StrictlyVC Los Angeles set for June 18 with talks on defense and AI

In short: TechCrunch will host StrictlyVC Los Angeles on June 18 in El Segundo, with speakers focused on defense technology, AI, and fundraising.

What happened

TechCrunch announced more details for StrictlyVC Los Angeles, an in-person event happening Thursday, June 18. It will be held at The Aerospace Corporation Campus in El Segundo, near Los Angeles.

The event is designed as an evening of on-stage conversations and networking between startup founders, investors, and other technology leaders. It will focus on venture capital (money that investors put into young companies), defense technology, artificial intelligence, and other advanced industries.

TechCrunch listed several speakers. Ethan Thornton, founder of Mach Industries, will talk about building defense-focused hardware and how areas like autonomy (machines that can act on their own, like self-flying drones) and manufacturing are changing the defense sector.

Delian Asparouhov of Founders Fund and Saif Khawaja of Shinkei Systems will discuss “physical AI,” which is AI used in the real world through machines like robots (think of software that can move and do tasks, not just answer questions on a screen). Carter Reum, co-founder and partner at M13, will speak about how investors look for AI companies that can last beyond short-term excitement.

TechCrunch said more speakers will be announced.

Why it matters

Events like this can influence what kinds of AI products get built next, because they connect the people with ideas to the people with money. When funding and attention shift toward areas like defense tech and robotics, it can shape the tools that later show up in workplaces and everyday life.

Source: TechCrunch AI