WMF brings AI leaders and 9 startups to San Francisco on Nov. 5

WMF’s AI For Future returns to San Francisco on Nov. 5 for a second edition at Mind The Bridge, bringing investors, AI executives and startup founders from Europe and the U.S. The event spotlights cross-border collaboration, investment and an AI startup competition with winners earning exposure at WMF’s 2027 events.

Why it matters: - AI For Future is designed to connect Italian, European and U.S. innovation ecosystems through deals, partnerships and investor access. - The San Francisco event also extends WMF’s broader international roadshow into Silicon Valley, one of the world’s most important AI and venture capital hubs. - The startup competition gives early-stage companies a path to visibility at major 2027 events in Italy, Saudi Arabia and Italy again through WMF’s network.

What happened: - WMF will host the second edition of AI For Future on Nov. 5 in San Francisco at Mind The Bridge. - The event brings together AI leaders, investors and startup founders selected from Europe and the United States. - WMF positions the event as part of its International Roadshow, launched in 2021 to connect markets, expertise, capital, startups, companies and institutions worldwide. - The broader WMF platform leads toward WMF – We Make Future, scheduled for June 10–12, 2027, at BolognaFiere in Bologna, Italy. - The event is supported by ITA – Italian Trade Agency and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

The details: - Partners for the 2026 edition include San Marino Innovation, POLIMI School of Management and the Digital Innovation Observatories of Politecnico di Milano. - Five Degrees and Durana Tech Park are sponsors. - Opening remarks will come from Leonardo Nasi, vice consul and economic attaché at the Consulate General of Italy in San Francisco, and Giosafat Riganò, trade commissioner for ITA Los Angeles. - Speakers and guests include Alicia Hanf of LG NOVA, Jerry Kaplan, Angelo Del Priore of HP Tech Ventures, Jeffrey Abbott of AI Salon, Jazz Samra of Nium, Alberto Acito of INNOVIT SF, Federico Francioni of Meta and ex-Microsoft, Alessandro Piva of Politecnico di Milano, Nicolas Rossini of San Marino Innovation, Joya Scarlata of InterraIT, Patrick Devereux of Five Degrees and Chloe Jones of Durana Tech Park. - The program centers on investment and venture capital, startup growth, enterprise AI adoption, U.S.-Europe ecosystem links and new market development. - The panel “Beyond the AI Hype: Who Will Build, Fund, and Own the Future?” will focus on how emerging AI companies are financed and built across the U.S. and Europe. - Alessandro Piva will address the relationship between startups and enterprises and the path to AI adoption. - The event will also preview WMF’s new Sports Innovation Track, presented by Alicia Hanf and Cosmano Lombardo.

Between the lines: - WMF is using San Francisco to reinforce its role as a connector between Europe and the Bay Area at a time when AI investment remains concentrated in a few global centers. - The mix of institutional support, venture investors and startup founders suggests the event is meant to create practical business links, not just showcase ideas. - The emphasis on Saudi Arabia and the Middle East signals that WMF is expanding beyond a Europe-U.S. corridor toward a wider international network.

What's next: - AI 4 Future Startup Competition will feature nine startups on stage in San Francisco: SupraOS, Mulan AI, Salute360, PRODIGY PRODUCTS, Handy Signs, MON5, Vertalis, TerraSpark and Nuhpro. - TerraSpark is a winner of the WMF 2026 Startup Competition and has been selected for the final stage of the Startup World Cup. - The three winning startups will each receive a dedicated desk at WMF 2027 in Bologna, AI Festival 2027 in Milan and Saudi Makes Future 2027 in Riyadh. - The winners will also join WMF’s Builders Community and gain access to pitch sessions, B2B meetings, networking and investor connections. - The evening will end with a networking aperitif for startups, investors, companies, speakers and international stakeholders. - WMF 2026 drew more than 75,000 attendees from 90 countries, over 800 exhibitors, more than 1,000 speakers and guests, and more than 3,000 startups and investors.

The bottom line: - WMF is turning AI For Future into a cross-border dealmaking and startup platform, with San Francisco as the latest stop in a much larger global expansion strategy.