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This episode is sponsored by J.P. Morgan and Cozen O'Connor.
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In this episode of Founding Philly, I sit down with Charlie Anderson of Burro, Samuel Reeves of Fort Robotics, Joe Biancaniello of J.P. Morgan, and Chris McDemus of Cozen O’Connor for a roundtable conversation on robotics, physical AI, and what it takes to build ambitious companies in Philadelphia.
This episode is part of the Roundtable Series, a new format of Founding Philly. Same mission, spotlighting the startup journey, now with more voices at the table from across the Philly ecosystem.
We kick things off with the founder journeys behind Burro and Fort Robotics. Charlie shares how growing up on a farm and working in agricultural equipment eventually led him to start Burro, a robotics company now shipping autonomous machines used in environments like vineyards and warehouses. Samuel tells the story of how his path into robotics began with an entirely different goal, solving the global landmine problem, which ultimately led to building Fort Robotics, a platform focused on safety for autonomous machines.
From there, the conversation shifts to the broader robotics landscape and the emergence of what many are calling physical AI, artificial intelligence applied to machines operating in the real world.
Unlike digital AI systems like ChatGPT, physical AI must navigate unpredictable environments and operate safely around people. That complexity means robotics companies often have to build across hardware, software, and AI all at once, something that makes these businesses fundamentally different from traditional software startups.
We also explore how robotics companies scale. Charlie explains why deploying real robots in the field is critical, since each machine generates the data needed to improve autonomy over time. The more robots operating in the world, the better the systems become.
Joe adds an important perspective on the economics behind these businesses, highlighting the difference between software and robotics. While software can be copied and deployed instantly, robotics companies must design, manufacture, and support physical machines, making the path to scale more capital intensive but potentially just as transformative.
The group also discusses the role of bold, moonshot visions in driving innovation. From autonomous vehicles to humanoid robots, big ideas often attract the investment needed to push frontier technologies forward, even if the timelines take longer than expected.
Toward the end of the conversation, we touch on how the rise of ChatGPT and generative AI has brought renewed attention to robotics, and how emerging capabilities like voice interfaces could change the way humans interact with machines.
We close with a discussion about building in Philadelphia, what the region does well, and where it still needs to improve.
The consensus is that Philly has incredible talent, grit, and livability, but still struggles with early stage capital and startup density.
If those gaps can be addressed, the group believes Philadelphia has the ingredients to become a meaningful hub for robotics and physical AI.
Whether you are building in robotics, exploring frontier technologies, or thinking about how startups grow outside of traditional tech hubs, this episode offers an inside look at the realities of scaling physical AI companies and the founders working to build them.
The Roundtable Series is recorded at the Fitler Club, to learn more check out https://fitlerclub.com/.
