Physical AI Builders
Newsletter | Summit |Community | Podcast
South by Southwest 2026 marks the festival's 40th anniversary — and it arrives with a dramatically reinvented identity.
Running March 12–18 across downtown Austin, SXSW 2026 is shorter, more concentrated, and more intentional than any edition before it. For the first time in SXSW history, Innovation, Film & TV, and Music programming share the same seven-day window — making this a truly unified festival.
🗓️ Key Changes for 2026:
→ Seven-day format only (Thu March 12 – Wed March 18)
→ Three downtown "clubhouse" hubs replace the Convention Center
→ New reservation system — badgeholders can pre-book sessions up to 3 weeks out
→ Wristband access replaces the old secondary-access system
→ SXSW EDU runs March 9–12 as a lead-in, with Crossover Day on March 12
The Community is growing - lu.ma/physical-ai
🌎 SECTION 2 · PHYSICAL AI IN THE SPOTLIGHT
At SXSW 2026, Physical AI — The convergence is unmistakable: Austin is home to Apptronik, one of the world's leading humanoid robotics companies. Tesla is headquartered here. NVIDIA's GTC runs simultaneously in San Jose. SXSW 2026 has become a critical platform for founders, investors, and enterprise leaders gathering around the physical AI revolution.
📋 OFFICIAL SXSW SESSIONS TO KNOW
"From Cages to the Real World: The Dawn of Physical AI"
Featured session on the transition from lab environments to real-world deployment
"Seeing Is Believing: The Vision Behind Humanoid & Robotic AI" Serve Robotics VP & Co-Founder MJ Burk Chun on machine vision advances
📍 Tuesday March 17 · 2:30–3:30pm CT · JW Marriott Salon D
"Reclaiming Our Humanity in the Age of AI" Featured Sunday session exploring the societal impact of accelerating automation
The Community calendar - lu.ma/physical-ai
🟦 SECTION 3.1 DIRECTLY HOSTED EVENTS
(Physical AI Builders & F50)
📅 THURSDAY, MARCH 12, Physical AI Builders
With 700+ RSVPs, this is a feature event by luma. The gathering for the Physical AI community. Connect with founders, investors, and builders shaping the future of embodied AI. Key sessions:
Physical AI Investment
David Cao, Thomas Miranda, Anupam Govil, Sheng Huang
Physical AI's Transformation of Manufacturing
Ishi Puri, Harnish Jani
Non-Technical + Openclaw = Top 0.01%
Thomas Chen, Sheng Huang
Chips to power Physical AI
Showcase
🔗 RSVP: lu.ma/physical-ai
📅 SUNDAY, MARCH 15 VIP BBQ 🍖
Exclusive invitation-only gathering for senior Physical AI leaders and investors. Texas BBQ, real conversations, high-signal connections.
📩 By invitation — contact Physical AI Builders team for details
🟦 3.2 AFFILIATED EVENTS
📅 SATURDAY, MARCH 14, PropTech House
Gathering for the property tech community, exploring AI, automation, and the built environment. Ideal crossover between Physical AI and real estate — robots in buildings, smart infrastructure, AI-driven construction.
📅 SUNDAY, MARCH 16, Texas Real Estate Forum
A flagship event for Long 100 and Texas Real Estate Network and investment professionals, with growing attention to how Physical AI and robotics are reshaping construction, facilities management, and property operations. Key sessions
Empower Industries with Physical AI
The new Manufacturing and Logistic with AI
Moderator: Rebecca Fannin, Award-Winning Journalist, Author of 5 Books, Venture Trend-Spotter
Phoebe Wang, CAIO, Nuvini
Anderson Thees, GP of Red Point
Open Claw in Real Estate
The Future of Mortgage
Showcase
Lu.ma/physical-ai
🟨 SECTION 4 · SUGGESTED PHYSICAL AI-RELATED EVENTS
📅 THURSDAY, MARCH 12 — SXSW Opening Day
Tech & AI Track programming kicks off. Badgeholders with Platinum or Interactive access get primary entry.
📅 FRIDAY, MARCH 13, Steven Spielberg Keynote + Innovation Programming
Surrounding innovation programming includes startup showcases, AI panels, and SXSW Pitch — where Physical AI startups compete.
📅 TUESDAY, MARCH 17 · 2:30–3:30pm CT Serve Robotics: "Seeing Is Believing" SXSW Panel
VP & Co-Founder MJ Burk Chun on machine vision enabling robots to safely navigate the world.
📍 JW Marriott Salon D
📅 TUESDAY, MARCH 17 Persona AI @ SXSW
CEO & Co-Founder Nicolaus Radford speaks on humanoid robotics and Physical AI for heavy industry — shipyards, steel mills, offshore platforms.
The Community is growing - lu.ma/physical-ai
🌎 SECTION 5 · PHYSICAL AI NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
🚀 APPTRONIK RAISES $935M+ — AUSTIN'S HUMANOID GIANT HITS $5B+ VALUATION
Austin-based Apptronik closed a $520M extension in February, bringing its total Series A to over $935 million. The round was co-led by Google and B Capital, with participation from Mercedes-Benz, AT&T Ventures, John Deere, and the Qatar Investment Authority — valuing the company at $5.5B+.
🤖 PERSONA AI NAMES EX-BOSTON DYNAMICS EXEC AS COMMERCIAL HEAD
Houston-based Persona AI, which builds humanoids purpose-built for heavy industry, appointed Michael Perry (formerly of Boston Dynamics and DJI) as Head of Commercial Strategy — just ahead of SXSW week.
CEO Nicolaus Radford will speak at SXSW 2026. The company has existing agreements with HD Hyundai and POSCO Group for shipyard and steel manufacturing automation.
🛵 SERVE ROBOTICS SHOWCASING AT SXSW — ACQUIRED DILIGENT ROBOTICS IN 2026
Autonomous delivery robot company Serve Robotics is presenting at both SXSW and NVIDIA GTC this week. After acquiring Diligent Robotics, Serve now spans both sidewalk delivery and hospital service robots — reaching approximately 3 million people across the U.S., serving 3,600+ restaurants.
🏙️ AUSTIN SOLIDIFYING AS THE GLOBAL PHYSICAL AI CAPITAL
Multiple signals confirm Austin's ascent:
→ Tesla HQ + Apptronik = world-class Physical AI anchor tenants
→ Google's Apptronik investment = major ecosystem vote of confidence
→ Capital Factory and local VCs actively backing Physical AI startups
→ SXSW is now the annual convening point for the global robotics community
Funding and talent once concentrated in Boston and Silicon Valley are flowing to Austin.
Join the Physical AI Builders Community
Continue the conversation beyond the event:
💬 Discord Beta: https://discord.gg/YAvNRdav
🎙️ Physical AI Podcast: youtube.com/@f50f50
F50 Physical AI Summit
June 11 Dallas
April 29 Silicon Valley
Speak or Showcase at Community Events
Present or demo your work to investors and executives fueling North America's manufacturing renaissance:
👉 Apply here: https://app.sve.io/call
Sponsorship Opportunities
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📩 Contact: [email protected] | 🌐 app.sve.io/s
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