The AI Collective’s First 2026 SF Pitch Night

Back in 2023, I went to the AI Collective’s 10th-ever event. It was a small, high-energy group back then, but it has grown like crazy. Today, the AI Collective is the biggest nonprofit AI group in the world, with members in over 45 countries.

I was able to attend their first SF Pitch Night of 2026. The room was packed with people building a lot of very interesting tech. I spent the night chatting with founders and watching teams battle it out on stage. Here’s a look at the companies I met, split into the ones I talked to on the floor and the ones who actually gave a pitch.

The Non-Pitches: Cool People I Met

These are the companies I got to know through one-on-one chats and personal intros during the networking part of the night.

Fromag.io

Fromag.io is a pre-seed startup that proves AI can be used for things we actually enjoy—like cheese. The founder’s love for artisan cheese turned into a platform to bring the whole "cheese world" together. It’s basically a social hub where you can share tasting notes, leave reviews, and get personal recommendations for your next board. They also have a "Cheese Club" that ships handpicked cheeses to members. For the makers, it’s a place to tell their story and sell directly to people who love good food.

Aware

Security is a huge deal for AI right now, and Aware is tackling it head-on. They just closed a funding round to build out a platform focused on "Model Context Protocol" (MCP) security. Basically, they do two things: AI Governance, which keeps a leash on how AI agents behave based on who has permission, and Infrastructure Security, which gives companies real-time alerts if something looks wrong. As AI starts doing more on its own, Aware makes sure those actions stay safe.

Rassket

Rassket is all about "Decision Intelligence." Instead of just building AI models that spit out data, they focus on help businesses actually use that data to make better choices. Their platform automates a lot of the heavy lifting in machine learning so teams can get answers quickly without needing a massive team of data experts to run everything.

BMC

BMC is a big name in the tech world, and they’ve pivoted hard into the AI era. They are still the go-to for monitoring massive business systems, but now they use AI to keep everything running smoothly. Their platform can spot a problem in a complex cloud system before a human even knows it’s happening, which is a lifesaver for companies scaling their tech.

Balance Life Design

This was a nice change of pace from the typical "work harder" startups. Balance Life Design uses tech and smart design to help people find actual wellness. Instead of just focusing on productivity, they help you structure your life with more intention. It’s a great reminder that even as everything gets automated, we still need tools that help us stay balanced and human.

The Pitches: Live from the Stage

These teams took the stage to pitch their vision to a panel of judges.

Daemo AI

Daemo AI is developing a privacy-focused runtime for AI agents. Their goal is to allow agents to process sensitive information without having to send that data to public LLMs. In a head-to-head test against Mastra using an FBI crime dataset, Daemo’s system showed strong performance in mathematical tasks and had a lower rate of hallucinations. While the inference is a bit slower due to a built-in verification process, it’s a compelling option for high-stakes industries where data security and accuracy are the priorities.

Intriq

Consulting is a $300 billion business that, surprisingly, still does a lot of work from scratch. Intriq uses AI to automate the boring parts of financial analysis. Their platform cleans up messy data and then uses AI agents to run code and find insights instantly. They’re already making over $480k a year and are proving that AI isn’t here to fire consultants, but to give them a way to work way faster.

Shorts AI

Every startup needs to tell its story, and Shorts AI makes that easy. They’ve built a mobile app that uses AI to help anyone make professional-looking videos in minutes. They actually won a prize at the event for how easy they’ve made it for people to create high-quality content without needing to be an expert editor.

Trace IQ

Trace IQ is working on "Zero Trust" for AI agents. Most security today only checks the questions you ask an AI, but Trace IQ watches what the agent actually does. Their system has three parts: Intercept, Analyze/Enforce, and a Control Center. It acts like a safety layer that makes sure autonomous agents don't make mistakes or do something dangerous when they start taking actions.

Trotta

Trotta is taking on "social engineering"—those tricky attacks where scammers try to fool people into giving up info. Their AI blocks these attacks before they even get to your inbox or phone. They use simulations to train their system and proactive blocking to stop fakes in their tracks. It’s basically a shield that removes the "human error" part of security.

Amotions AI

Sales is all about understanding people, and Amotions AI gives sales teams "emotional intelligence" superpowers. Their tool gives reps real-time feedback during calls, picking up on cues they might miss. By helping reps understand how a customer is actually feeling, they’ve been able to help teams close more deals and build better connections.