Fireside Chat, Interview
From Software to Hardware: The Next Wave of AI | Atomico x PhysicsX | RAISE Summit 2026
- Physical hardware remains static while software evolves rapidly, prompting a strategy to apply Formula 1 disciplines to accelerate hardware innovation in aerospace, defense, automotive, mining, and semiconductor sectors.
- AI-native physics models are expected to solve complex engineering problems in simulation, prototyping, design, and manufacturing at speeds 100,000 to one million times faster than current methods.
- Target markets including aerospace, defense, and semiconductors are projected to grow substantially faster than the global economy, with specific growth focus on North America.
- The company aims to address climate change and secure strategic defense by accelerating global manufacturing speeds, potentially converting a century's worth of innovation into a decade through a 10x acceleration in the pace of innovation.
- Workforce expansion is projected from approximately 100 employees at the start of the previous year to 350 currently, necessitating a structured approach to prevent organizational chaos.
- The primary operational priority is maintaining technical, talent, and customer leadership against new competitors such as Project Prometheus and Mistral.
- Customer and team growth in Asia will continue following the establishment of an office in Singapore.
- Democratizing the platform for non-technical engineers via graphical user interfaces and LLM front ends has raised excitement regarding customer outcomes alongside concerns about managing unstructured innovation.
- A commitment exists to ensure the company and its customers build and deploy these new capabilities in a responsible and coherent manner.
- A core founding belief drives the organizational rallying cry to produce more manufacturing output at greater speeds to resolve global challenges.