Robots That Predict the Future (And Why Europe's Positioned to Build Them)

With so much going on in AI each week, you may have missed that NVIDIA's new DreamZero model just crushed robotics benchmarks by doing something novel - teaching robots to predict what will happen before they act.

The model jointly generates both future video and robot actions, essentially letting robots simulate outcomes before moving. This spatial prediction capability has been the missing piece keeping robots confined to controlled environments.

That same shift - from map-dependent systems to AI that understands space dynamically - is what just attracted $1.5B to Wayve at an $8.6B valuation. The Cambridge-founded company pioneered what they call "Embodied AI" for autonomous vehicles, using camera-first vision and end-to-end learning instead of expensive sensor stacks and pre-mapped routes. Their cars have been navigating unmapped London streets since 2020. Now, backed by SoftBank, Microsoft, NVIDIA and Uber, they're launching commercial robotaxi trials in 2026.

These are strong signs that the infrastructure layer for physical AI is finally mature.

At FOV, we've been focused on spatial computing technologies for years. Many saw our thesis through the lens of AR/VR consumer applications, but the tech stack we've been building - computational optics, 3D sensing, real-time spatial mapping, depth perception - is now fundamental to physical AI.

Europe has real advantages here, something that makes us very bullish on our thesis over the next decade. Ahead of our Vantage Point event where we're bringing together robotics founders and investor, we wrote about why Europe is positioned to win this wave.

FOV NEWS

We're hosting VANTAGE POINT: Robotics Edition on March 25th in London - a curated summit bringing together leading founders, investors, and strategic partners at the frontier of robotics and embodied AI.

First speakers confirmed:

• Troy Estes and Mozghan Kabiri Chimeh, NVIDIA

• Svetlana Grant, Google DeepMind

• William Godfrey, Tangible Finance

• Rory Daniels, techUK

• Robert MacKenzie, Ellipsis

• Kirsty Lloyd-Jukes, Stateful

• Andrei Danescu, Dexory

The half-day program features keynotes, fireside chats, curated startup pitches, and matchmaking sessions designed for signal over noise. We're prioritising thoughtful dialogue, high-quality deal flow, and long-term relationships.

This early registration phase is limited to VCs, LPs, angels, and partners only. Attendance is by approval to maintain a highly curated guest list.

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For partnership enquiries: [email protected]

ICYMI…

We published 10 Early-Stage European Robotics Startups to Watch for 2026 = mostly pre-seed, all deeply technical, building full physical-intelligence stacks from perception to deployment. These teams are moving beyond demos toward systems designed to survive factories, logistics sites, and contested real-world environments.

FOV Portfolio News

• Edailabs (Emma) achieved the 2nd highest retention rate globally among language learning apps, ahead of apps that have raised tens of millions. The metric validates that their teaching approach is engaging and keeps users coming back consistently. (more here)

• Distance Technologies was featured in Tech.eu discussing how they're building the always-on visual intelligence layer between humans and machines. CEO Urho Konttori describes it as "the operating system for human-AI interaction, enabling intuitive decision-making and making autonomous AI systems safer." (more here)

• Scenario launched Nodes, a new visual workflow engine that lets users build and run processes on one canvas. The node-based system connects models, tools, and assets into pipelines that execute from start to finish. Users can also build custom workflows and publish them as simple apps. Everything runs entirely in the browser - no installs required. (more here)

• GEEIQ was featured in The Business of Fashion for their latest State of Brands in Virtual Worlds data. The analysis shows fashion brands are recalibrating investment in gaming platforms like Roblox and Fortnite. While overall spend pulled back in 2025, integrations rose and brands are focusing on formats that drive repeatable performance. (more here)

• Graswald released AI 2.0, rebuilding their platform to become a core operating system for fashion imagery production.

FOV Job Board

• Levtek - Mechanical Engineer (Malmö, Sweden).

• GEEIQ has multiple positions open in London, UK: Senior QA Engineer, Sales Development Representative, and Senior DevOps Engineer.

• ai|coustics has multiple openings in Berlin, Germany including ML Research Engineer, Backend Developer, Audio Signal Processing Engineer, and Developer Relations roles.

• Atopia Space - SDR / Outbound Sales Freelancer (Remote or Munich, Germany).

• Iconic AI has multiple AI Research positions in London, UK across Expressive Embodiment, Reinforcement Learning, and Model Optimization.