Thesis Focus Team Portfolio Contact

We back the visionaries
bringing
AI into the
physical world

Thesis

In our homes and offices,
a new kind of robot
is showing up to work.

One that learns, adapts, and operates in the real world, without human intervention.

For most of history, building a useful robot required years of engineering and hundreds of millions of dollars.

AI is changing that. The cost to build, train, and deploy intelligent robots is collapsing.

Just as Apple didn't build Uber, the companies deploying robots today don't need to build the AI behind them. The platform already exists. The winners will be the ones who deploy first and learn fastest.

Valis backs the teams turning intelligent robots into real businesses, and the infrastructure that makes them work at scale.

Machines at work

Focus

We invest in two kinds of companies.

01

Companies deploying robots at scale

Warehouse robots that pick orders. Surgical robots that assist in operating rooms. Drones that deliver medicine to remote communities. Real businesses, with paying customers and signed contracts.

The kinds of companies we back

Locus Robotics Warehouse automation. 1B+ items picked across enterprise clients.
Zipline Drone delivery of medical supplies to 20+ countries.
Gecko Robotics Industrial inspection. U.S. Navy and Air Force.

02

Software the industry runs on

Every robot company needs software to train their machines, monitor them in the field, and manage large fleets. We back the picks-and-shovels layer that makes all of it possible.

The kinds of companies we back

Foxglove Robot observability and debugging. Automotive, logistics, defense.
Viam Fleet management across warehouses, factories, and field sites.
Parallel Domain Synthetic training data. Toyota, Google, Continental.

Team

The team behind the thesis.

Valis is led by an experienced team with a proven track record that bridges Physical AI innovation with institutional investment management.

Nick Faulkner

Nick Faulkner

Co-Founder, GP

Nick brings institutional investment expertise and deep cross-border operational experience. His background includes working across portfolios representing $7B+ in client assets and participating in $1.6B deployed across funds and direct investments, giving Valis the pattern recognition most emerging managers lack.

  • VP, Investments, Pathway Capital Management
  • Principal, Investments, Cintrifuse Syndicate Fund ($110M+ AUM)
  • Deployed $1.6B across 50+ funds and 100+ direct investments
  • Cross-border sourcing: US, China, Southeast Asia
Scott Moore

Scott Moore

Co-Founder, GP

Scott built foundational infrastructure for the open-source and crypto ecosystems before turning his focus to physical AI. His network spans leading research labs and top technical universities, giving Valis direct access to the founders building the next generation of intelligent machines.

  • Ecosystem Advisor — Ethereum Foundation
  • Co-founder — Gitcoin ($70M+ deployed to open source)
  • Lecturer — Stanford & MIT Blockchain Programs

Investing in the breakout winners
of the robotics revolution.

Physical AI will be the defining technology category of the next decade and a multi-trillion dollar industry.

Our portfolio →

Contact

Let's start a conversation.

We are actively meeting founders and LPs. If you are building in Physical AI or looking for exposure to the category, we want to hear from you.

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