SoCal Deep Tech Week Showcases Regional Strength in Emerging Tech Innovation (and it was a lot of fun :-)
SoCal Deep Tech Week took place from September 15-20, bringing together innovators and experts across various deep tech industries. The week featured over 15 events, including panels, networking opportunities, and showcases of cutting-edge advancements in areas like AI, biotech, aerospace, defense, and clean energy. More than 900 participants explored the intersection of technology and entrepreneurship, with Southern California emerging as a hub for deep tech innovation.
SoCal Deep Tech Week kicked off with “The State of the Aerospace & Defense Complex” event, featuring a deep dive into trends in aerospace and defense. Rahul Singh (NSIN) opened with remarks followed by a panel on “Generative AI for Space” with Peter Morales (Code Metal), Daniil Chen (Type One Ventures), Nathan McGuirt (AWS, the panel sponsor) and Tim Silis (AWS). A fireside chat on defense innovation, moderated by Travis DeMeester (DIU), included insights from David Beck (Space Systems Integration Office of the US Space Force).
The “Energy & Sustainability Perspectives” event, hosted on Sept 17 in El Segundo, brought together industry leaders to explore renewable energy innovations. Keynote speaker Brent Roberts (Siemens) shared insights on the state of energy and sustainability. A “campfire” discussion featured Kevin Noerkter (Ampaire) and Laura Dyer (Buoyant VC), moderated by Mark Hatch (Fourth State of Energy). Isaiah Taylor (Valor Atomics) led a Q&A session on new energy systems. The event concluded with networking and tours of Vebu Labs.
The “Evolution of Applied AI & Robotics” event held at the Verizon Innovation Lab in the morning of Sept 18, explored advancements and opportunities in AI and robotics. Steve M. Garrido (Verizon) opened the session, followed by a keynote from Mike Palank (MaC Ventures). A panel moderated by Les Karpas (NVIDIA) included experts Alexandros Potamianos (Behavioral Signals and Amazon Scholar), Ali Agha (Field AI) and Jason Lu (Flyby Robotics). A fireside chat featured Buck Jordan (Vebu Labs), moderated by Ben Bergman (Business Insider). Promaxo and Verizon co-sponsored the event.
The “Deep Tech Symposium” on the afternoon of Sept 18 was the marquis event of the week, organized by the Alliance for SoCal Innovation, and covered cutting-edge innovations in Aerospace & Defense, Cleantech & Sustainability, and AI/Robotics & Advanced Manufacturing. After a welcome by Drew Busbee (DTI – the venue sponsor) and El Segundo Mayor Drew Boyles, keynote speaker Stephen Cheung (LAEDC) highlighted the current strength and future growth strategy for deep tech in Los Angeles’ tech ecosystem. Each of the panels contained perspectives from startups, investors, and corporations. The first panel explored the future of Aerospace & Defense, moderated by Conn Doherty (RTX) and featured panelists Jordan Noone (Embedded Ventures, Zoo, Relativity Space), Erin Hammons (Northrop Grumman), Elizabeth Reynolds (Starburst Aerospace), and Zane Mountcastle (PicoGrid). The second panel explored the intersection of technology and sustainability, focusing on cleantech and renewable energy moderated by Sergej Mahnovski (Edison International, the event sponsor) and included panelists Eric Lee (Aligned Climate Capital), Adrienne Lindgren (LACI), and Jess Adkins (Caltech and Calcarea). The final panel of the day explored innovations in AI, Robotics and Advanced Manufacturing, moderated by Krisztina “Z” Holly (Good Growth Capital) and featured panelists Alice Liu (ID8 Innovation), Ed Mehr (Machina Labs), Peter Lee (Embark Ventures).
Closing out the week of events, the Alliance for SoCal Innovation hosted a small dinner for 30 deep tech VIPs including a mix of deep tech investors, startup founders, corporate leaders, local government officials and sponsors. Billed as “Red Meat, Red Wine, and Rockets” and sponsored by KPPB, Banc of California, and Rietler Law, the dinner celebrated the culmination of a successful week that truly showcased the depth and quality of the innovators in SoCal working to solve some of the most pressing tech issues with huge potential for impact on humanity and the planet.
One of the organizers of SoCal Deep Tech Week, Jay Velasco of the Alliance for SoCal Innovation, said about the week, “It was super cool to see all of these different sectors coming together to showcase frontier technology innovations emerging in the SoCal region. Each event was different but the consistent experience was the energy, optimism and enthusiasm for what we’re building here.” Jay and the organizers are already thinking about next year’s event and how to keep the momentum moving into more investment and job creation in the SoCal region.