In an industry that reinvents itself before most people finish breakfast, TechCrunch’s StrictlyVC event series it has become something rare: a constant. These evenings offer an opportunity to step away from the blur of headlines and hype cycles, sit down with the people who are really driving change and understand what’s really going on behind the scenes. They were designed from the ground up as cocktail parties with killer content — we’ve always wanted these to be intimate gatherings where the conversation flows freely and the speakers can give their attention in ways they just can’t at larger, more formal conferences.
The full 2025 StrictlyVC recap
Looking back, 2025 really was a blur of knowledge and surprising connections. It’s almost hard to believe now how many stimulating conversations we’ve been able to facilitate — from heads of state to startup founders, from crypto evangelists to defense technology pioneers. And each night brought its own energy and revelations.
Where it started: San Francisco
We kicked off last year at San Francisco’s Presidio, where Kirsten Green of Forerunner Ventures co-hosted an unforgettable evening. Green herself—an early investor in Chime, Oura, and countless other homegrown brands—shared her excitement about the white space emerging at the intersection of artificial intelligence and consumer technology. But it was only the beginning. We heard from Ethan Thornton of Mach Industries about the wild ride of building a defense technology startup in your twenties, along with all the mistakes that come with the territory. Kalshi’s Tarek Mansour captivated the room, explaining in his entertaining way that regulators don’t keep him up at night, even as CEO of the industry’s hottest prediction market. Flexport’s Ryan Petersen had a lot to say about Trump’s tariff plans. Even San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie stopped by.
Next stop: Athens on AI, government and the power of offline economies
From there, we took the world series. In Athens, we sat down with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to discuss how artificial intelligence is transforming Greece — and the hidden advantages of a country still deeply rooted in offline business.
London’s candid view on regulation and the future of fintech
In London, VC Sonali De Rycker of Accel spoke about Europe’s overregulation problem, while TS Anil of fast-growing fintech Monzo asked questions about goes out in public (this was before he was apparently kicked out due to disagreements over the timing of his bid).
Homecoming with orbital and cryptographic momentum
Back stateside, the momentum only built. In Menlo Park, we hosted Cognition’s president, Russell Kaplan, along with its famous early investor Ali Partovi. We spoke with Robinhood co-founder Baiju Bhatt about his deep dive into space-based solar, and crypto’s Katie Haun argued why the digitization of real assets is inevitable.
StrictlyVC meets TechCrunch Disrupt
At our TechCrunch Disrupt conference in San Francisco—where we hosted a StrictlyVC mini-event within the event—serial entrepreneur-turned-VC Kevin Hartz reflected on the rise of teenage foundersand a group of LP killers who developed aging portfolios.
Techcrunch event
San Francisco
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13-15 October 2026
The finale of Palo Alto
Then we closed out the year in early December in Palo Alto, where former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger discussed government and religion, we got an inside look at one of the busiest new companies in the AI manufacturing landscape, and Neuralink co-founder Max Hodak gave us a look at the amazing ambition driving his current company, Science Corp.
From the first conversations to future ideas
However, these are just some of the highlights of 2025. The StrictlyVC series has hosted so many incredible voices over the years — former FTC Chair Lina Khan, co-CEO of Waymo Tekedra Mawakana, Meredith Whitaker of the mark, Sam Altman of OpenAI, Alfred Lin of Sequoia Capital, famous founder Marc Lore and many, many others.
What we’re most excited about 2026 knows that there are so many more movers and shakers looking for just that kind of space — somewhere they can speak honestly, share what’s really on their mind, and connect with a curious, sophisticated audience that really wants to hear it.
Sign up to StrictlyVC 2026 Waitlist to ensure first access to the lowest ticket prices and key event updates.
Want to do more than watch StrictlyVC 2026 events?
None of this would be possible without our incredible partners, by the way. Kirsten Green opened the Presidio to us. The team at Mayfield provided a stunning glass-lined space in the heart of Sand Hill Road. And Global playground they gave us their playful, spacious home to close out the year.
These companies don’t just host – they embrace the spirit of these evenings as much as we do.
If your company is interested in working with us in next year’s StrictlyVC series of events as we embark on new adventures, contact us here. We are very excited to see where these conversations will take us.
