StrictlyVC returns to Disrupt with a focus on venture's new rulebook

The event runs at Moscone West in San Francisco from October 13 to 15, but the StrictlyVC track is concentrated entirely on the afternoon of the 14th, a closed session for investors holding an Investor Pass. Entry requires advance registration, and anyone who locks in by September 25 at 23:59 Pacific gets a $200 discount. Organizers expect more than 10,000 participants from across the global ecosystem.

Three main panels shape the agenda. Ryan Flanagan of ICR will lead a conversation on "the new rules of the IPO" — the window is reopening but the playbook has changed: higher expectations for growth, governance and credibility, and decisions that must be made years before listing. Bruce K Lee of Keebeck Capital Management and Dave Sachse of Sachse Family Fund will discuss how family offices have become one of the fastest-growing sources of capital, moving faster and more flexibly than traditional institutions but sometimes entering at the wrong moment. Amit Bhatti of TrueBridge Capital Partners and Beezer Clarkson of LGT Capital Partners will break down what LPs are looking for today, from manager selection to concentrated AI exposure and liquidity expectations.

The schedule is built around mingling: it starts at 15:00 with drinks and snacks for 45 minutes, then the panels, then another round of drinks and networking until 18:00. The idea is to enable candid conversations — the organizers' word — between the people writing the checks and the institutional money managers behind them. All 200-plus other Disrupt sessions are also open to Investor Pass holders.

Early registration closes in two days. Anyone who wants to hear directly where capital is moving, how funds compete for institutional money, and why founders are starting to see family offices as strategic partners should secure a pass now.