How a Startup Can Get into StrictlyVC and Find an Investor | News Idea

Why StrictlyVC matters for a founder: funds and corporations meet on one platform, where you can validate demand, close a partnership, and accelerate an investment round.

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What happened

At the end of April 2026, the first StrictlyVC conference of the year will take place in San Francisco — a closed event that brings together startup founders, venture fund representatives, and investors from Silicon Valley. The announced speakers include executives from TDK Ventures (the venture arm of the Japanese technology corporation) and Replit co-founder Amjad Khan. The organizers report that tickets are still available, but the number of seats is strictly limited.

How this is useful for business

StrictlyVC is not a typical conference with hundreds of speakers and endless presentations. The event format involves intimate meetings where founders can speak directly with investors in an informal setting. For a startup at the seed or Series A stage, this is an opportunity to make a contact that may later convert into a funding round.

The presence of TDK Ventures is especially interesting: the fund specializes in deep technologies — robotics, artificial intelligence, manufacturing, and materials. If your startup works in these areas, events like this are a direct path to an investor who understands the specifics of your industry. Replit, in turn, represents the developer ecosystem and tools for creating software — a topic that resonates with any technology entrepreneur.

How to make money from this

Direct earnings from participating in the conference are impossible — it is a networking platform, not a sales platform. However, the indirect benefit is measurable: according to Crunchbase statistics, up to 30% of deals in Silicon Valley happen through personal recommendations and introductions. Attending StrictlyVC is an investment in expanding a network of contacts with investors who manage billions of dollars.

Additional revenue is possible for those who organize similar events locally or create content around venture topics. Analyzing the StrictlyVC agenda and publishing insights about trends and speakers all help build an expert brand that attracts clients and partners.

Business ideas

• A service for selecting and preparing startups for meetings with investors: pitch analysis, rehearsing answers to questions, help with investor materials — charges a commission from successful fundraising
• A platform for organizing closed business events in the StrictlyVC format: venue rental, inviting speakers, moderating networking — monetization through partner contributions and sponsorship contracts
• A content agency specializing in coverage of venture events: reports, interviews with speakers, analytical digests — revenue from subscriptions and advertising
• An investor database with contacts and specializations: filtering by industry, stage, and check size — a subscription for startups and consultants
• An incubator or accelerator for early-stage startups: help preparing for rounds, access to a network of investors — equity in the company or a fixed fee

Risks and limitations

The main risk is the illusion that one conference visit will solve the funding issue. Venture investors make decisions over months, and even a successful meeting is the beginning of a long due diligence process. The second risk is incorrect timing: if the startup is not yet ready to raise investment (no metrics, no product, no team), meeting an investor will not produce a result.

Another limitation is that StrictlyVC takes place in San Francisco — for founders from other regions, participation requires significant expenses for flights and accommodation. However, many speakers and participants are available in an online format — this is worth using as an alternative.

7-day action plan

Day 1-2: Study the speaker profiles — TDK Ventures and Replit. Determine whether your startup matches their interests. If yes, prepare a short pitch (2-3 sentences about what you do and why it is interesting specifically to them).

Day 3: Register for the event if tickets are still available. If not, find the organizers' contacts and ask about the waiting list or alternative participation formats.

Day 4: Make a list of 10-15 people you want to meet at the conference. Write to them on LinkedIn with a short message: who you are, what you do, and why you want to meet.

Day 5: Prepare a one-page material about the startup (one-pager): problem, solution, team, metrics, ask. Print 20 copies — paper still works better than QR codes.

Day 6: Rehearse the pitch in front of a mirror or with a colleague. Bring it to automaticity — you must fit into 60 seconds and interest the listener.

Day 7: After the event, be sure to write to everyone you met. Briefly thank them for the meeting, remind them who you are, and suggest continuing the conversation. The first 48 hours after the conference are critically important for consolidating the contact.

Original news: TechCrunch Startups · See other news in the news section.