Our 3rd Annual Lunar New Year Banquet

On March 12, Asian Tech Collective hosted our Lunar New Year Banquet at Palette Tea Garden in San Mateo, bringing together 70 VCs, LPs, and founders for a night of great food and even better conversation. The dinner featured a banquet-style spread of refined dim sum, standout seafood and wok dishes, and signature dishes like shaking beef, millionaire fried rice, and Peking duck. We also brought back our mid-event seat swap, which kept the energy high and turned the room into a steady flow of new conversations and connections.

We host banquets for Lunar New Year for a reason. For many of us, this was a real part of growing up: big shared meals, round tables, family-style dishes, and the feeling that gathering around food was itself the celebration. Over time, that tradition faded as people got older and life got busier. Part of what we wanted to do with this dinner was bring it back in a way that felt familiar, social, and fun.

That spirit carried through the whole evening. The event was supposed to end at 8:30 p.m., but people stayed until 10. Guests kept talking, moving between tables, and lingering well after dinner wrapped. It felt less like a scheduled event and more like what ATC aims to build: real community.

And in a very recognizable Asian American ending to the night, people packed up leftovers before heading home. Boxes filled with shaking beef, millionaire fried rice, and Peking duck made their way out the door, which honestly felt like its own sign that the banquet had done its job.

We’re grateful to our sponsors for making the evening possible:

• Jade Sponsor: Andersen Tax

• Gold Sponsors: Citizens Private Bank, Carta, Cooley, Woven Capital, and BMW i Ventures

Thanks to everyone who joined us. The Lunar New Year Banquet was a great reminder that some traditions are worth bringing back.