The path to successful investment in edge AI requires far more than technical brilliance. In this revealing panel discussion, venture capitalists and corporate investors share what truly matters when deciding where to place their bets in the evolving edge computing landscape.

At the heart of every investment decision lies a deceptively simple question: who is your customer? As Hans from Momentum Ventures bluntly states, "The first thing we're looking for is customers, second is customers, and third is customers." While many founders obsess over technology, successful investments begin with understanding whose job is changed by your solution and who will pay for that change.

The conversation shifts to efficiency as "the new currency" in edge computing. David Wyatt, formerly of NVIDIA, highlights technologies achieving 100x greater efficiency than traditional approaches, pointing to innovations that challenge conventional silicon-based computing. Meanwhile, Murata's corporate venture team emphasizes material science innovations that enable more efficient processing, sensing, and power management at the edge.

What makes an ideal founding team? The panel describes the powerful combination of a "hacker" (technical expert) and a "hustler" (business-focused leader) who together can bridge the gap between technological innovation and market demands. This complementary expertise proves especially critical in edge AI, where technical constraints meet real-world implementation challenges.

The most sobering insights emerge when discussing startup failures. Running out of cash tops the list, often resulting from scaling too quickly or misallocating resources. One panelist cuts through the hype with brutal clarity: "You're not in business when you're spending money. You're in business when you're making money."

Whether you're building, investing in, or partnering with edge AI companies, this discussion offers a roadmap for navigating an increasingly complex landscape where efficiency, customer focus, and strategic vision determine which innovations will ultimately survive and thrive.

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