At Bridging Silicon Valley and Taiwan: Semiconductor & AI Synergies on January 13, 2026 in Palo Alto, Andy Lombard, Founder and Managing Partner of Tesoro Venture Capital, shares hard-earned insights on what it really takes to scale AI and semiconductor startups from early traction to global impact.

Drawing from decades of experience as a six-time venture-backed founder, former Motorola executive, and deep-tech investor, Andy breaks down how capital, partnerships, and access to global supply chains—especially across Taiwan and Silicon Valley—shape the success or failure of hardware-driven startups.

This talk explores:

• Why scaling deep tech is fundamentally different from scaling software

• How founders should think about manufacturing, partnerships, and timing

• The role of accelerators, venture capital, and cross-border ecosystems

• Why Taiwan remains a critical hub for semiconductor and AI innovation

This session is part of the IC Taiwan Grand Challenge (ICTGC) ecosystem event, connecting founders, investors, and industry leaders working at the frontier of AI and semiconductor innovation.

Organized by Taiwan National Science & Technology Council

Implemented by Taipei Computer Association

Produced by Sparknify

⁠#AndyLombard⁠ ⁠#TesoroVC⁠ ⁠#SemiconductorStartups⁠ ⁠#AIStartups⁠ ⁠#DeepTech⁠ ⁠#HardwareStartups⁠ ⁠#VentureCapital⁠ ⁠#StartupScaling⁠ ⁠#GlobalSupplyChain⁠ ⁠#TaiwanSiliconValley⁠ ⁠#CrossBorderInnovation⁠ ⁠#ICTGC⁠ ⁠#StartupEcosystem⁠ ⁠#HardTech⁠ ⁠#FounderInsights⁠ ⁠#Sparknify⁠

A Strategic Conversation from Silicon Valley at 2025 Taiwan Demo Day

As AI dominates headlines and reshapes entire industries, the most forward-looking investors, researchers, and founders are already asking: what comes next? This panel—filmed live at Willow Workplace in Menlo Park on July 24, 2025 — brings together some of the sharpest minds in AI, venture capital, and exponential technologies to explore the next wave beyond artificial intelligence.🎙️ Moderated by:Sibyl Chen — General Manager, Berkeley SkyDeck🧠 Panelists:• Chris Manning — Head of the Stanford AI Lab, expert in next-gen AI architectures• Jerry Kaplan — Renowned futurist, author, and serial entrepreneur• Michelle Kiang — Founding Managing Partner of MTM Venture PartnersTopics include:🔹 Signals for the next investable frontier🔹 Post-AI computing paradigms🔹 Synthetic biology, edge intelligence, and beyond🔹 Geopolitical shifts and infrastructural realignments🔹 Where the next 10x innovations might emerge🎯 Following the panel, the session features 10 cutting-edge startups from Taiwan as part of Taiwan Demo Day—offering a rare look at ventures emerging from one of the world’s most quietly impactful tech ecosystems.🔗 Learn more: https://www.sparknify.com/taiwan-demo-day📍 Filmed at: Willow Workplace, Menlo Park, CA📅 Date: July 24, 2025#PostAI⁠ ⁠#DeepTech⁠ ⁠#TaiwanTech⁠ ⁠#VentureCapital⁠ ⁠#FutureOfTech⁠ ⁠#StartupEcosystems⁠ ⁠#AI⁠ ⁠#SyntheticBiology⁠ ⁠#EdgeComputing⁠ ⁠#TaiwanDemoDay⁠ ⁠#Sparknify⁠ ⁠#StanfordAI⁠ ⁠#SkyDeck⁠ ⁠#JerryKaplan⁠ ⁠#MTMventures⁠

In this episode of Silicon Valley Unplugged, Scott Parker, founder and CEO of Traverse Aero, takes the stage for a Tech Talk presentation on how autonomous air systems will reshape the future of logistics.Scott introduces Traverse Aero’s groundbreaking approach to autonomous pallet transport, showing how their platform can dramatically improve planning, routing, and operational efficiency across the global supply chain.With a vision that blends advanced engineering, automation, and next-generation air mobility, Traverse Aero is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in freight transport.🔍 Highlights from Scott’s Tech Talk: • How autonomous aircraft can streamline pallet transport • Why today’s logistics systems need a smarter aerial layer • Traverse Aero’s approach to precision planning and real-time routing • The engineering behind scalable autonomous air mobility • How automation will unlock faster and more cost-effective freight movementIf you’re interested in aviation, robotics, logistics tech, or deep-tech innovation, this on-stage presentation offers a powerful glimpse into the future.⸻🎥 About Sparknify SV UnpluggedSilicon Valley Unplugged (SV Up) is a monthly live studio show with audience produced by Sparknify, broadcast across the Comcast network in Silicon Valley, and distributed across social and digital platforms. Each episode brings together visionary founders, technologists, and creators to discuss bold ideas at the intersection of innovation, humanity, and the future.🌐 Visit https://sparknify.com/live-show for information on upcoming episodes, guest speakers, and how to attend future shows in person.🔔 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell icon to stay plugged in to future episodes of SV Up—where Silicon Valley speaks, unplugged.#TraverseAero⁠ ⁠#ScottParker⁠ ⁠#FutureOfAirTransport⁠ ⁠#AutonomousFlight⁠ ⁠#AviationInnovation⁠ ⁠#AirMobility⁠ ⁠#LogisticsTech⁠ ⁠#AutonomousLogistics⁠ ⁠#FreightRevolution⁠ ⁠#SupplyChainInnovation⁠ ⁠#Sparknify⁠ ⁠#SVUp⁠