From Compute to Capacity: Why the Next Phase of AI Capex May Reward the Physical Economy – Polen Capital – 9.11.26

Polen Capital - Upcoming - From Compute to Capacity Why the Next Phase of AI Capex May Reward the Physical Economy

Overview:
Title: From Compute to Capacity: Why the Next Phase of AI Capex May Reward the Physical Economy
Date: Friday, September 11, 2026
Time: 1:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time
Duration: 1 hour

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Summary:

The AI investment story is evolving. As hyperscalers pour hundreds of billions of dollars into AI infrastructure, the bottlenecks are shifting from chips to power, cooling, construction, and labor — areas where many small and mid-cap companies are the source of scarce capacity. Join Polen Capital’s Simon Rafferty and Drew Cupps as they unpack why the physical demands of the AI buildout may create a more favorable environment for SMID investors than they’ve seen in over a decade — and where they’re finding opportunity within this bottleneck economy.

Accepted for 1 CFP / IWI / CFA CE Credit

Speakers:
Drew Cupps Drew Cupps Portfolio Manager & Analyst Polen Capital

Drew is Head of Team and Portfolio Manager on Polen Capital’s 5Perspectives Growth Team. He leads portfolio management and investment analysis for the 5Perspectives strategies, which are centered on his proprietary investment framework developed over decades of experience. The team’s name, “5Perspectives,” reflects Drew’s core belief in the importance of diverse perspectives to generate better investment outcomes – a foundational tenet of his approach. Prior to joining Polen Capital in 2025, Drew was a Portfolio Manager at Bosun Asset Management and, before that, at Advisory Research Investment Management. He also founded and managed Cupps Capital Management, and oversaw hedge fund and mutual fund assets at Strong Capital Management. Drew began his career at Driehaus Capital Management in 1992.
Simon Rafferty Simon Rafferty Senior Investment Specialist Polen Capital

Simon is a Senior Investment Specialist responsible for communicating our philosophy, process, portfolio positioning, and investment views. Prior to joining Polen Capital in 2024, Simon spent 17 years at BlackRock in Australia and the United States in a variety of business development and product strategist roles. Most recently, Simon served as a Lead Product Strategist within BlackRock’s Multi-Asset Strategies and Solutions division and prior to that, Simon’s roles included Southern Regional Manager for Intermediary Sales in BlackRock’s Australian business and Account Manager in the Melbourne office. Simon holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology from University of Canberra and is a CFA® charterholder.