Why the best tech talks of the year took place over cocktails on StrictlyVC

In an industry that is reinventing itself before most people have finished eating their breakfast cake, TechCrunch’s StrictlyVC event series It has become something rare: constant. These evenings provide an opportunity to step back from the fog of headlines and hype cycles, to sit down with the people actually driving change, and understand what’s really happening behind the scenes. They were designed from the beginning as cocktail parties with great content – ​​we always wanted these gatherings to be intimate, where conversation flows freely, and speakers can let their guard down in ways they can’t at larger, more formal conferences.

Full StrictlyVC 2025 recap

Looking back, 2025 was truly a blur of both amazing visions and relationships. It’s now hard to believe how many stimulating conversations we’ve been able to facilitate – from heads of state to startup founders, from crypto evangelists to defense technology pioneers. Every evening brought its own energy and inspiration.

Where it started: San Francisco

We started last year at the Presidio in San Francisco, where Kirsten Green of Forerunner Ventures co-hosted an unforgettable night. Green herself — an early investor in Chime, Ora, and countless other household brands — shared her excitement about the rise of white space at the intersection of AI and consumer technology. But it was just the beginning. We heard from Ethan Thornton of Mach Industries about the difficult journey of starting a defense technology startup in your 20s, with all the mistakes that come with the territory. Kalshi’s Tarek Mansour captivated the room, explaining in his amusingly corny way why regulators don’t keep him up at night, even as CEO of the hottest prediction market in the industry. 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 series global. In Athens, we sat down with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to discuss how AI is transforming Greece – and the hidden benefits for a country still deeply rooted in offline businesses.

London’s outspoken stance on regulation and the future of fintech

In London, VC Sonali De Rycker of Accel spoke about the problem of over-regulation in Europe, while TS Anil of fast-growing fintech Monzo answered questions about going public (this was before he was apparently fired over disagreements over the timing of its IPO).

Return home with orbital momentum and cryptography

Back in the US, momentum was building. In Menlo Park, we hosted Cognition CEO Russell Kaplan along with his famous early investor, Ali Partovi. We spoke with Baiju Bhatt, co-founder of Robinhood, about his deep dive into space solar, and cryptocurrency expert Katie Haun explained 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 StrictlyVC mini-event within the event — serial entrepreneur-turned-VC Kevin Hartz talked about the rise of teen founders, and a fascinating panel of LPs analyzed aging portfolios.

Palo Alto The End

Then we wrapped up 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 hottest new companies in AI manufacturing, and Neuralink co-founder Max Hudak gave us a glimpse into the dizzying ambition driving his current company, Science Corp.

From first conversations to future visions

However, these are just some of the highlights from 2025 StrictlyVC series It’s been home to so many incredible voices over the years — former FTC Chairwoman Lena Khan, Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana, Signal’s Meredith Whittaker, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Sequoia Capital’s Alfred Lin, famous founder Marc Lore, and many, many others.

What makes us most excited for 2026 It’s knowing that there are so many influencers looking for exactly this kind of space — a place where they can speak openly, share what’s really on their minds, and connect with a curious, sophisticated audience that really wants to hear it.

Join StrictlyVC 2026 waitlist To secure first access to the lowest ticket prices and key event updates.

Want to do more than just attend StrictlyVC 2026 events?

By the way, none of this would be possible without our amazing partners. Kirsten Green opened up the Presidio for us. The team at Mayfield have delivered a stunning glass-lined space in the heart of Sand Hill Road. And Playground Global gave us their spacious and fun house to close out the year.

Not only do these companies host, but they embrace the spirit of these evenings as much as we do.

If your company is interested in partnering with us StrictlyVC series of events next year As we embark on new adventures, please contact us here. We’re very excited to see where these chats take us next.