From Funding to Function: What It Actually Takes to Scale an AI Company

Funding gets the headlines. Execution determines who survives. For AI startups, raising capital is just the starting line. The real challenge begins when it’s time to turn that capital into working systems, paying customers, and repeatable growth. In this conversation, Leon Kuperman, Albert Santalo, and Rob Bailey, share what happens after the funding round closes. From managing infrastructure costs and scaling deployment to navigating enterprise expectations and operational complexity, panelists will unpack the realities that don’t show up in pitch decks. This session offers a clear-eyed view of how AI companies move from early traction to something far more difficult: a business that actually works.