Silicon Valley News

Everyone talks about smarter drones. Almost no one talks about the invisible link that makes them usable. As global industries rethink security, latency, and supply chain risk, video transmission is becoming the real battleground—and LongLink is positioning itself right at the center of it.

Industrial R&D has long relied on trial-and-error—but what if that era is ending? Tricuss is introducing an AI “Co-Researcher” that can design experiments, analyze complex datasets, and generate research-grade insights in minutes. As industries from semiconductors to advanced materials face increasing complexity, this shift could redefine how innovation happens—and who leads it.

What if the best implant is the one that disappears? Expercy is challenging decades of orthopedic convention with absorbable biomaterials that don’t just support healing—they actively accelerate it, then dissolve when the job is done. From veterinary breakthroughs to future human applications, this is a new paradigm for surgery, recovery, and the role of medical devices in the body.

Organoids may be the future of medicine—but their production still looks like craftsmanship. PlasmonicTron is changing that. By turning fragile, manual biological workflows into automated, data-driven manufacturing systems, the company is redefining how living tissues are created at scale. The implications span drug discovery, personalized medicine, and beyond.

CephalonAI is compressing radiology diagnosis into minutes—while quietly reshaping the future of surgery, dementia care, and clinical decision-making.

What if machines could smell? Enosim is turning odor into data with its AI-powered Sextant platform—unlocking new frontiers in healthcare diagnostics, industrial safety, robotics, and beyond. From breath-based disease detection to real-time quality control, this is the missing sensory layer in the age of intelligent systems. Meet the team redefining how the world senses reality at the Taiwan Innovation Spotlight in Silicon Valley.

What if the most powerful new therapy in medicine wasn’t complex—but invisible? HOHO Biotech is betting on molecular hydrogen to reshape how we approach inflammation, aging, and chronic disease—challenging everything we thought we knew about treatment.

What if glass could think? Seeing Display is turning everyday windows into intelligent systems—adaptive, energy-efficient, and programmable. With its breakthrough Memory Liquid Crystal technology, buildings may soon reduce energy costs, enhance privacy, and redefine how architecture interacts with people.

From Apple to Google, Silicon Valley’s greatest companies began in garages and small rooms. What these environments created—and why that model of learning matters even more in the age of AI.

What if the future of cancer drug discovery no longer depends on animal testing? Fluidiconic Biotechnology is building a new paradigm with its tumor-on-a-chip platform—recreating human tumor environments in vitro and accelerating how therapies are tested, validated, and brought to market. As pharma, biotech, and AI-driven drug discovery collide, this breakthrough could redefine the entire pipeline.

What if the real bottleneck in drug discovery isn’t intelligence—but execution? Coherence is reimagining the laboratory itself as a programmable system, where AI doesn’t just predict outcomes but actively runs experiments, learns from results, and accelerates discovery at machine speed. As biology becomes increasingly digitized, Coherence offers a glimpse into a future where scientific breakthroughs are no longer limited by human throughput—and where the pace of innovation co

What if healing didn’t rely on synthetic implants, but on materials the body already understands? FMG Biomed is pushing a new frontier with collagen-based biomaterials that guide the body to regenerate itself—reshaping wound care, bone repair, and the future of regenerative medicine.

While the EV industry chases bigger batteries and longer range, a quieter revolution is taking place beneath the surface. Purism EV is challenging the status quo with smart power distribution modules that optimize how energy flows across the vehicle—unlocking efficiency, reducing costs, and redefining what performance really means in the electric era.

As AI hardware pushes the limits of physics, the real bottleneck is no longer compute—it’s interference and heat. Black Solution Nanotech is tackling this invisible battlefield with graphene metamaterials that redefine how chips perform, scale, and survive in next-generation systems.

Silicon built the modern world—but it may not power the next one. As demand surges for high-efficiency systems in electric vehicles, AI data centers, and energy infrastructure, silicon carbide is emerging as the material rewriting the rules. At the center of this shift is Gechi Compound Semiconductor, a company tackling one of the hardest problems in tech: growing and scaling high-quality SiC crystals. This is not just a story about semiconductors—it’s about who controls the

What if the future of medicine isn’t about stronger drugs—but smarter delivery? MegaPro by AP Biosciences is redefining how we diagnose and treat disease through nanotechnology, from Phase III MRI contrast agents to precision-targeted cancer therapies. This is where medicine becomes engineered.

For decades, cycling has been built around a simple assumption: the circle is optimal. Hao Juen challenges that belief with a radically different approach—customized non-circular chainrings engineered from real pedaling data to reduce power loss and enhance efficiency. The result is a subtle yet powerful upgrade that could redefine performance not just for cyclists, but for how machines adapt to human motion.

IVF success has long been capped at around 40%, leaving patients with uncertainty and repeated cycles. AB DigiHealth is changing that equation by shifting embryo selection from visual assessment to AI-driven genomic analysis—unlocking deeper insights directly from NGS data. The result is a potential leap in implantation success and a new frontier for reproductive medicine.

What if the future of critical care could be swallowed? DotSpace’s PressureDOT is redefining how we monitor life-threatening conditions—turning invasive procedures into seamless, continuous insights from within the body.

What if the future of optics had nothing to do with glass? MetaRosetta is pioneering metalens technology—ultra-thin, nanostructured surfaces that could replace traditional lenses across machine vision, infrared sensing, and thermal imaging. As optics converges with semiconductor manufacturing, this shift may redefine how machines see—and who controls that capability.

Before the world catches on, breakthrough technologies are already taking shape. From the Edison Awards to Silicon Valley, explore how innovation moves from lab to market—and meet the people building what’s next.

From covert Cold War experiments like Operation Popeye to modern climate tech startups, weather modification has evolved from military strategy to environmental intervention—yet the ethical questions remain just as urgent.

How will custom silicon be built in an AI-native world? In this talk, Mohamed Kassem (CEO of Native Chips) explores how agentic AI and automated workflows are transforming ASIC development—compressing timelines, reducing complexity, and redefining how chips go from idea to production.

Behind many of the world’s most successful startups is a simple truth: they didn’t start with just an idea—they started with friends. From Facebook to Google, early teams built on trust, shared history, and honest collaboration often outperform those formed from scratch. This article explores why friendship is one of the strongest foundations for building a startup, and why the relationships formed in school may matter more than any single skill.

What if ligament repair didn’t mean replacement—but regeneration? Developed by Industrial Technology Research Institute, LigamiX™ is a bioengineered ligament designed to help the body heal itself. With a porous, bionic structure and advanced biocomposite materials, it promotes tissue integration, reduces inflammation, and offers a new path forward for orthopedic recovery.

What if the world around you became the interface? Developed by Industrial Technology Research Institute and deployed through Darwin Display Solutions, NeoVision AR turns transparent displays into intelligent, interactive layers powered by AI. From airports to smart buildings, it’s redefining how people navigate, explore, and interact—without ever touching a screen.

What if machines could tell you they’re about to fail—days or even weeks in advance? Developed by Industrial Technology Research Institute, the Prognosis Monitoring System (PMS) is an AI-powered predictive maintenance solution already deployed across semiconductor fabs and critical infrastructure. With real-time diagnostics and over 90% accuracy in predicting remaining useful life, it’s helping companies prevent costly downtime and save millions.

We’ve been throwing away our roads—and paying for it twice. A new breakthrough from Industrial Technology Research Institute and Lianyue Aggregates Co., Ltd. uses a biological process to regenerate aged asphalt into high-performance pavement, turning waste into a scalable, low-carbon infrastructure solution.

As AI systems scale to unprecedented power levels, the real constraint isn’t compute—it’s heat. A new breakthrough from Industrial Technology Research Institute reveals how next-generation cooling could redefine the future of high-performance computing.

For decades, the United States relied on proxy wars to avoid the political cost of direct conflict. But the rise of drones—especially low-cost, one-way loitering munitions—is rewriting that playbook. As technology removes the risk of American casualties, it is also lowering the barrier to using force, reshaping not just the battlefield but presidential decision-making itself.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming how software is built—and how companies hire. As AI begins to automate coding and routine knowledge work, many tech leaders believe the future workforce will be much smaller but far more creative. If machines can build the app, the real question becomes: what skills will humans need to stay essential? This article explores why entrepreneurship and builder thinking may become the most important skills for the next generation—and

Swiss scientists at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne have developed a self-adjusting crystal lens that could eliminate the need for reading glasses. Using liquid crystal technology and tiny sensors, the lenses automatically change focus in milliseconds, restoring the natural focusing ability lost with age.

Composer-improviser David Leikam performs live on a NS Design 6-string fretless electric cello, creating fully improvised music in the moment. Born with cerebral palsy, David uses music as his language of expression, transforming cutting-edge sound techniques and technology into evolving sonic landscapes.

An ordinary-looking fish in the Mediterranean hides a remarkable secret. Under certain conditions, eating the Sarpa salpa—also known as the dreamfish—can trigger vivid hallucinations lasting up to 36 hours. Ancient Romans reportedly served it at banquets for its mind-altering effects. Today, scientists are looking beyond the strange folklore and asking a deeper question: could the biology behind this fish reveal clues about how the human brain works—and even inspire new treat

How are corporate venture capital teams investing in the age of AI? In this Silicon Valley Unplugged session, leaders from Applied Ventures, Hitachi Ventures, and Lam Capital share how strategic investors evaluate emerging technologies, support deep-tech startups, and identify the next wave of innovation shaping the future of AI and advanced computing.

A new generation of drones is breaking one of robotics’ oldest boundaries: the line between air and water. These amphibious machines can fly through the sky, dive beneath the ocean’s surface, navigate underwater, and then relaunch into flight. As multi-domain robotics begins to reshape industries from infrastructure inspection to maritime security, the technology is opening an entirely new frontier for autonomous systems.

For years, we told students to learn coding because it was the language of the future. But in an era where AI can generate entire applications from a simple prompt, syntax is no longer the advantage. The real competitive edge has shifted upstream — to problem discovery, systems thinking, persuasion, and execution. As code becomes automated, judgment becomes scarce. This is why the next generation doesn’t just need technical skills; they ne

They never had to “learn” AI — they grew up with it. Today’s teenagers treat generative models and intelligent systems not as breakthroughs, but as everyday collaborators. As the first truly AI-native generation comes of age, their approach to building companies is fundamentally different: faster execution, fearless experimentation, and seamless human–machine partnership. The question is no longer whether they will build the future — it’s how dramatically they will reshape it

A woman who fell in love with a robot she 3D-printed herself is waiting for human–robot marriage to become legal. Once dismissed as a “sexbot” story, her relationship reveals something far more unsettling: emotional bonds with machines are forming faster than the law can name them. As companion robots evolve beyond novelty and intimacy, marriage law—built for humans alone—faces questions it was never designed to answer.

In this talk, Sam Fok, Co-Founder and CEO of femtoAI, shares how ultra-efficient AI inference is enabling intelligence to run directly on embedded and edge devices. Drawing from real-world experience at the intersection of silicon and software, he explains why efficiency—not scale alone—will define the next wave of AI, how co-design unlocks major gains in power and cost, and what it takes to move edge AI from research prototypes into scalable, deployable systems.

China’s newest humanoid robot doesn’t just think—it moves like us. With near-human gait, eye contact, and subtle expressions, Moya marks a shift in robotics that goes beyond intelligence. Why is so much effort being spent on copying human movement, and what does biology and psychology reveal about this obsession?

Long after we forget a film’s plot, we remember how it made us feel. Emotion is the residue of cinema—the part that lingers in the body after the screen goes dark. In an age where artificial intelligence can replicate style, structure, and even genre with increasing ease, emotion has become the clearest signal of humanity. That is why the 2026 Human vs. AI Film Festival is organized not by genre, but by feeling.

Sparknify has officially launched the 2026 Human vs. AI Film Festival, introducing emotion as the central framework of competition. Rather than categorizing films by genre or production method, this year’s festival challenges both traditional filmmakers and AI creators to anchor their work in one of seven core human emotions. Submissions are now open, with the live premiere scheduled for late September 2026 in San Francisco.

Romantic relationships with AI are no longer a fringe experiment or a sci-fi fantasy—they are already happening at scale. As emotional intelligence migrates from humans to machines, biology and psychology explain why love with AI isn’t artificial at all, but an inevitable extension of how the human brain forms attachment.

She is explaining herself carefully, choosing each word, while he stares at the table, already overwhelmed. In moments like this, misunderstanding isn’t loud—it’s quiet, cumulative, and exhausting. As AI systems begin to read tone, emotion, and intent in real time, these moments may become rarer. But if understanding arrives before we speak, what disappears with it? In a future of instant emotional clarity, the real question may not be whether we argue less—but whether we sti

It hides in bats, jumps across species, and attacks the human brain and respiratory system with devastating speed. With fatality rates reaching as high as 75%, Nipah virus is not a hypothetical future threat—it is a real and growing danger. As medicine races to catch up and vaccines remain in development, scientists and early-stage startups are fighting against time to stop the next outbreak before it begins.

Amazon’s decision to shut down much of its Amazon Fresh retail footprint signals far more than a store closure—it marks a fundamental shift in how grocery will evolve. As physical retail gives way to logistics-first strategies and real-world AI systems, companies like Veeve, Trigo, and Standard AI are embedding intelligence directly into stores, transforming them into continuously learning environments. This structural reset is redefining grocery from a retail business into a

Processed meats like bacon, ham, and hot dogs are everyday staples—familiar, affordable, and culturally ingrained. Yet science paints a troubling picture: In 2015, the WHO's IARC classified processed meats as Group 1 carcinogens, based on over 800 studies. Daily intake of just 50g (e.g., one hot dog or two bacon strips) raises colorectal cancer risk by ~18%. Nitrates/nitrites form carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds, while smoking creates HCAs and PAHs.

In this talk, Laura Swan, General Partner at Silicon Catalyst Ventures, shares a clear and practical view of what it takes to scale semiconductor startups from early concepts to real-world impact. Drawing on decades of engineering and venture experience, she explains why hardware and semiconductors scale differently from software, how founders should think about timing, capital, and ecosystem support, and why Taiwan’s semiconductor supply chain is critical in helping startups