Applied Intuition CEO, Qasar Younis: Why He Raised ~$1B: and Never Spent a Dollar

2026-07-30

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Today, we're joined by Qasar Younis, co-founder and CEO of Applied Intuition, a physical AI company valued at $15 billion that builds the models and simulation tools behind autonomous vehicles, defence systems, and industrial machines (before this, he was COO of Y Combinator).Tommy Stadlen talks to Qasar about why he thinks physical AI will define the next 25 years, and why Applied's ability to run the same models across cars, drones, and construction equipment is its biggest edge. They also get into how he thinks about fundraising and cap...

Today, we're joined by Qasar Younis, co-founder and CEO of Applied Intuition, a physical AI company valued at $15 billion that builds the models and simulation tools behind autonomous vehicles, defence systems, and industrial machines (before this, he was COO of Y Combinator).

Tommy Stadlen talks to Qasar about why he thinks physical AI will define the next 25 years, and why Applied's ability to run the same models across cars, drones, and construction equipment is its biggest edge. They also get into how he thinks about fundraising and cap tables, and why he says not all money is equally useful.

He speaks about:

Why Applied Intuition has never spent a dollar of the ~$1 billion raised
Corporate VCs, multi-stage funds, and why the partner matters more than the firm name
Why 85% of the global economy is physical (and why that's the real AI opportunity)
Neural simulation, and how Applied trains one model to work in a car, a drone, and a tank
Why timing is the hardest thing for founders to get right
Why he's not worried about self-driving safety
The billion-machine vision (and why he still drives a 1987 manual Land Cruiser)

Enjoy!

Building a purpose driven company? Read more about Giant Ventures at www.Giant.vc. Music credits: Bubble King written and produced by Cameron McLain and Stevan Cablayan aka Vector_XING.

Please note: The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. It should not be considered financial, legal, or investment advice. Always consult a licensed professional before making any investment decisions.

Building a purpose driven company? Read more about Giant Ventures at www.Giant.vc.

Music credits: Bubble King written and produced by Cameron McLain and Stevan Cablayan aka Vector_XING.

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