Physical AI's 'LEGO Era'
Speaking on TechCrunch's Equity podcast, Amulya Vishwanath described the moment the industry is collectively awaiting: the ChatGPT moment for robotics. But according to the founder and managing partner of Techable Ventures โ a VC firm focused on physical AI โ the sector is not there yet. It remains, she said, in a "LEGO era."
"A lot of companies and experts have been talking about the ChatGPT moment for robotics," Vishwanath said. "There are a lot of foundational software and building blocks for robotics that are being rethought right now as we speak, and it's super important in order for innovation to scale."
Today, builders are assembling the fundamentals โ robotic hands, actuators, and other core components โ that can one day converge into a big-ticket product, much like individual LEGO bricks coming together. Both general-purpose and special-purpose robots are in development, and as builders keep iterating, these systems will grow more capable and more advanced.
"We've done this during the internet era," she said. "We've done this long, long time ago with the Industrial Revolution. I think it's just a matter of time before things fall into place."
Talent as a Competitive Moat
Vishwanath also stressed that talent will remain a critical differentiator, especially in the U.S. market. Helping founders connect with top talent is one of her firm's "moats," she said โ particularly as so much expertise flows toward large companies like Anthropic and Nvidia. Her network, built over years of working in the space, gives her an edge.
"This just makes it a lot more easier for me to be the strength or the first call for founders," she said.
Background
Vishwanath launched Techable Ventures after nearly seven years as a product marketer at Nvidia. Before that, she held the same role at a company later acquired by Intel and worked as a digital signal processing engineer at Interconnect Systems, which was later acquired by Molex.
2026 Context
As of 2026, physical AI โ the integration of AI models with robots and embodied systems โ has become one of the industry's most closely watched frontiers. Nvidia has continued to champion the category through platforms like Isaac and GR00T, while a wave of startups races to build foundation models for robotics. Vishwanath's framing suggests that despite rapid progress, the sector still lacks the standardized, composable infrastructure needed to scale โ making the current period one of groundwork rather than breakthrough.
via TechCrunch