StrictlyVC Download

Pat Gelsinger spent 35 years across two stints at Intel, most recently as CEO. Nicholas Kelez is the CEO of X-Light, a semiconductor startup developing breakthrough EUV laser technology for next-generation chipmaking. In this conversation, they unpack what it takes to wake Moore's law from its nap, why the U.S. government just became X-Light's second-largest shareholder, and how faith and deep tech are shaping the future of American competitiveness in the AI era. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on StrictlyVC Download, Connie Loizos spoke with Science Corp founder Max Hodak to discuss how brain-computer interfaces are arriving faster than anyone realizes. The Neuralink co-founder and former president shares how his company recently achieved what may be the biggest breakthrough in vision restoration in decades, enabling 80% of blind patients to read again with a tiny retinal implant smaller than a grain of rice. In this conversation, the two also explore the near-term commercial path for BCIs through medical applications, the long-term potential for cognitive enhancement and “binding” multiple brains together, and why Science, which has so far raised $260 million from investors, is keen to generate revenue while it invests in its future products. Not last, Hodak addresses the practical and ethical questions around hacking, enhancement, and why he thinks it may well be possible in the not-too-distant future to “move consciousness” outside of the body. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, TechCrunch's editor-in-chief, Connie Loizos, sits down with Kevin Hartz, the serial entrepreneur behind Zoom and Eventbrite who's now managing partner of A-Star Capital, a $300 million generalist fund. Recorded live at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, Kevin shares his unique perspective as a founder, investor, and LP—discussing why staying in the market matters even when two-month-old companies are raising at $60 million valuations. The two explore the dramatic rise in teenage founders, with Kevin revealing that 20% of his recent investments now include teams with a teenage founder, up from just 5% two years ago. Kevin also discusses A-Star's approach to differentiated deal flow through company incubations, including Sauron, his autonomous drone security startup applying self-driving car technology to home security. They dive into the controversial question of whether venture capital is truly an asset class, the lessons learned from taking companies public through both traditional IPOs and SPACs, and why the abundance of private capital is keeping quality companies out of the public markets indefinitely. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we're sharing an interview from our friends over at Equity. After a small startup exit and being turned down by every VC firm he applied to, Tim Chen began angel investing and eventually stumbled into raising his own fund.   Now, as the solo investor behind Essence VC, he just closed his ⁠fourth fund at $41 million⁠ "without even trying." Chen's secret weapon? Being technical enough to debate PhD founders on implementation details while understanding the market dynamics that turn scrappy startups into category leaders.  Today on TechCrunch's ⁠Equity⁠ podcast, Julie Bort sat down with Tim Chen to explore the rise of solo VCs and who's rewriting the traditional venture playbook.  Listen to the full episode to hear about:  Why the YC playbook of "revenue at all costs" doesn't work for infrastructure startups, and what Chen tells technical founders to focus on instead  The strategic pivot Chen pushed one portfolio company to make that completely changed their trajectory  What being a "small exit founder" taught Chen about venture capital, and why he thinks the industry has it backwards  Subscribe to Equity on⁠ Apple Podcasts⁠,⁠ Overcast⁠,⁠ Spotify⁠ and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on⁠ X⁠ and⁠ Threads⁠, at @EquityPod.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TechCrunch’s editor-in-chief, Connie Loizos, sits down with Astro Teller, Captain of Moonshots at Alphabet’s X, to explore what it takes to build a factory for truly radical innovation. Astro reveals the three components that define a true moonshot—a huge problem, a science fiction-sounding solution, and a glimmer of breakthrough technology—and why X deliberately kills 98% of its ideas early. Teller also explains why X keeps teams incredibly small, how it decides between spinning companies out independently versus keeping them as Alphabet “other bets” like Waymo and Wing, and his take on AI hype—why we should stop treating it like magic and start treating it like electricity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices