In an industry that reinvents itself before most people have even finished their breakfast scone, TechCrunch’s StrictlyVC event series Something rare has become: a constant. These evenings offer a chance to step back from the blur of the headlines and publicity cycle, sit down with the people who are really making change, and understand what’s really happening behind the scenes. These have been designed from the beginning to be cocktail parties with killer content — we always wanted these to be intimate gatherings where conversations flow freely, and speakers can let their guard down in ways they can’t at larger, more formal conferences.
Complete 2025 StrictlyVC recap
Looking back, 2025 was actually a blur of both insights and amazing connections. It’s almost hard to believe now how many inspiring conversations we were able to have – from heads of state to startup founders, crypto evangelists to defense tech pioneers. And each evening brought its own energy and revelations.
Where it started: San Francisco
We kicked off last year at the Presidio in San Francisco, where Forerunner Ventures’ Kirsten Green co-hosted an unforgettable night. Green himself — an early investor in Chime, Ora, and countless other homegrown brands — shared his excitement about the emerging white space at the intersection of AI and consumer tech. But that was just the beginning. We heard from Mack Industries’ Ethan Thornton about the wild journey of building a defense tech startup in your twenties, complete with all the missteps that come with the territory. Kalshi’s Tarek Mansour charmed the room with his entertaining way of explaining why regulators don’t keep him up at night, even as the CEO of the industry’s hottest market. Flexport’s Ryan Peterson 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 series global. In Athens, we sat down with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to discuss how AI is changing Greece – and the hidden advantages of a country still deeply rooted in offline businesses.
London’s clear view on regulation and the future of fintech
In London, powerhouse VC Sonali D Raikar of Accel spoke candidly about Europe’s overregulation problem, while TS Anil of fast-growing fintech Monzo raised questions about the same. going public (This was before he was apparently ousted due to disagreements about the timing of its offering).
Back home with orbital and crypto momentum
In previous states, momentum was created. In Menlo Park, we hosted Cognition’s Chairman Russell Kaplan along with their famous first investor Ali Partovi. We spoke to Robinhood co-founder Baiju Bhatt about his deep dive into space-based solar energy, and Crypto’s Katie Haun discussed why the digitization of real-world assets is inevitable.
StrictlyVC meets TechCrunch Disrupt
At our TechCrunch Disrupt conference in San Francisco — where we hosted a mini StrictlyVC event inside the event — serial entrepreneur-turned-VC Kevin Hertz reflected on its rise. teen founderAnd a killer panel of LPs dissecting old portfolios.
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Then we wrapped up the year in Palo Alto in early December, 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 glimpse of the breathtaking ambition driving his current company, Science Corp.
From first conversation to future insight
Still these are some highlights of 2025 StrictlyVC series It has been home to many incredible voices over the years – former FTC Chairwoman Lina Khan, co-CEO of Waymo Tekedra Mawakana, meredith whittaker of signal, Sam Altman of OpenAI, Alfred Lin of Sequoia Capital, renowned founder Marc Lore and many others.
What are we most excited about? 2026 Knowing that a lot of movers and shakers are looking for exactly this kind of place – somewhere they can open up, share really what’s on their mind, and connect with a curious, sophisticated audience that really wants to hear it.
attend StrictlyVC 2026 Waiting List To secure the lowest ticket prices and first access to major event updates.
Are you looking to do more than just take part in StrictlyVC 2026 events?
Well, none of this would be possible without our incredible partners. Kirsten Green opens Presidio To us. on the team mayfield Providing a stunning glass-lined space in the middle of Sand Hill Road. And playground global They gave us their funky, spacious home to spend the year in.
These companies don’t just host – they embrace the spirit of these evenings as much as we do.
If your company is interested in partnering with us Next year’s StrictlyVC event series As we embark on new adventures, please contact us here. We’re very excited to see where these chats take us next.
