01 // Embodied AI
Body
Embodied AI
The physical form: humanoids, spatial perception, tactile manipulation.
- Humanoids
- Dexterous Hands
- Tactile Sensing
- Actuators
- Spatial Perception
- Mobile Manipulation
[ i VENTURES FUND I ]
EARLY & GROWTH STAGE
37.4419° N, 122.1430° W
ATOMS × BITS
Investing in Global Robotics
Robotics is the next frontier for AI. Silicon Valley thesis, global execution network — we back founders building intelligence that moves atom-level world infrastructure.
§ 01 — Philosophy
What's i Ventures?
i stands for many things — intelligence, invention, innovation. But the name starts with the most consequential "impossible" number in mathematics.
i2 = −1
Re · real axis
The ordinary numbers — the only line that existed before i.
The ordinary numbers — the only line that existed before i.
Im · imaginary axis
The new dimension i opened up.
The new dimension i opened up.
-
Before i
For centuries, the square root of −1 simply did not exist. Renaissance mathematicians solving equations kept running into it and set it aside as meaningless. Descartes called such numbers "imaginary" — and he did not mean it as a compliment.
-
i² = −1
Then someone defined it anyway. One new symbol, and a whole second dimension of numbers opened up: the complex plane. What was once "impossible" became the language of electricity, radio, quantum mechanics and signal processing — and the math every robot's control loop is still tuned in today.
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Robotics now
Robotics is at its √−1 moment. The field is full of unknowns and problems nobody has solved yet. We don't read those as dead ends; we read them as a missing axis.
We want to be the i for the robotics industry — the element that turns an impossible equation into a new world.
- intelligenceMachines that perceive, reason and act.
- inventionNew hardware, new categories.
- innovationTaking inventions to market at scale.
- imaginationSeeing the axis nobody has drawn yet.
- industryDeployment in factories, fields and cities.
- internationalSilicon Valley bridged to the world.
§ 02 — Investment Thesis
Robotics is software + hardware. We make the connection happen.
Breakthrough models are written in Silicon Valley; the machines that carry them are built across Asia and Europe. i Ventures bridges the two — pairing founders with the global supply chain that turns a prototype into a fleet.
Software × Hardware
Bits meet atoms
Robotics needs both stacks to win. We connect Silicon Valley AI talent with the manufacturers, suppliers and integrators that build at scale.
Next Frontier
AI leaves the screen
Robotics is the next frontier for AI — models that perceive, reason and act in the physical world, with exponential growth potential ahead.
Blue Ocean
Most problems unsolved
A true blue-ocean opportunity: dexterity, generalization, safety, cost and deployment are still wide open. Few incumbents, vast markets.
Civilization
The next level
Machines that build, move, make and care at planetary scale will take human civilization to the next level.
Thesis Matrix // Where we invest
Body. Brain. Task. Control.
Every robot is a body, driven by a brain, pointed at a task, kept under control. We invest across all four layers.
02 // Frontier Models
Brain
Frontier Models
The intelligence: physical-world foundation models & simulation engines.
- VLA Models
- World Models
- Physics Sim
- Data Collection
- Teleoperation
- Sim2Real
03 // Vertical Applications
Task
Vertical Applications
The job to be done: industrial automation, logistics, mobility, smart factories and service.
- Manufacturing
- Logistics
- Healthcare
- Agriculture
- Construction
- Home & Service
04 // Infrastructure & Middleware
Control
Infrastructure & Middleware
The coordination layer: orchestration, robot OS, fleet management, data pipelines, edge compute.
- Orchestration
- Robot OS
- Fleet Ops
- Security
- Safety & Compliance
- Edge Compute
§ 03 — Origin Node
Silicon Valley Roots
37.4419° N, 122.1430° W
The densest robotics and AI ecosystem on Earth, and the place the world's best talent comes to build. From Silicon Valley we plug founders into every layer of it — from the lab bench to the Fortune 1000 boardroom.
Ecosystem access map
- Global TalentTop engineers from every continent
- F1000 CompaniesPilots, partnerships, buyers
- Research LabsFrontier AI & robotics teams
- UniversitiesStanford, Berkeley & beyond
- InvestorsTier-1 co-investor syndicate
- ResearchersSpinouts & technical diligence
- Hackers & MakersCircuit Launch community
- Leading CompaniesOperators & ecosystem partners
§ 04 — Execution Mesh
Global Industry Network
ASIA · EUROPE · 6 NODES
Robots are built, not just trained. We connect portfolio companies to contract manufacturers, component supply chains and first industrial deployments across Asia and Europe — so a prototype becomes a production line.
| Shanghai | Industrial Supply Chain | 31.2304° N, 121.4737° E |
| Shenzhen | Manufacturing | 22.5431° N, 114.0579° E |
| Seoul | Batteries · Fabs | 37.5665° N, 126.9780° E |
| Tokyo | Actuators · Deploy | 35.6762° N, 139.6503° E |
| London | AI Research · Capital | 51.5074° N, 0.1278° W |
| Munich | Automotive OEMs | 48.1351° N, 11.5820° E |
§ 05 — General Partners
Investors who have operated.
Two GPs, one bench: robotics ecosystem depth in the Bay Area, and a cross-border network spanning North America, Asia and Europe.
GP // 01 · Robotics Ecosystem
Patti Pan
General Partner
Investor, entrepreneur and strategic operator bridging institutional investing, robotics ecosystems and real-world deployment.
- Capital
- Launched a $1.5B commercial real estate development; managed a $50M annual portfolio for a Fortune 500 company
- Ecosystem
- Strategic Partner, Circuit Launch — 1,000+ robotics engineers & founders
- Early-stage
- SOSV · Orbit Startups · MOX Accelerator
- Founder
- RevArt — CEO
- Education
- MBA, Darden School of Business, UVA
[ + ] Full profile[ − ] Collapse
Patti Pan is a seasoned investor, entrepreneur, and strategic operator with a global track record across alternative investments, finance, and technology-driven ventures, as well as deep engagement in the robotics and physical AI ecosystem. She has led large-scale investment initiatives, including the launch of a $1.5 billion commercial real estate development and the management of a $50 million annual portfolio for a Fortune 500 company, consistently outperforming market benchmarks.
Patti is a Strategic Partner at Circuit Launch, the Bay Area’s leading hub for robotics and embodied AI innovation, supporting over 1,000 robotics engineers and founders and collaborating closely with Silicon Valley Robotics and Women in Robotics. She has also been an active investor and operator in early-stage robotics and AI through roles at SOSV, Orbit Startups, and MOX Accelerator, where she led deal sourcing, due diligence, investment analysis, and EIR programs.
As the Founder and CEO of RevArt, Patti pioneered the intersection of art and technology, working with firms such as Greystar, Bozzuto, and Northwood, and curating robotic art in collaboration with leading artists including Alexander Reben, Agnieszka Pilat, and Pindar Van Arman. Earlier in her career, she worked with K11 / New World Development alongside Adrian Cheng, supporting post-investment strategy and portfolio value creation for companies including Aibee and DayDayCook (NYSE: DDC).
Patti holds an MBA from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia and brings a differentiated perspective bridging institutional investing, robotics ecosystems, and real-world deployment.
GP // 02 · Global Frontier Tech
Ryan Wang
General Partner
Technology futurist and executive leader at the intersection of AI, Spatial Computing and Frontier Tech, bridging venture ecosystems across three continents.
- Venture
- GP, Solaris Venture Partners · Co-founder, Outpost Capital (2015)
- Operator
- COO, MOAC Blockchain (Top 30, CoinMarketCap) · Co-founder, Zebra Labs
- Boards
- Advisor, StartX (Stanford) · Board, RESO · Mentor, UN AI for Good
- Banking
- Citigroup · Société Générale, New York
- Education
- MS, New York University
[ + ] Full profile[ − ] Collapse
Ryan Wang is a visionary technology futurist and executive leader operating at the intersection of AI, Spatial Computing, and Frontier Tech.
As General Partner at Solaris Venture Partners, a Silicon Valley-based global venture capital and private equity firm, he leads investments in the rapidly evolving AI and Robotics sectors while advising global capital and corporate leaders.
A pioneer in early-stage venture, Ryan co-founded Outpost Capital in 2015, one of the first funds dedicated to emerging technologies across the U.S. and Asia. His operational track record includes serving as COO of MOAC Blockchain—scaling the protocol into the Top 30 on CoinMarketCap—and co-founding Zebra Labs, an innovator in AI-driven music and metaverse IPs.
Throughout his career, he has been actively engaged in bridging global venture ecosystems, collaborating with regional governments across North America, Asia, and Europe, alongside international innovation hubs and tech communities to drive global growth.
Ryan began his career in investment banking with Citigroup and Societe Generale in New York. Beyond his executive roles, he serves as an advisor to the Stanford accelerator program StartX, sits on the Board of Directors at RESO, and mentors for the United Nations AI for Good program. A frequent guest lecturer at USC, the University of Washington, and Nanyang Technological University, he holds an MS from New York University.
§ 06 — Portfolio Directory
Index.
Actively investing · portfolio growing
| # | [Company Name] | [Sector] | [Link] |
|---|
-- holdings · the index grows as we deploy
Disclosure — Companies listed include investments made through special purpose vehicles (SPVs) and secondary transactions, and investments made by i Ventures' general partners, including prior to the formation of i Ventures. Inclusion does not imply that a listed company is affiliated with or endorses i Ventures. Company names are trademarks of their respective owners. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Nothing on this site is an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any security.
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