TechCrunch’s StrictlyVC series will return to San Francisco on April 30, convening venture capital investors, startup founders, and technology executives for discussions on corporate funding strategies and artificial intelligence integration. The event will be held at the Sentro Filipino Cultural Center.
The program will open with a moderated conversation between Nicolas Sauvage, president of TDK Ventures, and Connie Loizos, editor-in-chief of TechCrunch. Sauvage manages a $500 million fund focused on early-stage technology companies and has backed 45 startups during his tenure, including Groq, Ascend Elements, and Silicon Box. He will outline how corporate venture arms evaluate potential investments and distinguish their operational approach from traditional venture firms. TDK Ventures is serving as the host and primary sponsor for this edition of StrictlyVC, providing attendees with direct access to its investment team.
Following the opening session, Campbell Brown, co-founder and chief executive of Forum AI, will address emerging standards for information reliability in large language models. Brown previously worked as a broadcast journalist and directed global news operations at Meta before transitioning to the startup sector. Her presentation will examine verification frameworks and transparency measures designed to maintain content accuracy as organizational and public reliance on AI-generated information expands.
The agenda also features Amjad Masad, co-founder and CEO of Replit, who will discuss structural shifts in software engineering driven by AI-assisted development platforms. As research firms such as OpenAI and Anthropic scale their own coding tools, the session will analyze current industry competition and the operational impact on technical teams and early-stage companies. Organizers have confirmed that one additional speaker will be announced ahead of the event.
StrictlyVC events are designed to pair panel discussions with structured networking periods, enabling direct engagement between capital allocators and operators seeking funding. Registration remains open, with attendance projected to include institutional investors, corporate innovation directors, and technology founders from North American and international markets.
