In an industry that reinvents itself before most people finish their breakfast scone, TechCrunch’s StrictlyVC events series 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’s really happening behind the scenes. They’ve been designed from the start as cocktail parties with killer content — we’ve always wanted these to be intimate gatherings where the conversation flows freely, and speakers can let their guard down in ways they simply can’t at larger, more formal conferences.
The full 2025 StrictlyVC recap
Looking back, 2025 was truly a blur of both insights and amazing connections. It’s almost hard to believe now how many stimulating conversations we were able to facilitate — from heads of state to startup founders, from crypto evangelists to defense tech pioneers. And each evening brought its own energy and revelations.
Where it started: San Francisco
We kicked off this past year in San Francisco’s Presidio, where Kirsten Green of Forerunner Ventures co-hosted an unforgettable night. Green herself — an early investor in Chime, Oura, and countless other household brands — shared her excitement about the white space 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 that come with the territory. Tarek Mansour of Kalshi captivated the room, explaining in his entertainingly blasé way why regulators don’t keep him up at night, even as CEO of the industry’s hottest prediction market. Ryan Petersen of Flexport had plenty 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 advantages of a country still deeply rooted in offline businesses.
London’s candid take on regulation and fintech’s future
In London, powerhouse VC Sonali De Rycker of Accel opened up about Europe’s overregulation problem, while TS Anil of the fast-growing fintech Monzo fielded questions about going public (this was before he was apparently elbowed out over disagreements about the timing of its offering).
Back home with orbital and crypto momentum
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