Delilah Panio is the VP of US Capital Formation at the Toronto Stock Exchange and a leading expert in global capital markets. In this special episode of The AI Chicks, hosted in media partnership with TechCon, Lana Hout and Aisha Corpas Wynn sit down with Delilah to unpack the realities behind today’s AI gold rush — what truly gets investors excited versus what’s simply hype.

Together, they explore the massive shift from VC-fueled AI application bets to the growing race toward infrastructure, compute, and enterprise-scale AI investments. Delilah shares insider insight into what investors are looking for in today’s market, how government and defense funding are influencing the future of AI, and the evolving expectations founders must navigate to build sustainable companies in a rapidly changing landscape.

The conversation also dives into fundraising strategies, the unique challenges and opportunities facing women founders in AI, and why representation at the decision-making table matters more than ever as the next era of technology is being built.

This episode is presented in partnership with TechCon — a leading technology and innovation conference bringing together founders, investors, executives, and industry leaders shaping the future of AI, emerging technology, and global business. Through this collaboration, The AI Chicks continues its mission of making high-level AI conversations more accessible, inclusive, and actionable for the next generation of innovators.

00:00 Working at Toronto Stock Exchange

03:57 Investor trends in AI markets

08:39 AI infrastructure and sustainability

12:03 Predicting future demand for AI

15:36 Advice for raising capital

18:32 Challenges for founders

21:46 Funding trends

24:00 Investing in women-led AI companies

26:06 Changing women's conversation topics

29:55 Exploring capital options for founders

#AI #TechCon #ArtificialIntelligence #VentureCapital #AIFounders #TheAIChicks #WomenInTech #FutureOfAI #CapitalMarkets #AIInvesting #StartupFunding #TechPodcast

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices