Evan Buhler has moved to Hayes Valley in San Francisco three months ago to build an artificial intelligence company that would combine hot technology and his experience as a start-up lawyer. At the time, he didn’t realize that he had moved into the heart of a move.
Nicknamed “Brain Valley” by tech enthusiasts and builders alike, Hayes Valley is full of happy hours, networking events and hackathons focused on one thing: artificial intelligence. Some attribute the spotlight to an increase in hacker houses in the area, others think San Francisco just needed some good press, but perhaps most importantly for keen entrepreneurs in the midst of a recession, it has the attention of top-tier investors.
“It almost feels like fate. I think it will become the economic and spiritual center of San Francisco,” Buhler said of his new ground. “I saw a competitor raise $5 million from OpenAI; the sparkling environment inspires many entrepreneurs” who otherwise would not have made the leap, he described.
Buhler, looking to spread the word about his new startup, was one of 200 founders, investors, engineers and entrepreneurs at the one-day Cerebral Valley Summit, hosted by tech journalist Eric Newcomer and AI gaming startup Volley. Enthusiastic early-stage startups and storied entrepreneurs discussed the current opportunity on stage and in the literal water cooler.
