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Physical AI Founder × Funder: San Francisco
From Intelligence to Real-World DeploymentEmbodied AI · Edge Intelligence · Autonomous Systems · Deployment Infrastructure
Monday, December 7, 2026 | 5:00–8:00 PM PT
353 Sacramento Street, San Francisco
Presented by House of 434
http://thefoundersfunders.com/
About the Event
What does it take to build AI that understands the physical world, predicts what happens next, and turns that understanding into action?
As AI moves beyond screens into robots, autonomous machines, factories, laboratories, and other physical environments, a new generation of technical founders is building the intelligence behind these systems.
From world models and simulation to perception, embodied intelligence, and physical data infrastructure, these technologies could define how intelligent machines learn, reason, and interact with the real world.
But which breakthroughs will become venture-scale companies? What creates lasting technical defensibility? And where are investors looking to deploy capital?
Physical AI Founder × Funder returns to San Francisco on December 7 for an evening bringing together technical founders, active investors, researchers, and industry leaders exploring the next generation of Physical AI.
Following our November conversation about real-world deployment and commercialization, this edition goes deeper into the foundational intelligence and infrastructure powering Physical AI.
Expect a candid founder-investor panel, five selected startup pitches, and curated introductions.
What We're Exploring
World Models & Physical Simulation
Learned representations of physical environments, predictive models, physics-based simulation, digital twins, and sim-to-real learning.
Perception & Spatial Intelligence
Multimodal perception, sensor fusion, spatial understanding, and intelligent systems capable of interpreting complex physical environments.
Physical Data Infrastructure
Real-world data collection, robotics data engines, synthetic data, teleoperation, proprietary datasets, and continuous learning.
Embodied Intelligence & Robot Learning
Vision-language-action models, robotic foundation models, imitation learning, manipulation, planning, and adaptive control.
Foundational AI Infrastructure
The platforms and technologies required to train, evaluate, improve, and deploy physical intelligence, including simulation systems, model evaluation, and efficient execution.
Commercialization & Defensibility
What makes foundational Physical AI technology commercially valuable, technically differentiated, and attractive to early-stage investors?
Who Should Attend?
Founders: We’re especially interested in pre-seed and seed-stage technical founders building world models, simulation platforms, perception systems, embodied intelligence, physical data infrastructure, robot learning, and enabling AI technologies.
Investors: Active venture funds, deep-tech investors, Physical AI specialists, corporate venture teams, angels, and family offices interested in emerging foundational technologies.
Researchers & Operators: Robotics researchers, AI scientists, engineering leaders, and industry experts working on the next generation of intelligent physical systems.
The Founder × Funder Panel
Where Will the Value Be Created in Physical AI?
As models become increasingly capable, where will the next generation of defensible companies emerge?
We’ll explore:
Which parts of the Physical AI intelligence stack represent the most compelling startup opportunities?
Can world models and embodied foundation models become standalone businesses?
What makes physical data proprietary, valuable, and defensible?
How do investors evaluate technical breakthroughs before commercial traction?
What role will simulation, evaluation, and infrastructure play in scaling Physical AI?
Where would experienced founders and investors place their bets today?
Panelists and moderator to be announced.
Five Founders Pitch Live
Five selected Physical AI startups will present their technology, differentiation, and commercial opportunity to investors and experienced technical leaders.
We’re prioritizing founders building world models, simulation, perception, embodied intelligence, physical data platforms, and foundational AI infrastructure.
Each founder receives five minutes to pitch and three minutes of questions and feedback.
Selected founders may also receive post-event visibility and relevant introductions, subject to founder consent and investor interest.
Building a Physical AI company?
Apply to pitch
Agenda
5:00 PM | Doors Open & Networking
5:30 PM | Welcome from House of 434
5:35 PM | Panel: Where Will the Value Be Created in Physical AI?
6:05 PM | Audience Q&A
6:20 PM | Five Physical AI Founder Pitches
7:00 PM | Investor & Technical Takeaways
7:10 PM | Curated Founder × Funder Introductions
7:45 PM | Closing Conversations
8:00 PM | Event Concludes
Ways to Get Involved
Founders: Apply to pitch
Investors: Meet technical founders building foundational Physical AI technologies.
Speakers: Apply or nominate a speaker
Partners: Contact [email protected] to explore collaboration.
Host
Shilpi NayakFounder, House of 434
About House of 434
House of 434 is a curated community connecting founders, investors, operators, and researchers through thoughtful conversations, private gatherings, and meaningful introductions.
Learn more: https://houseof434.com
Presented by House of 434.
Explore the series: https://thefoundersfunders.com/
Join our community: https://houseof434.com/apply
Attendance is curated and registration requires approval. Participation does not guarantee funding or investment.
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