Tomorrow evening, at PlayGround Global in Palo Alto, a group of exceptionally talented innovators – those pioneering technologies not yet widely understood – will share their visions for the future. This marks the final StrictlyVC event of 2025, and the speaker roster is truly remarkable.

This event series has taken place internationally, supported by TechCrunch. From a theater rental arranged by Steve Case in Washington, D.C., to a discussion with the prime minister of Greece in Athens, and a gathering hosted by Kirsten Green at the Presidio in San Francisco, the core idea remains consistent: to convene individuals developing genuinely significant advancements in an intimate environment, before their importance becomes broadly recognized.

A particularly memorable moment occurred in 2019 when Sam Altman, addressing a StrictlyVC audience, described OpenAI’s business model as essentially “developing AGI, and then consulting it on revenue generation.” The comment was initially met with laughter, but it proved to be a serious intention.

This time, the lineup includes Nicholas Kelez, a particle accelerator physicist with two decades of experience at the Department of Energy working on groundbreaking projects. He is now focused on addressing a critical challenge in semiconductor manufacturing: the reliance on $400 million machines utilizing lasers, produced by a single company in the Netherlands. (Some find it particularly noteworthy that this technology was originally invented in the United States, then transferred to Europe.) Kelez is developing a next-generation solution in America, leveraging particle accelerator technology. While highly complex, this work is exceptionally vital in the current landscape, especially with increasing competitive efforts in the field.

We will also hear from Mina Fahmi, creator of a ring that translates whispered thoughts into text. Before dismissing this concept, it’s important to note that he and co-founder Kirak Hong dedicated years to this research at Meta following their company’s acquisition. The Stream Ring isn’t designed for social interaction; it aims to augment cognitive capabilities. Supported by Toni Schneider, who previously oversaw the scaling of WordPress, Sandbar has recently launched and shows considerable promise. (Schneider is currently a partner at True Ventures, with prior investments in companies like Peloton, Ring, and Fitbit, and will also be present in Palo Alto next week.)

Max Hodak – founder of Science Corp, a Time magazine cover subject, and formerly a co-founder of Neuralink alongside Elon Musk – has already enabled dozens of visually impaired individuals to regain sight through retinal implants. He is now pioneering “biohybrid” brain-computer interfaces, where chips seeded with stem cells integrate with brain tissue, allowing paralyzed individuals to control devices using their thoughts. Hodak believes this is only a preliminary glimpse of future possibilities, anticipating a dramatically different world by 2035, and he will share his insights.

Finally, we are pleased to welcome Chi-Hua Chien of Goodwater Capital and Elizabeth Weil of Scribble Ventures, two venture capitalists with a track record of investing in companies like Twitter, Spotify, TikTok, Slack, SpaceX, Figma, and Coinbase before they achieved widespread recognition. Chien leads Goodwater Capital, while Weil established Scribble Ventures after roles at Andreessen Horowitz and Twitter, completing over 100 angel investments and achieving a 4x return on her first fund. (Her professional network is exceptionally strong.) Both believe Silicon Valley is currently misinterpreting market trends, particularly with the focus on enterprise AI, and they will explain their reasoning.

PlayGround Global is the host, with general partner Pat Gelsinger, the former CEO of Intel, also in attendance. The event will feature beverages, food, and networking opportunities; however, seating is limited, so secure your registration promptly to gain direct access to these leading figures and build valuable connections. StrictlyVC events consistently have limited capacity.

If you are interested in partnering with the series in 2026, please reach out here.