The first StrictlyVC of 2026 kicks off in a week in San Francisco

StrictlyVC The first San Francisco event of the year is almost here, with only one week to go. It’s time to get yourself a ticket. The project and founder communities will gather at the Sentro Philippine Cultural Center on April 30 for an evening filled with what StrictlyVC does best: engaging in insightful conversations with excellent speakers, with ample opportunity for networking that drives results.

We are pleased to announce that another speaker has joined our group: eclipse Founder and CEO Lior Susanwhich recently raised $1.3 billion to back startups in the “physical AI” space alone. This extensive investment will be explored in detail in our discussion with him, as he shares his vision of what real-world autonomy could look like as the convergence between the digital world of AI and our physical world develops.

Susan is well experienced in this area, having served in the military and leading Flex’s investments in hardware. He has seen firsthand the kinds of opportunities that lie in improving the industrial systems that underpin the modern world and using new technologies, supported by operators empowered by vision, capital and innovative new technologies. He will be interviewed by us Project correspondent Marina Temkinso no follow-up opportunity will go unaddressed.

Susan joins the rest of our speakers for a series of timely conversations. re Co-founder and CEO Amjad Masad He will talk about the AI-led transformation in software development and what the next era of programming might look like, amid ongoing shifts in practices and hiring within the industry.

TDK Projects president Nicolas Sauvagewhose company is also sponsoring the event, will join TechCrunch Editor-in-Chief and StrictlyVC Founder Connie Loizos For a conversation about the ins and outs of corporate venture capital, early-stage investing, and the key lessons founders should learn about raising money from strategic backers.

In addition, Campbell Brownco-founder and CEO of Artificial Intelligence Forumwill present her perspective on building more trustworthy AI systems amid an environment that is increasingly skeptical about the accuracy of any information coming from any number of sources. It’s all inspired by her time as head of media partnerships at Meta and as a CNN host. She will be interviewed by our newest Chief correspondent, Tim Fernholz.

And if you haven’t attended a StrictlyVC event before, This is a great thing to start with. These meetups are a more intimate and informal affair that allows for particularly candid and useful conversations that founders and VCs can use to immediately get a head start on the competition. You’ll have the opportunity to connect virtually with speakers, fellow investors and founders, as well as anyone else interested in learning more about the trends shaping Silicon Valley and beyond.

Don’t wait to grab one of the few tickets still available. Spare yourself a Thursday evening, and come to San Francisco on April 30 to join the StrictlyVC community.