A Nvidia insider-turned-VC on why robotics hasn’t hit its ChatGPT moment, yet
Quick Answer
Amulya Vishwanath, a former NVIDIA robotics marketing lead, argues that robotics is still in its 'Lego era,' lacking foundational advancements for a 'ChatGPT moment.' She discusses her investment focus as the founder of Techable VC, emphasizing the need for basic components in robotics.
Key Points
- Vishwanath spent seven years at NVIDIA focusing on robotics product marketing.
- She describes the current state of robotics as a rebuilding phase for basic components.
- Contrary to some, she believes robotics isn't ready for a transformative moment yet.
- Vishwanath is now managing partner at Techable VC, investing in .
- The discussion highlights the challenges faced by women executives in tech.
DeepSignal Analysis
What happened
Amulya Vishwanath, a former NVIDIA robotics marketing lead, claims that robotics is still in its 'Lego era,' where essential components are being rebuilt. This contrasts with views suggesting that robotics is nearing a transformative moment akin to the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022. Vishwanath, now the founder of Techable VC, discusses her investment focus on foundational advancements in robotics.
Key evidence
- Vishwanath describes the current state of robotics as a 'Lego era,' indicating that fundamental components like actuators and software are still under development.
- General Intuition CEO Pim de Witte has suggested that a single general foundation model could render much of today's specialized robotics work obsolete, indicating a belief in an impending transformative moment.
- Vishwanath is one of the first women executives to leave NVIDIA and establish her own early-stage investment firm, Techable VC, focusing on physical AI across various fields.
Why it matters
Understanding the current limitations in robotics is crucial for investors and developers. Vishwanath's perspective highlights the need for foundational advancements before significant breakthroughs can occur. This insight may influence investment strategies and research directions in the robotics sector, as stakeholders assess the timeline for potential transformative technologies.
📖 Reader Mode
~2 min readAmulya Vishwanath, who spent seven years leading product marketing for NVIDIA’s robotics platforms, says robotics is currently in its “Lego era,” with the basic building blocks like actuators, robotic hands, software, and safety standards still being rebuilt.
This view runs counter to those who believe that robotics, powered by a general foundation model, is about to have its “ChatGPT moment” — that day when the shockingly capable chatbot was launched in late 2022. (General Intuition CEO Pim de Witte told Equity earlier this year that a single general foundation model would make much of today’s specialized robotics work redundant, and be that moment.)
On this episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, Dominic-Madori Davis caught up with Vishwanath to discuss where she’s writing first checks as the founder and managing partner of Techable VC. They also talked about what she’s learned as one of the first women executives to spin out of Nvidia and launch her own early-stage firm investing in physical AI across robotics, materials science, and life sciences.
Subscribe to Equity on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You can also follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.
Topics
Theresa Loconsolo is an audio producer at TechCrunch focusing on Equity, the network’s flagship podcast. Before joining TechCrunch in 2022, she was one of 2 producers at a four-station conglomerate where she wrote, recorded, voiced and edited content, and engineered live performances and interviews from guests like lovelytheband. Theresa is based in New Jersey and holds a bachelors degree in Communication from Monmouth University.
You can contact or verify outreach from Theresa by emailing [email protected].
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