In just 3 weeks, StrictlyVC is coming to Los Angeles

In just 3 weeks, StrictlyVC is coming to Los Angeles | TechCrunch

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The first StrictlyVC of 2026 hits SF on April 30. Tickets are going fast. Register now.

Get Disrupt Early Bird savings of up to $410 by May 29, 11:59 p.m. PT. Register now.

Image Credits:Slava Blazer Photography / TechCrunch Startups

In just 3 weeks, StrictlyVC is coming to Los Angeles

TechCrunch Events

10:30 AM PDT · May 28, 2026

Join us for StrictlyVC Los Angeles 2026, an intimate evening bringing together leading investors and entrepreneurs for high-signal conversations from the front lines of venture capital and frontier technology. Taking place Thursday, June 18, at The Aerospace Corporation Campus in El Segundo, this edition continues StrictlyVC’s focus on direct access to the ideas and leaders shaping where technology and capital are headed next. Secure your spot here.

For executives, investors, and founders navigating an increasingly complex market, this is an opportunity to step inside conversations that rarely happen in public and hear directly from the people driving change across defense, AI, and advanced industry.

Who’s taking the stage

We will begin the evening with Ethan Thornton, founder of Mach Industries. In his session called “Built for a New Era of Defense Technology,” Thornton will discuss what it means to build a hard tech company at speed and why defense innovation is undergoing a structural shift as autonomy, manufacturing, and national security become increasingly interconnected. His perspective reflects a new generation of founders choosing to operate in industries once considered slow-moving, now rapidly reshaped by technological acceleration.

Image Credits:Slava Blazer Photography / Flickr (opens in a new window)

Next, the conversation turns to backing the next frontier of physical AI, featuring Delian Asparouhov of Founders Fund and Saif Khawaja of Shinkei Systems. Together they will explore how advances in AI, robotics, and automation are beginning to reshape not just software systems but also the physical world and what it takes to move breakthrough technologies from concept to real-world deployment at scale.

Additional speakers and conversations will be announced in the weeks ahead as the StrictlyVC Los Angeles agenda continues to take shape. Stay updated on new speaker announcements and event developments.

An evening sparking meaningful connections

As the evening unfolds, the room becomes the real value of the event. Conversations continue beyond the stage in a setting defined by access, focus, and proximity to the people actively shaping the next generation of companies. It is an environment where introductions turn into insight, and insight often turns into opportunity. Secure your spot here.

Image Credits:TechCrunch

Topics AI, Ethan Thornton, Los Angeles, Space, Startups, StrictlyVC, StrictlyVC LA, Venture

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TechCrunch Events

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October 13-15 San Francisco Early Bird ticket savings of up to $410 end May 29, 11:59 p.m. PT. Connect with 10,000+ tech leaders in unparalleled networking, 200+ hands-on sessions led by 250+ industry leaders, and discover 300+ showcasing startups.