Investing in Robotics & AI startups
The Latest Trends in Robotics & AI: 2026 Fundraising & Strategy
Most "AI" talk is just noise. This session is about the reality of building and funding AI & Robotics in 2026.
We’re bringing together Dmitry Grishin (Grishin Robotics) and Dominic Keen (Britbots) to discuss where the capital is actually flowing now that the initial hype has settled.
Stop guessing where the capital is moving. Hear it from the people writing the checks.
The Agenda
5:30pm – 6:00pm: Arrival
6:00pm – 7:00pm: Panel & Q&A
7:00pm – 8:30pm: Drinks & Canapes
What we’ll cover:
The Post-Hype Market: What investors are looking for in a pitch deck right now.
Physical AI: Why the focus has shifted from "chatbots" to machines that actually do work.
Investment: How to navigate the current funding environment for hardware-heavy startups.
2026 Predictions: Which sub-sectors in robotics are over-saturated and which are wide open.
The Panelists:
Dmitry Grishin: Founding Partner at Grishin Robotics. A pioneer in "consumerising" robotics with over a decade of experience backing the world’s most successful hardware-software integrations.
Dominic Keen: Founder & CEO at Britbots. A specialist in the UK automation landscape, focused on startups solving the productivity and labor crises through intelligent robotics.
Space is limited. You need to be registered to access the venue.
Proud to partner with Cooley for this event.
About Grishin Robotics Accelerator
The Grishin Robotics Accelerator is London's highly selective, one-month intensive program dedicated to pre-seed and seed tech startups.
We're now accepting applications for Grishin Robotics Accelerator Cohort 3, starting in April. Apply now 👉https://www.grishinrobotics.com/accelerator
Grishin Robotics is an early-stage Venture Capital firm based in Silicon Valley. We back founders of consumer and consumerised enterprise startups that disrupt large and growing markets.
The fund has backed category-defining companies such as Ring (acquired by Amazon for $1B), Spin (acquired by Ford), Zipline (autonomous drone delivery), Starship (last-mile delivery robots), Sphero (robotic toys), and Eero (acquired by Amazon). We invest in Seed and Series A startups targeting large consumer markets such as online entertainment, gaming, food, education, team productivity and collaboration
About Cooley
With its deep roots in Silicon Valley, Cooley is the go-to firm for high-growth, disruptive technology and life sciences companies and their investors. Cooley advises on over 1,700 venture capital financings annually and has been the #1 law firm representing VC-backed companies going public for the last 15 years. The firm advises over 7,000 fast-growth private company clients on all their legal needs, including formation, financings, scaling towards M&A and IPOs and ongoing counselling, as well as serving as primary fund counsel to over 700 investment funds, including many of the US and Europe’s most prominent VCs.