StrictlyVC San Francisco, an event set to launch the 2025 TechCrunch series lineup on April 30, has confirmed a new speaker addition. Uber Chief Technology Officer Praveen Neppalli Naga will join the growing roster of panelists at the conference, which will be held at the Sentro Filipino Cultural Center.
The event, which has been building its speaker list in recent weeks, will feature Naga in a discussion focused on operating technology infrastructure at scale during the current era of artificial intelligence development. The conversation is expected to address how large platforms manage computational resources and data pipelines as AI workloads increase across the industry.
Event details and location
StrictlyVC San Francisco represents the first event in TechCrunch’s annual programming calendar. Organizers have not released a full schedule of panel times, but the event is scheduled to take place on April 30 at the Sentro Filipino Cultural Center in San Francisco.
The venue selection marks a shift from previous TechCrunch event locations, though the organization has not provided specific reasons for the change. The Sentro Filipino Cultural Center is known for hosting community and technology gatherings in the city’s South of Market district.
Speaker background and context
Praveen Neppalli Naga became Uber’s Chief Technology Officer in late 2023, succeeding previous CTO Thuan Pham. Naga previously held senior engineering roles at Uber, including Vice President of Engineering, where he oversaw the company’s core infrastructure and platform teams.
His appointment came as Uber expanded its investments in machine learning and AI systems for ride matching, pricing, and delivery logistics. The company has publicly stated that AI is central to its long term operational strategy, including the development of autonomous vehicle coordination systems.
AI scaling challenges in focus
The panel discussion with Naga will likely cover the technical challenges of deploying AI systems across a global ride hailing and delivery network. Uber operates in more than 70 countries and processes millions of trips daily, requiring distributed computing systems that can handle variable demand patterns.
Industry observers note that AI scaling poses distinct engineering problems, including latency management, cost control for large language model inference, and data privacy compliance across jurisdictions. Uber has been developing its own AI infrastructure tools, including a platform called Michelangelo for machine learning model deployment.
Other confirmed speakers
StrictlyVC San Francisco has announced several other participants in recent weeks. The current confirmed speaker list includes investors, startup founders, and technology executives, though the full agenda has not been published as of this report.
TechCrunch has historically used StrictlyVC events to facilitate networking between venture capitalists and technology company leaders. The San Francisco event is one of several scheduled for the year, with additional cities and dates expected to be announced later.
Industry implications
Naga’s participation signals continued industry interest in how established technology companies are adapting their engineering organizations to accommodate generative AI tools. Other major ride hailing and logistics companies have also made similar leadership appointments focused on AI strategy in recent months.
Analysts suggest that the discussion could provide insight into how Uber is managing the transition from traditional software engineering practices to AI centric development methodologies. The company has not released specific metrics regarding its AI infrastructure spending, but the topic remains a focus for investors tracking operational efficiency.
The event is expected to draw technology professionals, investors, and journalists covering the San Francisco technology sector. Ticket availability and pricing details have been published on the TechCrunch event website.
Developments following the event may include publication of recorded panel sessions and summary reports. TechCrunch has not confirmed whether the full discussion will be made available online after the event concludes.
Source: TechCrunch
