NEA partner Aaron Jacobson joins Sand Hill Road to discuss the next wave of robotics and AI — from warehouse automation and drone manufacturing to autonomous construction and defense innovation. Jacobson explains why the future of robotics isn’t humanoids but specialized machines that perform one task perfectly. He shares insights on startups like Outrider, Built Robotics, Second Front Systems, and Firestorm, and why he believes AI-driven intelligence and flexible manufacturing will reshape industries from green energy to national security.

Steven Lee raised $40 million in five weeks to fund his own venture firm — with just his reputation, network, and a bet on AI. From being the last kid picked up at school to becoming one of Silicon Valley’s earliest investors in breakout companies, Lee shares his journey from his parents’ clothing store in Los Angeles, to Twitter, to launching his own fund.

Rehan Jalil has sold three companies. His fourth, Securiti AI, might be his first to go public. A decade after we first met him as the founder of Elastica, Rehan returns to explain why protecting enterprise data is the gateway to unlocking AI’s full potential—and why building companies will always be his passion. From reading market signals to redefining data security, Jalil shares what it takes to keep winning in a fast-changing tech landscape.