Calendar mark: June 18th was a mistake event. We are excited to be with Ali Partovi and Russell Kaplan join us for the next StrictlyVc night at Menlo Park to be a fantastic night of great evenings and conversations in the heart of Silicon Valley.
A longtime investor and former operator with NEO and a serious wave, Partovi takes the stage to discuss the ambitious mission to run for money with the Y Combinator. Neo is more than just another platform and funding. This is a systematic approach to identifying promising engineering and leadership talents before we even know that the rest of Silicon Valley exists. If anyone knows how to find the next generation of technology Titan, it's Partovi.
Joining him is Russell Kaplan, president of Cognition, the Buzzy Coding Assistant Company, which has recently been valued at $4 billion and counts Neo among its first supporters. This pairing enjoys some of the ups and downs of previous startups, especially in a timeline with cognitively accelerated timelines, giving you a total glimpse into the dynamics of investors in real time. (This is the life of an AI startup today!)
They will be joined by Baiju Bhatt, Robinhood co-founder who is currently leading his fintech expertise into something completely different as the founder and CEO of AetherFlux. This is clearly a move that investors are excited about. The San Carlos, California-based startup came out of stealth last October and is aiming to launch a low-Earth orbit satellite constellations that can collect and transmit solar energy directly to “ground stations,” closing $50 million last month with Series A funding.
These conversations are important as they bridge the gap between big ideas and real-world influences and turn abstract concepts into real companies and products. That's exactly why StrictlyVC exists. It's about bringing thought leaders in close contact with investors, founders and news addicts who want to understand how technology is reshaping everything in real time.
More programming highlights will soon be coming, but we wanted to share this news and extend our deep appreciation to Mayfield, the renowned early-stage venture that we co-host with us tonight. It is their partnership that makes this event possible.
The meeting will take place in the quad in the heart of Sandhill Road. This is the perfect background for essential conversations and lots of networking. (Because the best insights often occur in the space between formal programming.) Stay tuned for speaker announcements. This shapes the night that you don't want to miss. Please register here before your seat is photographed.