/ About this event
AI Frontier Summit 2026 brings together AI founders, researchers, investors, and industry leaders to examine how the next generation of intelligent systems is being built—from autonomous agents and physical AI to infrastructure innovations integrating GPUs, memory, photonics, and interconnect technologies. The summit connects technical breakthroughs with real-world deployment, business strategy, and investment opportunities.
What You’ll Explore • Chips, infrastructure, memory, photonics, interconnect, security, and the AI supply chain • Agentic AI moving toward reliable production systems and self-improved systems • Physical AI, Robotics, embodied intelligence development • Curated startup demonstrations and high-value ecosystem connections
Program (DRAFT, SUBJECT TO CHANGE) 10:30–11:00 AM | Speaker, sponsor and production arrival 11:00–11:30 AM | Registration, networking and demo showcase 11:30 – 11:45 AM | Welcome from the hosts and UCSC Chancellor Cynthia Larive 11:45 – 12:25 PM | Panel 1: Future of AI Computing: Chips and Infra. 12:25 – 1:10 PM | Lunch, networking, demo showcase 1:10 – 1:50 PM | Panel 2: Robotics and Embodied Intelligence 1:50 – 2:00 PM | Break 2:00 – 2:40 PM | Panel 3: Agentic AI — From Production to Self Improved System 2:40 - 2:50 Break + Demo Spotlight 2:50 - 3:20 AI Pioneer Startup and Demo Showcase 3:20 - 4:00 PM | Panel 4: Raised & Acquired 4:00 - 4:15 PM | Closing takeaways and calls to action 4:15 –4:45 PM | Curated networking, demos and media interviews
This event is a part of #SFTechWeek—a week of events hosted by VCs, startups and organizations to bring together the tech ecosystem. Learn more at www.tech-week.com.
General Chairs: Jun Li, Chair @ Silicon Valley AI Pioneer Club Yi Zhang, Director, GenAI Center @UC Santa Cruz genai.ucsc.edu
Featured Panelists/Speakers: Cynthia Larive — UC Santa Cruz Chancellor John Hu — Senior Director, Advanced Technology Group, NVIDIA Hanrui Wang — SVP Applied AI@ Nebius, Co-Founder and CEO, Eigen AI Ian Lane — Professor, UC Santa Cruz Evgeniy Gabrilovich — VP, Microsoft Xu Zou — SVP Palo Alto Networks Chenguang Wang — Professor, UC Santa Cruz Cliff Crosland — CEO of Scanner (backed by Sequoia Capital) Matthew Guthaus — Professor, UC Santa Cruz Helen Li — Managing Director, Omnibay
Additional panelists to be announced.
