Three weeks. That is all we have until StrictlyVC Los Angeles.
June 18, 2026. Thursday evening. The location? The Aerospace Corporation Campus in El Second. It’s intimate, focused, and meant for the people actually moving capital and code forward.
No fluff. No generic panels. Just high-signal conversations about where venture capital and frontier tech are going. You want access to the leaders shaping defense, AI, and industry? This is how you get it.
Secure your spot if you can handle the direct talk.
The Players
First up: Ethan Thornton.
Founder of Mach Industries. His talk is called “Built for a NewEra of Defense Technology.” Sounds heavy? It is. But he isn’t just talking about guns or jets. He’s explaining how to build a hard-tech company at speed. Defense used to be slow. Bureaucratic. Doldrum. That era is ending.
Thornton sees autonomy, manufacturing, and national security locking together. It’s a structural shift. A new breed of founders is stepping into spaces everyone else considered too risky, too slow. They’re accelerating it.
“Defense innovation is undergoing a fundamental change.”
Next, we tackle the physical side of AI.
Delian Asparouhov from Founders Fund. Saif Khawaja from Shinkei Systems. They pair up to discuss what happens when AI leaves the screen. When it touches the real world.
Robots. Automation. Hardware. It’s not just about code anymore. It’s about deployment at scale. How do you get a breakthrough from a lab concept to something that actually works outside? They’ll break down the mechanics.
Who else?
More names coming. The agenda is still tight but expanding. We’ll announce them in the coming weeks. Stay on the line for updates.
Why bother?
Look, the market is complex. Complex enough that you need context you can’t find on LinkedIn.
This isn’t a networking event for the sake of business cards. It’s a chance to hear directly from the drivers of change. Investors and founders rubbing shoulders with defense strategists. With builders.
Connections happen when the noise drops out.
Who do you think will win the physical AI race? 🤔
The evening sparks. The conversations linger. We leave the rest for next time.
