About this Event
Listen and learn, share a quick demo, prototype, or announcement – whether it's AI, hardware, or something you're building. All welcome.
A big thanks to our venue partner, Cicada Innovations. Cicada Innovations is a Sydney-based incubator providing full life-cycle support for Australia’s most ambitious deep tech ventures as they discover solutions to some of the world’s most pressing problems. They are the home of CruxML, our host. We also have element14 to thank for helping arrange giveaways and demos for our attendees.
Join ANZ's largest community of practitioners building where AI meets hardware. Celebrate our year-ender with us as we bring together researchers, engineers, investors, and industry practitioners working across artificial intelligence, robotics, XR, embedded systems, sensing, and edge computing.
Agenda
🕑: 05:30 PM - 06:00 PM
Check-in, Pizza & Networking
Info: Please have your Eventbrite ticket ready at check-in – then enjoy pizza, drinks, and time to connect with other attendees.
🕑: 06:00 PM - 06:10 PM
Opening Message: Our Sponsor and Host
Info: Hear a short welcome from CruxML, a resident of Cicada Innovations
🕑: 06:10 PM - 06:30 PM
Talk 1: From (A)mbition to (I)nnovation
Info: We open the meetup with a keynote from Joe Peng, inspiring us to explore the possibilities of Physical AI.
🕑: 06:35 PM - 06:55 PM
Talk 2: Physical AI - before the robots arrive.
Info: Overview:
Physical AI (PAI) cannot scrape the internet to learn physical skills - it must learn directly from human actions in the real world. In this session, David breaks down the foundational elements of PAI creation and shares real-world examples of how these systems are already augmenting human capabilities and scaling operational complexity, paving the way for future robotic automation.
Speaker:
David Francis, Head of Physical AI, XR + Robotics, Shinko1
Bio:
A 15-year emerging tech pioneer, David transitioned from scaling industrial AR wearables at Realwear to leading Shinko1's Go-To-Market strategy. Today, he deploys breakthrough egocentric multimodal AI across industries, empowering enterprises to safely scale physical operations and secure market leadership.
🕑: 07:00 PM - 07:20 PM
Talk 3: Lessons from Investing in Physical AI Companies
Info: Overview:
Physical AI is one of the most capital-intensive and technically demanding categories to invest in, and the gap between a compelling lab result and a repeatable product is wider here than almost anywhere else. This talk shares what Main Sequence has learnt backing companies in the space, and the questions it now asks early: Is the hard part the intelligence or the integration? What do the economics look like at the tenth deployment, not the first? How much capital sits between here and a product customers will pay for? What does a team need alongside deep technical credibility?
Speaker:
Danielle Haj-Moussa, Investment Manager, Main Sequence Ventures
Bio:
Danielle is an Investment Manager at Main Sequence Ventures, a deep-tech fund. She has led its investment theses in AI and robotics and supports companies in climate and advanced manufacturing, backing founders who commercialise deep tech for global impact. Danielle holds degrees in Law and Mechatronics Engineering from USYD.
🕑: 07:20 PM - 07:50 PM
Panel Q&A
Info: There will be no question portion after each talk. Please hold your questions for this session, so you can ask anything that may be answered by any and all of the speakers.
🕑: 07:50 PM - 08:00 PM
Community Open Mic
Info: Take the mic and share with the group — from hardware demos and embedded prototypes to quick AI-at-the-edge announcements, project showcases, and calls for collaboration.
Event venue & nearby stays
Cicada Innovations, 4 Cornwallis Street, Eveleigh, Australia
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