On March 12, 2026, SF Playground brought the community back together for Pitch Playoff 002 at Circuit Launch in Mountain View for an evening built around one idea: the best early-stage physical AI startups should earn attention by showing what they’re building in the room, not just by pitching from a deck.

This was a high-energy night built for builders, founders, investors, and operators who wanted to get close to the products, meet the teams behind them, and see which companies created the strongest real-world signal.

How Pitch Playoff Works

We’re bringing together early-stage startups across physical AI. Every attendee gets 3 voting tokens at check-in to “invest” in their favorite products during the booth showcase. The format is simple: walk the room, meet founders, try products, and place your tokens where you see the most potential.

At the end of the showcase, the votes are counted.

The top 3 startups earn a spot on stage for a Shark Tank–style final pitch in front of an investor panel, with live feedback and a room full of builders watching.

That format is what makes Pitch Playoff different. It creates live product feedback, real-time market signal, and a stronger connection between founders, users, and investors before anyone steps on stage.

A Night Built for the Physical AI Community

Pitch Playoff 002 was designed for:

• Founders and startups looking for users, signal, and investor attention
• Investors and angels looking for curated, pre-filtered dealflow
• Operators, engineers, and tech folks who want to see what’s being built next in SF

The room brought together people from across the ecosystem, creating the kind of environment where founders could get immediate reactions, investors could spot promising teams early, and builders could experience emerging products up close.

The Format in Action

The night moved fast and kept the energy high:

5:30 PM · Doors Open

6:00 to 7:30 PM · Startup booths, voting, networking, and refreshments
Each attendee received 3 voting tokens to back their favorite startups during the showcase.

7:30 to 7:45 PM · Intermission and finalist announcement

7:45 to 8:30 PM · Live pitches from the top 3 finalists followed by investor panel Q&A

And to make the experience even better, the first 100 attendees received a complimentary dish from the fully autonomous Korean BBQ truck, @olhsotruck.

Standout Moments from the Night

One of the most memorable experiences from the showcase came from an AI bartender booth, where attendees could go through the full product flow, enter a few details, and watch the system detect age and dispense a drink. It was exactly the kind of hands-on interaction that makes physical AI exciting in person.

Another standout part of the night was the final pitch round. Once the top three startups were announced, the tone shifted from showcase energy to direct, real feedback. The investor Q&A got sharp, honest, and highly tactical. It moved beyond surface-level praise and pushed founders to defend their thinking, their product decisions, and their market understanding in front of the room.

That mix of product interaction, community energy, and unfiltered investor feedback is what made the night special.

The Top 3 Startups

After the votes were tallied, the top three startups advanced to the live final pitch:

1st Place: Petpin AI

Petpin AI took first place and continued the momentum from the previous Pitch Playoff, proving once again that strong execution and strong audience signal can carry across events.

2nd Place: HEAL

HEAL, a stealth startup, earned second place and generated serious interest during the event. While many of the details remain under wraps, the response in the room made it clear they are building something people want to keep watching.

3rd Place: Autogen Bot

Autogen Bot rounded out the top three and earned its place on stage through strong booth engagement and audience support.

Investor Panel

The final round featured an investor panel of eight:

• Vince Kohli · Angel Investor
• Armen Fljyan · Orion VC
• Chjango U. · Aexodus Capital
• Kirill Mishanin · Infodriver Capital
• Sarvesh Karkhanis · Pupa VC
• Patrick E. · Angel Investor
• Serephina Ha · AXCI Capital
• Christian Doegl · Navis Capital

Their feedback helped turn the final pitch round into more than a competition. It became a live working session where founders could hear directly from the kinds of people they may speak with later when fundraising, refining their positioning, or preparing for the next stage of growth.

Why This Event Mattered

Pitch Playoff 002 built on what worked in the previous event and pushed the format further.

One of the biggest wins was seeing Petpin AI return and take first place again, showing that this format is not just good for one-night excitement. It can help identify real momentum and reward teams that continue to improve.

More importantly, the event gave startups what they need most early on:

• Live user feedback
• Direct product signal
• Real investor reactions
• Community visibility
• A chance to iterate quickly after the event

That is the core of what SF Playground is building. We want physical AI founders to get in front of the right people sooner, hear what matters, and build faster because of it.

For investors, the format creates an opportunity to meet startups after they have already earned interest from the room. For founders, it creates a chance to test how people react before the fundraising story is fully polished. For the broader community, it creates a front-row seat to what’s coming next in physical AI.

Growing the Network

One of the most meaningful outcomes from Pitch Playoff 002 was adding 16 startups to the SF Playground portfolio and network.

That matters because our events are not meant to be one-off moments. As startups grow, we want to keep them in the ecosystem, bring them back into future events, connect them with stronger investor networks, and keep building long-term relationships around the companies shaping physical AI.

The event also helped spark new introductions in the room, including early conversations that led to smaller angel investment interest and further connections between attendees, founders, and investors.

What Comes Next

Pitch Playoff 002 showed what happens when you put strong founders, hands-on products, and real community signal in the same room.

This is the kind of environment we want SF Playground to keep creating: a place where physical AI startups can be discovered through interaction, where builders and investors can get closer to what is being built, and where momentum starts in person.

If you’re building in physical AI, investing in the space, or just want to be around the teams shaping what comes next, we’d love to see you at the next one.

Get Involved

• Want to showcase your startup? Apply for a future Pitch Playoff.
• Want a free booth? Fill out the booth form.
• Want to support the ecosystem? Join the community, attend the next event, or partner with SF Playground.

See you at the next Playground.