[SEA AI WEEK] AI Frontier Day: What VCs are seeing with startups

​Which AI startups are investors actually backing right now, and why? Three investors share what they're seeing in pitches and portfolios: where the technology is heading, which founders and ideas are worth betting on, and what it will take for Seattle to lead the next wave.

​Featuring

​Chris Pavel, Founder & CEO, Rally Point Ventures

​Chris founded Rally Point Ventures in 2025, a Seattle-based defense innovation advisory firm built by a team of veterans and industry leaders. Rally Point helps dual-use startups navigate the defense ecosystem, connect with the right buyers, and land non-dilutive funding and mission pilots. He brings a rare view of where emerging AI meets national security.

​Kirby Winfield, Founding General Partner, Ascend

​Kirby leads Ascend, a Seattle pre-seed fund backing enterprise AI and deep tech. His portfolio includes Overland AI, Endurance Energy, and Yoodli. He'll share what he's seeing in pitches and portfolios right now.

​Ashish Kapoor, Co-founder & CEO, General Robotics

​Ashish co-founded General Robotics, which is building GRID, an intelligence platform for robots. Before that he spent 17 years at Microsoft, where he led autonomous systems and robotics research and created the AirSim simulator. He brings a builder's view of where AI is headed in the physical world.

​Agenda

• ​1:00 Panel discussion

• ​Audience Q&A

• ​Time to connect with the panelists after

​Who should attend: founders building or fundraising for an AI startup, operators thinking about starting a company, and anyone curious where AI investment is going next.

​📍 Thinkspace Seattle, 1700 Westlake Ave N #200, Seattle, WA 98109, on Lake Union

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​Part of Seattle AI Week, hosted at Thinkspace in partnership with Skillsheet. Full calendar: https://luma.com/thinkspace

​Please note:

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