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StrictlyVC returns to New York City September 10 to celebrate a huge year for the city’s startup community
TechCrunch has announced that its StrictlyVC event series will return to New York City on 10 September, marking its first NYC event since 2024. The gathering is timed to coincide with a surge in the city's startup activity, offering founders, venture capitalists and dealmakers a chance to network and hear from industry figures in an intimate, off-the-record setting.
The event will be held at Ideal Glass Studios in the West Village, with general admission tickets priced at $180 and available now. New York start-ups raised $16 billion in the first half of 2026 alone, close to the $19.1 billion raised across all of 2025, while seed funding rose to $1.13 billion across more than 240 companies, up from $1.06 billion a year earlier. Confirmed speakers so far include Collaborative Fund founder Craig Shapiro, TechCrunch editor-in-chief Connie Loizos, and Heirloom Craft founder Tristan Walker, with further names to be announced; past StrictlyVC events have featured guests such as OpenAI's Sam Altman and Sequoia's Alfred Lin.
In short
- StrictlyVC returns to NYC on 10 September after a two-year absence
- NY start-ups raised $16bn in H1 2026, nearly matching all of 2025
- Speakers include Craig Shapiro and Tristan Walker; tickets cost $180
Explained simply
StrictlyVC is an event series created by TechCrunch, a technology news outlet, that brings together founders of early-stage companies, people who invest in startups, and other business figures in the sector. The gatherings are designed as intimate networking opportunities where attendees can have candid conversations away from the public spotlight.
New York City has become one of the world's most important centres for technology startups and the investment that funds them. In just the first six months of 2026, startups based in New York raised $16 billion from investors, demonstrating the significant scale and momentum of the city's startup scene.
The return of StrictlyVC to New York creates an opportunity for founders seeking investment and investors seeking promising companies to connect directly with industry leaders and one another. These events have historically featured prominent figures from major technology companies and leading venture capital firms.
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