When Systems Are Live: Apex Engine at DC Tech Meetup
DC Tech Meetup #94 brought together founders, investors, operators, and technologists to explore a timely question: What Wins in 2026? What Fails?
The room was packed. The conversation was honest. Most importantly, the demos were live.
TGS Tech took the stage alongside Tell Pastell, Novolyze, and Lola Vision Systems to demonstrate real systems solving real problems. From generative storytelling to predictive food safety analytics to edge AI hardware, the pattern was clear. The companies that win are not chasing headlines. They are building infrastructure.
The discussion reinforced something we have believed for years. AI is a tool. Real-time systems are infrastructure. The winners will be those who combine both with technical depth, operational discipline, and practical execution.
It was also encouraging to see OpenAI represented on the panel, alongside leaders in talent, capital, and frontier technology. The conversation around what fails was just as important as what wins. Shortcuts fail. Surface-level AI integrations fail. Business models without operational grounding fail.
Builders endure.
The Demo
Our demo focused on Apex Engine and the foundation of real-time, collaborative 3D systems. Not slides. Not a conceptual pitch. A live build inside a working environment.
We demonstrated remote developers working together inside the same 3D world in real time. Despite a brief screen share interruption during the remote feed, the team continued seamlessly and showcased the core collaborative architecture of Apex Engine. The fundamentals remained visible and intact.
Real-time systems are unforgiving. They either work or they do not. The demo was live, transparent, and unscripted. It reflected exactly how we build.
If you are building 3D interactive systems, simulation platforms, digital twins, or real-time collaborative tools, we would welcome the conversation.
The next phase of Apex Engine focuses on expanding live collaborative infrastructure for developers, engineers, and enterprise teams. More soon.
Thank you to the DC Tech Meetup team, the volunteers, and everyone who came out to engage, question, and stress-test ideas. The energy in the room is a reminder that the DC ecosystem is actively building, not just talking.