Investing Ahead of the Curve: Where Strategic Capital Is Actually Moving

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In a market defined by uncertainty and heightened selectivity, this panel brings together leading investors to unpack how capital allocation strategies are evolving in real time. Panelists will share how they are adjusting their investment approach in today’s capital environment and what true conviction looks like when market signals are mixed and volatility persists.

The discussion will explore the sector theses gaining momentum, as well as those quietly falling out of favor, offering attendees a clear view into where strategic capital is flowing and why. Founders and operators will also gain practical insight into what differentiates standout opportunities in a more disciplined funding landscape, including how to position their companies, narratives, and metrics to resonate with today’s investors.

This session provides a candid, forward-looking perspective on navigating capital markets with intention, clarity, and long-term focus.

Speaker Bios

Shawn Flynn, Managing Director at SVH Capital

Shawn Flynn is a seasoned mid-market investment banker and award-winning podcast host. With a successful background as a business owner in Beijing, China, Shawn later returned to Silicon Valley, fully immersing himself in its fast-paced startup and innovation ecosystem. He has held diverse leadership roles, including Head of Incubation for an AI-focused incubator and President of the second-oldest angel group in the Valley.

Drawing on his broad experience across business stages and industries, Shawn founded Silicon Valley Highpoint Capital (SVH Capital), a premier middle-market investment bank specializing in mergers & acquisitions, growth capital raising, and secondary transactions.

Shawn holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from UC San Diego, and his global perspective is enriched by speaking Mandarin and Spanish, developed over nearly eight years living abroad. As host of the acclaimed The Silicon Valley Podcast, he shares engaging conversations and valuable insights from leading innovators and industry pioneers. Connect with Shawn on LinkedIn.Shawn Flynn is Registered Representative of Finalis Securities LLC Member FINRA / SIPC.

Ronak Shah, General Partner at Daymaker.vc

Ronak Shah is the General Partner at Daymaker.vc and has been investing in early-stage startups since 2017, both as an angel investor and through a family office. He is also an active LP and the Managing Partner at Vikara, an AI boutique that helps enterprises generate real leverage and measurable ROI from AI adoption.

With a background as a CTO and AI operator, Ronak brings an operator-first lens to venture investing — focusing on where strategic capital is moving beneath the hype cycles and into durable, AI-native businesses.

Yangchen Sharma, Partner at Roundtable Ventures

Yangchen Sharma is a General Partner at RoundTable Ventures and she is a founder turned investors. RoundTable Ventures is an operator-led venture firm investing at the pre-seed and seed stage across AI, DeepTech and Healthcare. Known as one of the most operational investors on a cap table, she works closely with technical founders on go-to-market execution, enterprise adoption, capital readiness, and scaling from early product-market fit through institutional rounds and long-term outcomes.

Yangchen began her entrepreneurial journey at 17 and founded VALERI (Valeribyvision.space) at 19, a global textile manufacturing and supply chain company supporting brands with sustainable production sourcing, and scaling infrastructure. Through her experience as a founder and operator, she developed deep expertise in building from zero, managing end-to-end production, and expanding into global markets.

Yangchen believes in the Founder First principle, and that investors can do a lot more than just invest, and with that approach at RoundTable Ventures, she invests and focuses on helping portfolio companies expand commercially, establish scalable infrastructure, and prepare for Series A and beyond. Her work centers on bridging the gap between technical founders and execution, ensuring companies are positioned to scale into durable, category-defining businesses.

Pavel Vinitsky, Founder & CEO at Synexis (moderator)

Dr. Pavel (Paul) Vinitsky is a visionary AI innovator and serial entrepreneur with 25+ years in business, product, and startup strategy. He is the founder and CEO of Synexis, an AI-native decision infrastructure for private markets that transforms fragmented deal flow into continuously updated decision memory for investors, enterprises, and institutions.

Pavel holds a PhD in Quantum Physics from Moscow State University and an MBA, has been an angel investor and venture partner at Daymaker VC, a Silicon Valley–based early-stage fund. He helped over 100 startups and corporates launch and scale, including several ventures he successfully bootstrapped himself.