Physical AI in 2027: What's Next? (with Raghu Raghuram, GP at a16z, and Jiten Behl, Partner at Eclipse)

​Robotics is entering a new phase. VLA models, embodied reasoning, world models, teleoperation-scale data collection, simulation, RL, and humanoid platforms are all advancing at once. The question is no longer whether foundation models will matter for2026 was a defining year for Physical AI. From rapid advances in robot foundation models and world models to growing investment in humanoids, embodied intelligence, and real-world deployment, the field is moving faster than ever. But as we enter 2027, the bigger question is: Where does Physical AI go from here?

​As the industry moves beyond impressive demos toward real-world applications, new questions are emerging. Which technical breakthroughs will unlock the next wave of capabilities? Where will robotics see meaningful commercial adoption? And as capital and talent pour into the space, which opportunities are still overlooked?

​Join Savant, a16z, and Eclipse Capital for an evening bringing together leading investors, researchers, and builders at the frontier of Physical AI to unpack the trends, challenges, and opportunities that could define 2027.

​Speakers:

• ​Raghu Raghuram, Managing Partner & General Partner at a16z (led Machine Age fund raise)

• ​Jiten Behl, Partner at Eclipse

​Topics will include:

• ​The State of Physical AI: Where the industry stands entering 2027, what changed in 2026, and which developments deserve the most attention.

• ​The Next Technical Breakthroughs: What's ahead for vision-language-action models, world models, robot learning, and general-purpose autonomy?

• ​From Demos to Deployment: Which robotics applications are approaching commercial viability, and what bottlenecks still stand in the way of scaling?

• ​Where the Capital Is Going: How the investment landscape is evolving, which sectors are attracting conviction, and where the biggest opportunities remain.

• ​The Next Wave of Startups: Where new companies can build enduring advantages, what remains underserved, and what it takes to win in an increasingly competitive market.

• ​Bold Predictions for 2027: Which trends will accelerate, which narratives may be overhyped, and what could surprise the industry in the year ahead?

​This event is designed for robotics researchers, embodied AI founders, frontier lab builders, infrastructure teams, and investors actively thinking about the next generation of Physical AI.

​Agenda:

• ​5:30 PM — Doors Open + Light Bites

• ​6:15 PM — Welcome Remarks

• ​6:30 PM — Fireside Chat

• ​7:00 PM — Audience Q&A

• ​7:25 PM — Closing Remarks

• ​7:30 PM — Networking

• ​9:00 PM — End of event

​About the Host:
Savant is a community of technologists embarking on good quests, ideas that are hard, consequential and civilizational-defining. We support founders navigate this brutal -1 to 0 phase with a rare concentration of exceptional peers, hardware lab & office space, office hours, access to our network and more — often before we ever write a check. Together, let's move civilization forward!