The current makeup of the company is three full-timers, two part-timers and 12 “highly-specialized” consultants, Lakatos said.