Founders, investors, and technologists eager to understand where the next wave of artificial intelligence and venture capital innovation is headed will gather in downtown San Francisco on April 30 for the first StrictlyVC event of the year. Hosted at the Sentro Filipino Cultural Center, the evening promises a fast-moving program of candid conversations, followed by the informal networking sessions for which the series has become known.
A night focused on AI, venture trends, and hard-won startup lessons
StrictlyVC’s San Francisco stop arrives at a pivotal moment. The pace of AI breakthroughs continues to accelerate, and venture firms—corporate and traditional alike—are scrambling to understand how best to serve founders building transformative products. April’s agenda zeroes in on those themes with three headline guests offering rare, on-the-ground perspectives:
- Nicolas Sauvage, president of TDK Ventures
- Campbell Brown, co-founder and CEO of Forum AI
- Amjad Masad, co-founder and CEO of Replit
Each speaker brings a different vantage point: one from a Fortune 500 corporate venture arm, one from the intersection of journalism and trustworthy AI, and one from a fast-growing developer platform that is reshaping how software is written.
Corporate venture capital in focus with TDK Ventures
The program opens with Nicolas Sauvage, who oversees a $500 million fund inside global electronics manufacturer TDK. Unlike purely financial investors, corporate VC teams must align strategic goals with returns. Under Sauvage’s leadership, TDK Ventures has invested in 52 early-stage companies and already logged three unicorns—Groq, Ascend Elements, and Silicon Box.
In conversation with journalist Connie Loizos, Sauvage will outline how corporate venture differs from traditional VC, what founders should expect during diligence, and why industry incumbents can be powerful partners when product roadmaps require advanced materials or manufacturing expertise. Attendees will also get to mingle with TDK Ventures staff throughout the evening, an opportunity many hardware and deep-tech entrepreneurs rarely enjoy without months of formal outreach.
Building trust in an AI-powered information age
Next up is Campbell Brown, known initially to many as a longtime CNN anchor and, more recently, as the head of news partnerships at Meta. Brown has now entered the startup arena by co-founding Forum AI, a company devoted to ensuring large language models provide reliable, verifiable information.
Her transition from traditional media to AI governance positions her uniquely to discuss hard questions: How do we vet content produced by generative systems? What responsibility do platform builders have to curb misinformation? And how should regulators, journalists, and technologists collaborate? With public trust in information sources fluctuating, Brown promises to bring real-world urgency—and potential solutions—to the stage.
Inside the future of software creation with Replit
No conversation about the modern developer experience is complete without touching on Replit. Led by co-founder and CEO Amjad Masad, the company has scaled from a browser-based programming environment into a full-featured platform that allows anyone to spin up, code, and deploy applications in minutes. Its AI coding assistant, Ghostwriter, exemplifies “vibe coding”—developers iteratively prompting a model until useful code emerges.
Masad’s session will explore how AI is collapsing the distance between idea and shipped product. He is expected to cover Replit’s open-source collaborations, its competitive landscape with the likes of Anthropic and OpenAI, and how new tools redefine the skill sets companies need when hiring engineers. For founders, the talk offers a window into building products atop rapidly improving AI models and the infrastructure challenges that still loom large.
An additional surprise speaker still to come
As of this writing, organizers hint at one more yet-to-be-named guest. Past StrictlyVC events have pulled in heavyweight investors, breakout startup founders, and occasionally policymakers shaping the rules of the innovation economy. Attendees can expect the final reveal to complement the AI and venture themes already announced.
Why in-person events still matter
In an era where virtual conferences proliferate, StrictlyVC’s decision to remain in-person is deliberate. Seasoned founders often trace a pivotal funding or hiring connection back to a hallway chat. Investors, meanwhile, repeatedly note that informal references gathered over cocktails can confirm or upend a term-sheet decision. The April 30 gathering offers two extended networking blocks: one before programming begins, and a longer session to close the night.
San Francisco’s enduring draw also plays a role. Despite chatter about remote-first teams and the migration of some talent to other hubs, the Bay Area still houses an unparalleled density of AI researchers, experienced operators, and capital. For out-of-town entrepreneurs, the trip can compress a month of Zoom calls into a single evening of handshakes.
How to attend
A limited number of tickets remain, available on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration includes refreshments, access to all speaker segments, and the networking portions. The Sentro Filipino Cultural Center, located near public transit and multiple parking options, offers an intimate venue where the distance from stage to audience is measured in feet, not football fields.
Past attendees advise arriving early for two reasons: badge pickup lines move quickly but the pre-event mingle is often where investors scout potential deals, and where peers exchange hard-won tactics that rarely make it into slide decks. Business-casual attire predominates, though founders sporting prototype hardware or product demos frequently draw extra attention.
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Speaker lineup at a glance
- Nicolas Sauvage – President, TDK Ventures. Overseeing $500 million fund; 52 portfolio companies; three unicorns to date.
- Campbell Brown – Co-founder & CEO, Forum AI. Former CNN anchor; ex-head of news at Meta; focused on trustworthy AI outputs.
- Amjad Masad – Co-founder & CEO, Replit. Champion of AI-driven “vibe coding” and democratized software creation.
- TBA – Final speaker to be announced; expected to deepen discussions on AI or venture capital.
What attendees can expect to learn
- How corporate investors evaluate emerging-tech startups and the strategic value they can add beyond capital.
- Approaches to measuring, verifying, and maintaining factual accuracy in large language model outputs.
- Practical insights into leveraging AI assistants for faster, more collaborative software development.
- Networking techniques to maximize face time with investors and potential partners in a condensed setting.
The bigger picture
StrictlyVC’s 2024 kickoff underscores a broader truth: the AI boom remains intertwined with venture capital’s evolving models. Corporate funds like TDK’s signal that incumbents no longer view startups merely as acquisition targets but as necessary partners in long-cycle innovation. Simultaneously, platforms such as Replit show that individual developers armed with powerful AI tools can prototype ideas at unprecedented speed. Bridging these two currents requires ongoing dialogue—and events where unfiltered stories of failure and success can surface.
For those launching companies, raising capital, or simply fascinated by how algorithms are reshaping work, the April 30 gathering in San Francisco offers a chance to calibrate strategy against candid advice from people writing the first drafts of the industry’s next chapter.
FAQ
When and where is the event?
April 30 at the Sentro Filipino Cultural Center in San Francisco, California.
Who is organizing it?
The event is part of the long-running StrictlyVC series, known for intimate gatherings focused on venture capital and startup ecosystems.
Who are the confirmed speakers?
Nicolas Sauvage of TDK Ventures, Campbell Brown of Forum AI, and Amjad Masad of Replit. A fourth speaker will be announced soon.
What topics will be covered?
Corporate venture strategies, building trustworthy AI platforms, AI-driven software development, and broader fundraising trends.
How can I buy a ticket?
Remaining tickets are available online until sold out. On-site registration is not guaranteed.
Is the event appropriate for non-founders?
Yes. Investors, engineers, product managers, researchers, and anyone interested in emerging technology trends will find value.
Will sessions be recorded?
Organizers have not yet confirmed a recording or livestream. Attending in person guarantees access to all content and networking.
What health and safety measures are in place?
Standard city and venue guidelines will be followed. Attendees are encouraged to check the registration page for any updates.
Is there a code of conduct?
Yes. StrictlyVC enforces a professional code of conduct that requires respectful behavior from all participants.
