{"id":244308,"date":"2026-06-04T21:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T21:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/04\/defense-tech-ai-and-fundraising-take-center-stage-at-strictlyvc-los-angeles-techcrunch\/"},"modified":"2026-06-04T21:30:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T21:30:00","slug":"defense-tech-ai-and-fundraising-take-center-stage-at-strictlyvc-los-angeles-techcrunch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/04\/defense-tech-ai-and-fundraising-take-center-stage-at-strictlyvc-los-angeles-techcrunch\/","title":{"rendered":"Defense tech, AI, and fundraising take center stage at StrictlyVC Los Angeles | TechCrunch"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p id=\"speakable-summary\" class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With just two weeks to go,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/events\/strictlyvc-los-angeles-2026\/?utm_source=tc&amp;utm_medium=post&amp;utm_campaign=svcla2026&amp;utm_content=ticketsales&amp;promo=post_agendaupdate_06042026&amp;display=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>StrictlyVC\u00a0Los Angeles<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0is quickly approaching. On Thursday, June 18, at The Aerospace Corporation Campus in El Segundo.\u00a0Investors, founders, and tech leaders will gather for an evening of conversations exploring some of the most consequential shifts taking place across venture capital, defense technology, artificial intelligence, and advanced industry.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/events\/strictlyvc-los-angeles-2026\/?utm_source=tc&amp;utm_medium=post&amp;utm_campaign=svcla2026&amp;utm_content=ticketsales&amp;promo=post_agendaupdate_06042026&amp;display=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Secure your spot here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For executives navigating a rapidly changing technology landscape,\u00a0StrictlyVC\u00a0offers something increasingly difficult to\u00a0find:\u00a0direct access to the people building, funding, and shaping the next generation of companies. The conversations are candid, the audience is highly curated, and the insights extend far beyond what can be found in headlines, podcasts, or social media feeds.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/events\/strictlyvc-los-angeles-2026\/?utm_source=tc&amp;utm_medium=post&amp;utm_campaign=svcla2026&amp;utm_content=ticketsales&amp;promo=post_agendaupdate_06042026&amp;display=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\" noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><span class=\"wp-block-image__credits\"><strong>Image Credits:<\/strong>Slava Blazer Photography \/ TechCrunch<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-who-s-taking-the-stage-in-los-angeles\"><strong>Who\u2019s\u00a0taking the\u00a0stage in Los Angeles<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The evening begins with\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/ethan-thornton-74417024a\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\"><strong>Ethan Thornton<\/strong><\/a>, founder of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/machindustries.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\"><strong>Mach Industries<\/strong><\/a>. In his session, \u201cBuilt for a New Era of Defense Technology,\u201d Thornton will share his perspective on building a hard tech company at speed and how advances in autonomy, manufacturing, and national security are transforming the defense sector. His story reflects a broader movement of founders tackling ambitious challenges in industries undergoing rapid change.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The conversation continues with\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/delian-asparouhov-87447742\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\"><strong>Delian\u00a0Asparouhov<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/foundersfund.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\"><strong>Founders Fund<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/saifnk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\"><strong>Saif Khawaja<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/shinkei.systems\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\"><strong>Shinkei\u00a0Systems<\/strong><\/a>. Together, they will discuss the rise of physical AI and how developments in robotics, automation, and artificial intelligence are creating new opportunities to transform the physical world. Their discussion will offer insight into what it takes to build and scale breakthrough technologies beyond software alone.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Also joining the lineup is\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/carterreum\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\"><strong>Carter Reum<\/strong><\/a>, co-founder and partner at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.m13.co\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\"><strong>M13<\/strong><\/a>. In his session, \u201cFinding the Next Big Thing,\u201d Reum will explore how AI is reshaping industries and how investors are moving beyond short-term hype to\u00a0identify\u00a0companies built for long-term durability. He will share his perspective on where innovation is creating the most meaningful opportunities and how venture investing is evolving as new categories\u00a0emerge.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/events\/strictlyvc-los-angeles-2026\/?utm_source=tc&amp;utm_medium=post&amp;utm_campaign=svcla2026&amp;utm_content=ticketsales&amp;promo=post_agendaupdate_06042026&amp;display=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\" noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/events\/strictlyvc-los-angeles-2026\/?utm_source=tc&amp;utm_medium=post&amp;utm_campaign=svcla2026&amp;utm_content=ticketsales&amp;promo=post_agendaupdate_06042026&amp;display=\" data-event=\"clickable_image\" height=\"542\" width=\"680\" alt=\"Ethan Thornton at StrictlyVC San Francisco\" class=\"wp-image-3033200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Ethan-Thornton-SVCSF-2025-e1780338289712.jpg 1497w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Ethan-Thornton-SVCSF-2025-e1780338289712.jpg?resize=150,120 150w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Ethan-Thornton-SVCSF-2025-e1780338289712.jpg?resize=300,239 300w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Ethan-Thornton-SVCSF-2025-e1780338289712.jpg?resize=768,613 768w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Ethan-Thornton-SVCSF-2025-e1780338289712.jpg?resize=680,542 680w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Ethan-Thornton-SVCSF-2025-e1780338289712.jpg?resize=1200,957 1200w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Ethan-Thornton-SVCSF-2025-e1780338289712.jpg?resize=1280,1021 1280w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Ethan-Thornton-SVCSF-2025-e1780338289712.jpg?resize=430,343 430w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Ethan-Thornton-SVCSF-2025-e1780338289712.jpg?resize=720,574 720w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Ethan-Thornton-SVCSF-2025-e1780338289712.jpg?resize=900,718 900w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Ethan-Thornton-SVCSF-2025-e1780338289712.jpg?resize=800,638 800w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Ethan-Thornton-SVCSF-2025-e1780338289712.jpg?resize=668,533 668w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Ethan-Thornton-SVCSF-2025-e1780338289712.jpg?resize=470,375 470w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Ethan-Thornton-SVCSF-2025-e1780338289712.jpg?resize=774,617 774w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Ethan-Thornton-SVCSF-2025-e1780338289712.jpg?resize=666,531 666w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Ethan-Thornton-SVCSF-2025-e1780338289712.jpg?resize=50,40 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><span class=\"wp-block-image__credits\"><strong>Image Credits:<\/strong>Slava Blazer Photography \/ <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Flickr <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">(opens in a new window)<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Additional\u00a0speakers and conversations will be announced\u00a0soon\u00a0as the\u00a0StrictlyVC\u00a0Los Angeles agenda continues to grow.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/events\/strictlyvc-los-angeles-2026\/?utm_source=tc&amp;utm_medium=post&amp;utm_campaign=svcla2026&amp;utm_content=ticketsales&amp;promo=post_agendaupdate_06042026&amp;display=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Stay updated on the latest speaker announcements and event news<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-grab-your-pass-and-join-the-conversations\"><strong>Grab your pass and join the conversations<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Beyond the conversations on stage,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/events\/strictlyvc-los-angeles-2026\/?utm_source=tc&amp;utm_medium=post&amp;utm_campaign=svcla2026&amp;utm_content=ticketsales&amp;promo=post_agendaupdate_06042026&amp;display=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>StrictlyVC\u00a0Los Angeles<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0is designed to bring together the people driving innovation across technology and venture capital. Throughout the evening, attendees will have opportunities to connect with founders, investors, and operators in an environment that encourages meaningful discussion and the exchange of\u00a0ideas. Whether you are looking to expand your network, gain new perspectives, or discover emerging opportunities, the value of the event extends well beyond the scheduled sessions.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/events\/strictlyvc-los-angeles-2026\/?utm_source=tc&amp;utm_medium=post&amp;utm_campaign=svcla2026&amp;utm_content=ticketsales&amp;promo=post_agendaupdate_06042026&amp;display=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Secure your spot here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/events\/strictlyvc-los-angeles-2026\/?utm_source=tc&amp;utm_medium=post&amp;utm_campaign=svcla2026&amp;utm_content=ticketsales&amp;promo=post_agendaupdate_06042026&amp;display=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\" noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/events\/strictlyvc-los-angeles-2026\/?utm_source=tc&amp;utm_medium=post&amp;utm_campaign=svcla2026&amp;utm_content=ticketsales&amp;promo=post_agendaupdate_06042026&amp;display=\" data-event=\"clickable_image\" height=\"510\" width=\"680\" alt=\"StrictlyVC Los Angeles 2026\" class=\"wp-image-3118638\" srcset=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/StrictlyVC-LA-2026-featured-lockup-whiteback.png 1440w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/StrictlyVC-LA-2026-featured-lockup-whiteback.png?resize=150,113 150w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/StrictlyVC-LA-2026-featured-lockup-whiteback.png?resize=300,225 300w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/StrictlyVC-LA-2026-featured-lockup-whiteback.png?resize=768,576 768w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/StrictlyVC-LA-2026-featured-lockup-whiteback.png?resize=680,510 680w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/StrictlyVC-LA-2026-featured-lockup-whiteback.png?resize=1200,900 1200w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/StrictlyVC-LA-2026-featured-lockup-whiteback.png?resize=1280,960 1280w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/StrictlyVC-LA-2026-featured-lockup-whiteback.png?resize=430,323 430w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/StrictlyVC-LA-2026-featured-lockup-whiteback.png?resize=720,540 720w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/StrictlyVC-LA-2026-featured-lockup-whiteback.png?resize=900,675 900w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/StrictlyVC-LA-2026-featured-lockup-whiteback.png?resize=800,600 800w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/StrictlyVC-LA-2026-featured-lockup-whiteback.png?resize=668,501 668w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/StrictlyVC-LA-2026-featured-lockup-whiteback.png?resize=500,375 500w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/StrictlyVC-LA-2026-featured-lockup-whiteback.png?resize=823,617 823w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/StrictlyVC-LA-2026-featured-lockup-whiteback.png?resize=708,531 708w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/StrictlyVC-LA-2026-featured-lockup-whiteback.png?resize=50,38 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><span class=\"wp-block-image__credits\"><strong>Image Credits:<\/strong>TechCrunch<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><em>When you purchase through links in our articles, <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/techcrunch-affiliate-monetization-standards\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">we may earn a small commission<\/a>. This doesn\u2019t affect our editorial independence.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/06\/04\/defense-tech-ai-and-fundraising-take-center-stage-at-strictlyvc-los-angeles-on-june-18\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With just two weeks to go,\u00a0StrictlyVC\u00a0Los Angeles\u00a0is quickly approaching. On Thursday, June 18, at The Aerospace Corporation Campus in El Segundo.\u00a0Investors, founders, and tech leaders will gather for an evening of conversations exploring some of the most consequential shifts taking place across venture capital, defense technology, artificial intelligence, and advanced industry.\u00a0Secure your spot here. For [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":244309,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-244308","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tech"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244308","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=244308"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244308\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/244309"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=244308"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=244308"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=244308"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}