The future will be explained to you in Palo Alto

On Wednesday evening, PlayGround Global in Palo Alto will host an event where some of the brightest minds — people building technologies that most of us haven’t even begun to grasp — will outline what lies ahead. This gathering marks the final StrictlyVC event of 2025, and the lineup is nothing short of extraordinary.

The series has made its way across the globe under the TechCrunch umbrella, with standout stops including a Steve Case–hosted session in a D.C. theatre, an insightful conversation with Greece’s prime minister in Athens, and a Presidio event in San Francisco with Kirsten Green. Wherever the event goes, the purpose stays the same: bring together innovators working on groundbreaking ideas and create an intimate setting to hear from them before the rest of the world realises their impact.

A particularly memorable moment came in 2019 when Sam Altman told the StrictlyVC audience that OpenAI’s strategy was essentially “build AGI, then ask it how to make money.” The room laughed — but he wasn’t joking.

This upcoming event will feature Nicholas Kelez, a particle accelerator physicist who spent twenty years at the U.S. Department of Energy developing technologies once thought impossible. He’s now tackling one of semiconductor manufacturing’s most critical challenges: the reliance on $400 million laser-powered machines that only one Dutch company can produce. While the technology originated in the U.S., it eventually shifted to Europe. Kelez is now aiming to build the next-generation version of these machines in America, using particle-accelerator techniques. Aahighly technical mission, but in today’s global landscape, it’s also essential — and he’s not the only one pursuing it.

Also speaking is Mina Fahmi, who has created a ring that captures whispered thoughts and turns them into text. Though it might sound futuristic, Fahmi and cofounder Kirak Hong spent years at Meta developing similar technologies after their previous startup was acquired. Their new device, the Stream Ring, isn’t designed to be a companion; it’s designed to extend human cognition. Backed by industry leader Toni Schneider — known for helping scale WordPress and investing in prominent hardware startups like Peloton, Ring, and Fitbit — their new company, Sandbar, recently emerged from stealth. Schneider, now with True Ventures, will also be present in Palo Alto.

Joining the lineup is Max Hodak, founder of Science Corp, former Neuralink cofounder, and a Time magazine cover figure. His company has already restored vision to dozens of blind individuals through retinal implants. Now he’s working on “biohybrid” brain-computer interfaces, in which chips seeded with stem cells integrate with brain tissue, enabling paralysed patients to operate devices with their thoughts. And this is just one part of his vision for the future. Hodak believes 2035 will be dramatically different from today and is ready to explain why.

The event will also welcome Chi-Hua Chien and Elizabeth Weil, two investors with exceptional early-stage track records spanning Twitter, Spotify, TikTok, Slack, SpaceX, Figma, and Coinbase. Chien leads Goodwater Capital, while Weil founded Scribble Ventures after roles at Andreessen Horowitz and Twitter. Weil has made more than 100 angel investments and is currently seeing 4x returns from her debut fund — supported by a network many describe as one of the strongest in Silicon Valley. Both believe the tech industry is misreading the moment, especially with the rush toward enterprise AI, and they’ll discuss why.

PlayGround Global, along with general partner Pat Gelsinger — the former Intel CEO — is hosting the event. Expect great food, drinks, and lively conversations. Seating is limited, so those interested should act quickly.

Partnership opportunities for the 2026 series are now open.