The upcoming StrictlyVC event in Palo Alto on December 3 will provide insights into what lies ahead for deep tech.

StrictlyVC’s Final 2025 Gathering: A Glimpse Into Tomorrow’s Breakthroughs

Tomorrow night at Playground Global in Palo Alto, a group of visionary innovators will reveal the future of technology—long before it becomes mainstream. This marks the last StrictlyVC event of 2025, and the speaker lineup is truly extraordinary.

Image Credits: Aaron V Barrera Photography

StrictlyVC has made its mark worldwide, thanks to TechCrunch’s support. We’ve hosted events everywhere from a Washington, D.C. theater rented by Steve Case, to a conversation with Greece’s prime minister in Athens, and even a gathering at San Francisco’s Presidio with Kirsten Green. The mission remains unchanged: unite pioneers working on transformative ideas in an intimate setting, well before their impact is widely recognized.

One unforgettable highlight came in 2019, when Sam Altman told the StrictlyVC audience that OpenAI’s business plan was essentially “build AGI, then ask it how to make money.” The crowd laughed, but he was completely serious.

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Spotlight on Tomorrow’s Innovators

• Nicholas Kelez: After two decades at the Department of Energy building particle accelerators, Kelez is now tackling a critical challenge in semiconductor manufacturing. Today’s most advanced chips rely on $400 million laser machines produced by a single Dutch company—a technology originally invented in the U.S. but sold to Europe. Kelez is developing the next generation of these machines in America, using particle accelerator technology. It’s a highly technical pursuit with enormous implications, and competition in this space is intensifying.
• Mina Fahmi: Fahmi and co-founder Kirak Hong, both veterans of Meta, have created the Stream Ring—a device that transcribes your whispered thoughts into text. Unlike other wearables, this ring is designed to augment your mind, not be your companion. Supported by Toni Schneider (early WordPress leader and partner at True Ventures, known for backing Peloton, Ring, and Fitbit), their company Sandbar has just emerged from stealth and could be onto something big. Schneider himself will be at the event.
• Max Hodak: As the founder of Science Corp. and former Neuralink co-founder, Hodak has already helped restore sight to dozens of blind individuals through retinal implants. Now, he’s pioneering “biohybrid” brain-computer interfaces, where chips embedded with stem cells integrate with brain tissue, enabling paralyzed people to control devices with their minds. Hodak believes the world in 2035 will be unrecognizable compared to today, and he’s eager to share his vision.

VC Perspectives: Reading the Future

• Chi-Hua Chien (Goodwater Capital) and Elizabeth Weil (Scribble Ventures): These two investors have backed companies like Twitter, Spotify, TikTok, Slack, SpaceX, Figma, and Coinbase before they became household names. Chien leads Goodwater Capital, while Weil, after roles at Andreessen Horowitz and Twitter, launched Scribble Ventures, making over 100 angel investments and achieving a 4x return on her first fund. Weil’s network is legendary. Both believe Silicon Valley is missing the mark by focusing too heavily on enterprise AI, and they’ll share their contrarian insights.

Image Credits: Horacio Villalobos / Getty Images

Join the Conversation

Playground Global, with general partner and former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger, is hosting this exclusive event. Expect great food, drinks, and lively discussion. Seating is extremely limited—if you want direct access to these tech and investment leaders, secure your spot now. StrictlyVC events always fill up fast.

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