Ex-Nvidia marketer says physical AI is still in its 'LEGO era'
Amulya Vishwanath says physical AI is in a 'LEGO era,' with foundational parts still being built and talent a key moat.
Vishwanath, who started the physical-AI-focused venture capital firm after nearly seven years as a product marketer at Nvidia, said many foundational software and building blocks for robotics are being rethought now. She described the current work as assembling basics such as robotic hands and actuators that can later come together like LEGOs to build a larger product. General-purpose and special-purpose robots are also being built, and she said they will improve as construction continues.
Before Nvidia, she held the same product-marketing role at a company later bought by Intel and worked as a digital signal processing engineer at Interconnect Systems, which was later bought by Molex, according to TechCrunch.
Vishwanath compared the current phase with earlier technology and industrial shifts. “We’ve done this during the internet era,” she told TechCrunch's Equity. “We’ve done this long, long time ago with the Industrial Revolution. I think it’s just a matter of time before things fall into place.”
She said talent will be critical and remains a key definer of the U.S. market. Vishwanath described helping connect founders to top talent as one of her firm’s “moats,” especially as much talent goes to large companies such as Anthropic and Nvidia. She said her network, built over years in the space, makes it easier for her to be a strength or the first call for founders.