The first StrictlyVC of 2026 starts in one week in San Francisco

StrictlyVC’s The first San Francisco event of the year is almost here, and with just a week to go, now is the time to get a ticket. The venture and founder communities will gather at the Sentro Filipino Cultural Center on April 30 for an evening filled with what StrictlyVC does best: engaging in enlightening conversations with great speakers, with ample opportunities for results-driven networking.

And we’re excited to announce that one more speaker is joining our lineup: Eclipse founder and CEO Lior Susanwho recently raised $1.3 billion to exclusively back “natural AI” startups. This far-reaching investment will be explored in detail in our conversation with him, as he shares his vision of what autonomy could look like in the real world as the convergence between the digital world of artificial intelligence and our physical world evolves.

Susan knows this space well, having served in the military and leads Flex’s hardware investments. He has seen firsthand the kinds of opportunities that lie in improving the industrial systems that support the modern world and in the use of new technologies, supported by operators fueled by vision, capital and innovative new technologies. And he will be interviewed by reporter Marina Temkin, so no next opportunity will go unnoticed.

Susan joins the rest of our speakers for a highly topical series of talks. Replit co-founder and CEO Amjad Massad will talk about the AI-driven shift in software development and what the next era of programming might look like amid constant changes in industry practices and employment.

TDK Ventures chairman Nicolas Sauvagewhose company is also sponsoring the event, will join TechCrunch editor-in-chief and StrictlyVC founder Connie Loizos for a discussion about the ins and outs of venture capital, early-stage investing and key lessons founders should learn about revenue from strategic backers.

Besides, Campbell Brownits co-founder and CEO AI Forumwill bring her perspective on building more reliable AI systems into an increasingly skeptical environment about the accuracy of any information coming from any number of sources. All of this is informed by her tenure as Meta’s head of media partnerships and as a CNN anchor. And he’ll be interviewed by our newest senior reporter, Tim Fernholz.

And if you’ve never been to a StrictlyVC event before, this is a great one to start with. These meetings are a more intimate, informal affair that allow for candid and highly instructive discussions that founders and VCs can use to jump-start the competition. You have the opportunity to connect with speakers, fellow investors and founders, and anyone else interested in learning more about the trends shaping Silicon Valley and beyond.

Don’t wait to snag one of the few tickets still available. Block Thursday night and come to San Francisco on April 30th to join the StrictlyVC community.