In an industry that reinvents itself before most people finish their breakfast scone, TechCrunch\u2019s StrictlyVC events series<\/a><\/strong> has become something rare: a constant. These evenings offer a chance to step back from the blur of headlines and hype cycles, to sit with the people actually driving change, and to understand what\u2019s really happening behind the scenes. They\u2019ve been designed from the start as cocktail parties with killer content \u2014 we\u2019ve always wanted these to be intimate gatherings where the conversation flows freely, and speakers can let their guard down in ways they simply can\u2019t at larger, more formal conferences.<\/p>\n Looking back, 2025 was truly a blur of both insights and amazing connections. It\u2019s almost hard to believe now how many stimulating conversations we were able to facilitate \u2014 from heads of state to startup founders, from crypto evangelists to defense tech pioneers. And each evening brought its own energy and revelations.<\/p>\n We kicked off this past year in San Francisco\u2019s Presidio, where Kirsten Green of Forerunner Ventures co-hosted an unforgettable night. Green herself \u2014 an early investor in Chime, Oura, and countless other household brands \u2014 shared her excitement about the white space<\/a> emerging at the intersection of AI and consumer tech. But she was just the beginning. We heard from Ethan Thornton of Mach Industries about the wild ride of building a defense tech startup in your twenties, complete with all the missteps<\/a> that come with the territory. Tarek Mansour of Kalshi captivated the room, explaining in his entertainingly blas\u00e9 way why regulators don\u2019t keep him up at night<\/a>, even as CEO of the industry\u2019s hottest prediction market. Ryan Petersen of Flexport had plenty to say about Trump\u2019s tariff plans<\/a>. Even San Francisco mayor Daniel Lurie stopped by<\/a>.<\/p>\n From there, we took the series global. In Athens, we sat down with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to discuss how AI is transforming Greece \u2014 and the hidden advantages<\/a> of a country still deeply rooted in offline businesses.<\/p>\n In London, powerhouse VC Sonali De Rycker of Accel opened up about Europe\u2019s overregulation problem<\/a>, while TS Anil of the fast-growing fintech Monzo fielded questions about going public<\/a> (this was before he was apparently elbowed out<\/a> over disagreements about the timing of its offering).<\/p>\n Back stateside, the momentum only built. In Menlo Park, we hosted Cognition president Russell Kaplan<\/a> alongside his famous first investor Ali Partovi<\/a>. We talked with Robinhood co-founder Baiju Bhatt<\/a> about his deep dive into space-based solar, and crypto\u2019s Katie Haun made the case<\/a> for why the digitization of real-world assets is inevitable.<\/p>\n At our TechCrunch Disrupt conference in San Francisco \u2014 where we hosted a mini StrictlyVC event inside the event \u2014 serial entrepreneur-turned-VC Kevin Hartz reflected on the rise of teen founders<\/a>, and a killer panel of LPs dissected aging portfolios<\/a>.<\/p>\n Techcrunch event<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSan Francisco<\/span> Then we closed out the year in early December in Palo Alto, where former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger discussed government and religion<\/a>, we got an inside look at one of the buzziest new companies<\/a> in the AI manufacturing landscape, and Neuralink co-founder Max Hodak gave us a glimpse into the breathtaking ambition<\/a> driving his current company, Science Corp.<\/p>\n Yet these are just some of the highlights from 2025. The StrictlyVC series<\/a><\/strong> has been home to so many incredible voices over the years \u2014 former FTC chair Lina Khan<\/a>, Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana<\/a>, Meredith Whittaker<\/a> of Signal, Sam Altman<\/a> of OpenAI, Alfred Lin<\/a> of Sequoia Capital, famed founder Marc Lore, and m<\/a>a<\/a>ny<\/a>, many<\/a> others.<\/p>\n What makes us most excited for 2026<\/a><\/strong> is knowing there are so many more movers and shakers looking for exactly this kind of space \u2014 somewhere they can speak candidly, share what\u2019s really on their minds, and connect with a curious, sophisticated audience that genuinely wants to hear it.<\/p>\n Join the StrictlyVC 2026 waitlist<\/a><\/strong> to secure first access to the lowest ticket prices and key event updates.<\/p>\n None of this would be possible without our incredible partners, by the way. Kirsten Green opened the Presidio<\/a> to us. The team at Mayfield<\/a> provided a stunning glass-lined space in the heart of Sand Hill Road. And Playground Global<\/a> gave us their playful, spacious home to cap off the year.<\/p>\n These firms don\u2019t just host \u2014 they embrace the spirit of these evenings as much as we do.<\/p>\n If your firm is interested in partnering with us in next year\u2019s StrictlyVC event series<\/a><\/strong> as we embark on new adventures, please get in touch with us here<\/a>. We\u2019re very excited to see where these chats take us next.<\/p>\nThe full 2025 StrictlyVC recap<\/h2>\n
Where it started: San Francisco<\/h3>\n
Next stop: Athens on AI, government, and the power of offline economies<\/h3>\n
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London\u2019s candid take on regulation and fintech\u2019s future<\/h3>\n
Back home with orbital and crypto momentum<\/h3>\n
StrictlyVC meets TechCrunch Disrupt<\/h3>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOctober 13-15, 2026<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\nPalo Alto finale<\/h3>\n
From first conversations to future insights<\/h2>\n
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Want to do more than attend StrictlyVC 2026 events?<\/h2>\n
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