VCN #43: Cattle, Not Pets — ephemeral microVMs for AI agents

⌖ San Francisco · Antler San Francisco (3rd Floor)

Hosted by Voxel51

Explore how Physical AI systems turn robotics, sensor and vision data into real-world applications at this practical workshop and meetup in San Francisco. Co-presented by Nebius and Voxel51, this three-hour, in-person event combines short community talks with a hands-on introduction to building Physical AI applications using FiftyOne. It takes place on Wednesday, 28 October 2026, from 5:30pm to 8:30pm PDT at Antler San Francisco, 3rd Floor, 144 Townsend Street. What to expect The evening begins in a meetup format, with lightning talks from local speakers working across artificial intelligence, machine learning and computer vision. These concise sessions offer a look at the ideas and technical challenges shaping Physical AI before the programme moves into a practical workshop. During the hands-on portion, attendees will work with FiftyOne and explore key parts of the Physical AI development workflow, including: - Curating robotics and sensor datasets - Working with visual data captured in real-world environments - Evaluating computer vision models on real-world data - Building Physical AI applications with FiftyOne Bring a laptop if you want to follow along with the workshop. The blend of lightning talks and guided building makes this especially relevant to AI and machine learning practitioners, computer vision specialists, robotics teams, researchers and technical builders interested in data-centric development. No specific experience level is stated, but the workshop’s practical focus will be most useful to attendees who want direct exposure to Physical AI tools and workflows. Workshop access requirements A company, university or government email address is required to access the hands-on workshop environment. Personal or disposable accounts, including Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook and similar services, cannot be used. According to the organisers, this platform-wide policy supports fraud prevention, abuse controls and compliance requirements. Anyone who needs an exception should contact the hosts before attending.… Register for this event

Sponsors: Nebius

⌖ San Francisco · Mind The Bridge

AI for Future brings expert talks, VC panels, startup pitches and AI business networking to Mind The Bridge in San Francisco on 5 November 2026. A high-level meeting point for the AI ecosystem WMF – We Make Future is bringing its international innovation ecosystem to San Francisco for the second edition of AI for Future. Organised by Search On Media Group, the event connects AI founders, investors, venture capitalists, experts and established companies for a focused exploration of the technology’s commercial landscape. This is a professional, business-led event rather than an introductory workshop. It is particularly relevant to AI startup teams seeking investment or market access, VCs evaluating emerging opportunities, corporate innovation leaders, technology specialists and organisations interested in partnerships between the US and European markets. What to expect The programme examines AI from several complementary perspectives: - Keynote talks from international AI experts, covering current trends and real-world applications - Investor and VC panels exploring funding trends, market dynamics and the US investment landscape - AI business meetings and networking designed to create strategic relationships across the ecosystem - The AI 4 Future Startup Competition, giving selected founders a live platform in Silicon Valley The startup competition is a central feature. Four European and four American AI startups will pitch their solutions to an audience that includes international investors and VCs. Finalists compete for the opportunity to attend the WMF Main Event in Italy, where they can connect with a wider global network of investors and industry leaders. AI for Future forms part of the WMF International Roadshow, launched in 2021 to connect innovation communities around the world. Its emphasis on cross-border collaboration, market access and strategic partnerships makes the event especially useful for teams looking beyond their domestic ecosystem. Previous-edition calibre… Register for this event

⌖ San Francisco

Hosted by Bardia Shahali

Hear Vanta CRO Stevie Case unpack go-to-market leadership with Granola VP of Sales Bardia Shahali in San Francisco on 5 November 2026. Inside the third GTM Series conversation Granola brings its speaker series back to San Francisco for a focused conversation with Stevie Case, Chief Revenue Officer at Vanta. She will sit down with Granola’s VP of Sales and event host, Bardia Shahali, as the series continues its mission to bring leading go-to-market operators into conversation with the Granola community. Stevie leads all go-to-market activity at Vanta, a Cloud 100-ranked security compliance company. Her remit spans: - Sales and customer success - Account management - Revenue operations - Wider go-to-market strategy and leadership Her perspective draws on more than 20 years spent leading sales teams and revenue organisations across very different stages of company growth, from 0-to-1 startups to major brands including Visa and Twilio. She is also part of 20SALES, a venture fund formed with seven other GTM leaders from prominent SaaS companies. The fund invests in seed-stage AI and B2B SaaS startups, adding an investor’s view of what early companies need to build and scale. Case’s path into technology is far from conventional. An aspiring lawyer turned college dropout, she began her career as Stevie “KillCreek” Case, the world’s first female professional gamer. Beyond work, she is a certified sailboat skipper and electric boat owner. Who should attend? This session will be particularly relevant to founders, sales and revenue leaders, customer success professionals, SaaS operators, and people building AI or B2B software. Attendees can expect an in-person, interview-style conversation rather than a hands-on workshop, with the emphasis on learning directly from an experienced operator who has worked across startups, established technology businesses, and venture investing.… Register for this event

Granola

Sponsors: Granola

⌖ San Francisco · Hilton San Francisco Union Square

Hosted by AI Engineer

AI Engineer Code Summit returns to San Francisco from 10–12 November 2026 for an application-only gathering focused on production agentic coding. Held at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square, this highly selective, single-track conference is designed for experienced engineers, founders and researchers building coding agents, testing their limits or deploying them across organisations. The programme starts where the basics end, prioritising technical depth, real workflows and lessons from systems shipped in production. Programme Hands-on workshops take place on 10 November, followed by talks, an expo and networking on 11–12 November. Planned areas of focus include: - Coding agents and IDE workflows - AI-assisted code review - Evaluations and production reliability - Internal agents, including systems built for company teams - Agent infrastructure and operational workflows The 2026 agenda and speaker lineup are still to be announced. Previous editions have featured engineers and leaders from OpenAI, Anthropic, Cursor and Cognition. The event is presented by Google DeepMind and supported by G2i. Tickets and access Attendance is by application only. Applying is free but does not reserve a place; approved applicants receive a purchase link. Regular tickets are listed at $1,299 plus fees, rising to $1,499 plus fees for final and at-door sales. The workshop add-on costs $299 plus fees. The Call for Speakers is also open to practitioners building, deploying, evaluating and operating AI coding systems. Proposals are accepted through Sessionize until 11 October 2026 at 11:59pm PT. A discounted hotel room block is available while rooms last. Apply to attend AI Engineer Code Summit 2026

Sponsors: Google DeepMind · G2i

⌖ San Francisco · AWS Builder Loft

Hosted by ClickHouse Bay Area and Silicon Valley Meetup Group

AI Builders Night brings engineers, data practitioners and founders to San Francisco for talks and networking on production AI infrastructure. Hosted by the ClickHouse Bay Area and Silicon Valley Meetup Group, this in-person evening focuses on the people building and deploying modern AI systems. Expect real-world use cases, large-scale infrastructure discussions and opportunities to meet fellow AI builders. The event is presented by ClickHouse and Docker. Agenda - 5:00pm: Arrivals, check-in and networking - 5:50pm: Welcome and introductions, with food and drinks - 5:55–7:10pm: Three speaker sessions - From 7:30pm: Q&A and networking - 8:30pm: Meetup concludes The event page lists the main event time as Monday 9 November 2026, 5:00–8:00pm PST, although the published agenda runs until 8:30pm. Speakers have not yet been announced. Entry requirements The event takes place at the AWS Builder Loft. Attendees must complete both the main registration and the separate AWS venue registration. Photo ID is required for entry. View the event and register

Sponsors: ClickHouse · Docker

⌖ San Francisco · Hyatt Regency, San Francisco

Hosted by QCon San Francisco / InfoQ

QCon San Francisco 2026 is where senior software practitioners gather to explore what's working in AI, architecture, leadership, and culture—straight from the teams already implementing these solutions in production. Taking place November 16-20, 2026 at the Hyatt Regency in San Francisco, this five-day event combines three days of conference sessions (Nov 16-18) with two days of hands-on training (Nov 19-20), giving you both strategic insight and practical skills to bring back to your team. Why Senior Engineers Attend QCon For over 20 years, QCon has been the trusted source for engineering leaders at companies like Amazon, Meta, Netflix, Google, Uber, and Goldman Sachs. This isn't another vendor-driven conference—it's a practitioner-led event where 60+ senior engineers share real-world implementation stories, architectural decisions, and lessons learned from building systems at scale. You'll hear from people who have already solved the problems you're facing, with candid discussions about what worked, what didn't, and why. What You'll Learn The conference focuses on four critical areas shaping modern software development: AI in Production — Move beyond the hype and learn how teams are actually deploying AI systems, managing model operations, and integrating machine learning into existing architectures. Discover practical approaches to AI governance, testing strategies for non-deterministic systems, and how to build teams that can ship AI features reliably. Software Architecture Evolution — Explore how leading engineering organizations are evolving their architectures to meet modern demands. From microservices patterns to platform engineering, from data mesh implementations to API design at scale, you'll see how architecture decisions impact velocity, reliability, and team productivity. Engineering Leadership — Learn how senior engineers are navigating the shift from individual contributor to technical leader. Topics include building high-performing teams, making technical decisions with imperfect information, balancing innovation with stability, and creating cultures where engineers can do their best work. Modern Development Practices — Discover emerging patterns in software delivery, from platform engineering approaches to developer experience optimization, observability strategies, and how teams are adapting their practices for AI-assisted development. Conference Format