The Sparknify Podcast

How do the corporate venture arms of the world’s largest industrial companies decide where the future of technology is heading?In this episode of Silicon Valley Unplugged, Sparknify brings together leaders from three of the most influential corporate venture capital groups shaping the next wave of AI, semiconductors, and deep tech innovation. These investors sit at the intersection of frontier technology, global manufacturing, and ...

At the Bridging Silicon Valley and Taiwan: Semiconductor & AI Synergies event, Sam Fok, Co-Founder & CEO of femtoAI, shares real-world insights on building ultra-efficient AI inference for embedded and edge devices. Drawing from hands-on experience at the intersection of silicon and software, Sam explains how breakthroughs in co-design are enabling powerful AI to run on constrained hardware—dramatically reduci...

At the Bridging Silicon Valley and Taiwan: Semiconductor & AI Synergies event, Laura Swan, General Partner at Silicon Catalyst Ventures, delivers her talk “Accelerating the Future: How Semiconductor Startups Scale from Idea to Impact.” Drawing on decades of hands-on engineering, operating, and venture experience, Laura breaks down what it truly takes for semiconductor and deep-tech startups to move from architectu...

At the Bridging Silicon Valley and Taiwan: Semiconductor & AI Synergies on January 13, 2026 in Palo Alto, Janis Skriveris, Principal and Deeptech Lead at Plug and Play Ventures, shares his talk “Empowering the Global Semiconductor Ecosystem: From Innovation to Scale.” Drawing from years of investing and operating at the intersection of deep tech and global platforms, Janis explores how startups can move from early innovation to...

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, ...

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 artifi...

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 visio...

In this episode of Silicon Valley Spotlight, we feature David Leikam — a composer-improviser and sonic architect whose soundscapes push the boundaries of modern improvisation. Performing live on the Moog Rogue synthesizer, David brings analog textures to life through instinct, emotion, and deep sonic curiosity.Born with cerebral palsy, David’s experience of the world—through both body and speech—has profoundly shaped his relationsh...

In this episode of Silicon Valley Unplugged, we sit down with Nicolas Sauvage, President of TDK Ventures, for a candid, behind-the-scenes conversation on what it really takes to build and back transformative deep-tech companies.Hosted by Jillian Sun, this episode explores how frontier technologies move from lab breakthroughs to global impact. Nicolas shares insights from the investor’s seat—how TDK Ventures evaluates founders, what...

What if the everyday objects around you — a spring, a pipe, a piece of metal — could sing? In this episode of Silicon Valley Spotlight, we explore the mind of Bryan Day, an experimental sound artist, inventor, and performer who transforms found materials into mesmerizing sound sculptures. From tinkering with discarded electronics to performing with self-built instruments, Bryan challenges how we define music, noise, and art.

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AI is transforming every corner of society — and education is no exception. From reshaping how students learn to redefining the admissions process, the future of learning is here. But what happens when algorithms, not humans, begin to evaluate what makes a “good student”?

In this episode of SV Up (Silicon Valley Unplugged), filmed live in Palo Alto, we bring together experts and innovators to tackle one of the biggest questions of o...

In this episode of Silicon Valley Unplugged (SV Up), we dive into the thrilling world of drone racing — a tech-infused sport where human reflexes and machine speed converge in a high-stakes spectacle. Moderated by Leah Stamm of Sparknify, this live panel features top drone racing champions including Timofey “Din” Germanov, Colby Curtola, Jon Gaiser, and Bryson Hagerman. Together, they explore how FPV (First-Person View) drone racin...