AI may be built into software, but its extension is becoming a matter of the physical world. All new models, agents, and AI applications need a place to run and an infrastructure to connect them all.
At TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, Ben Longmier, CEO of Ambrosia Energy, and Bill Thayer, Senior Vice President and Head of Data Center Solutions at Bloom Energy, will join us on the Smart Systems Stage for a conversation about “Where the AI Infrastructure Boom Is Creating Winners.”
This industry stage session examines what constraints are creating persistent business opportunities, where new categories are beginning to emerge, and what founders can build as AI moves further into the physical world.
Get your pass now and save up to $100 before prices increase on October 13th. You can purchase your second pass for 50% off. Register now.
The AI race is becoming an infrastructure race
Much of the conversation around AI has focused on models, chips, and applications. But none of them work alone. Scaling AI relies on an expanding physical stack, including power generation, grid connectivity, data centers, cooling, electrical equipment, and the systems needed to keep everything running.
That creates a different kind of challenge. What happens when the demand for computing grows faster than the supply of electricity and infrastructure? Which shortages are temporary and which have the potential to reshape the market for years? At what point do constraints stop being a problem and start becoming a category of their own? This session will address these questions.
Bill Thayer and Ben Longmire look at AI not just at the software layer, but examine the underlying infrastructure and what those pressures mean for founders, investors, and companies planning the next stage of AI growth.
Where are the real opportunities?
The infrastructure boom creates opportunities, but the benefits are rarely evenly distributed. The challenge is to identify which parts of the stack truly require new solutions, where spending is likely to continue, and which emerging categories can support durable business rather than short-term demands.
By bringing together leaders in energy, data center solutions, and market intelligence, we will be able to discuss this issue more broadly. The conversation is expected to explore where constraints are emerging, how the market is responding, and where founders should focus as more capital flows into AI infrastructure.
For founders, that means looking beyond the obvious AI applications. For investors, that means understanding where infrastructure demand has the potential to create defensible markets. For technology leaders, it provides a clearer view of the physical systems that are increasingly shaping where and how AI can scale.
The next AI company may solve problems in the physical world
The next big opportunity created by AI may not look like an AI company at all. It could emerge in energy, data centers, cooling, grid technology, electrical equipment, infrastructure software, or an entirely new category for which no name has yet been established.
They have the same thing in common. AI is creating new demands on the physical world, and those demands require solutions. That’s what makes this session broader than just an infrastructure discussion. It’s about understanding where the next market is likely to emerge and who is in a position to build it.
Join Ben Longmier and Bill Thayer on the Smart Systems Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 to explore where the AI infrastructure boom will create the next opportunity. Don’t forget our 250+ speakers leading over 200 sessions.
You can save up to $100 before Moscone West’s doors open on October 13th at 8am PT. Bring a co-founder, partner, colleague, or co-worker and get a 50% discount on a second pass on the same type of ticket.
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