General Catalyst

General Catalyst is a leading global venture capital firm founded in 2000, with over $32 billion in assets under management and an $8 billion Fund XII closed in 2025. Headquartered in San Francisco with offices across the US, Europe (London, Berlin), and India (Bangalore), General Catalyst partners with founders from inception through all phases of growth to build transformative companies that drive resilience and applied AI.

General Catalyst's investment philosophy centers on Responsible Innovation - achieving exceptional financial returns while creating durable societal change. CEO Hemant Taneja, author of "The Transformation Principles" (2025 national bestseller), has architected GC's strategy to modernize critical global systems through applied AI in five key industries: healthcare, defense, industrials, energy, and financial services.

The firm differentiates itself through a unique company creation approach, often "hatching" new ventures alongside founders to address unmet market needs. Notable company creations include Livongo (sold to Teladoc for $18.5B), Commure, Hippocratic AI, and Transcarent. GC also operates transformation platforms: HATCo (Health Assurance Transformation Company) for healthcare modernization, Percepta for applied AI services transformation, and the General Catalyst Institute for global policy engagement.

For AI and robotics builders, General Catalyst offers powerful advantages: flexible capital from seed through growth, market access through operating businesses like HATCo and Percepta, global policy expertise, and the "Famiglia" - a global ecosystem of 800+ portfolio companies, leading CEOs, and policymakers who shape the future together.

Investment Focus 2025-2026:

• Applied AI & Resilience - AI-native companies transforming critical systems, not feature additions
• Healthcare Transformation - Health assurance, affordable care, AI drug discovery, computational biology
• Defense & Intelligence - Next-gen ethically responsible companies, modern deterrence, cybersecurity
• Industrials & Manufacturing - Automation, robotics, supply chain resilience, autonomous systems
• Energy & Climate - Infrastructure modernization, efficiency, sustainability, cleantech
• Fintech - Embedded finance, payments, sustainable financial solutions (Stripe, Ramp, CRED)
• Enterprise Software - Cloud infrastructure, SaaS, data platforms (Glean, Coda, Snowflake)
• Consumer Platforms - Transformative consumer tech (Airbnb, Instacart, Snap, ClassDojo)

2025 Momentum: Circle and Figma went public at $28B and $25B valuations; strategic M&A delivered $12B+ in aggregate exit value; power law portfolio companies continue scaling. With the pro-innovation regulatory environment and AI maturity, GC sees optimal conditions for breakthrough transformation.

Investment Stage & Size

• Primary Focus: Seed through Growth (multi-stage, cradle-to-IPO support)
• Seed Check Size: $500K - $2M for 5-10% ownership
• Series A Check Size: $15M - $30M (sweet spot: $30M) for 10-20% ownership
• Series B Check Size: $20M - $50M
• Growth Stage Check Size: $30M - $60M
• Pre-IPO Check Size: $100M+ from Fund XII's flexible capital
• Lead Investor: Frequently leads or co-leads across all stages
• Follow-On Strategy: Strong reserves for multi-round support through IPO and beyond
• Investment Types: Equity (priced rounds preferred), SAFEs at seed, company creation/"hatching"

Fund XII Allocation (2025):

• $4.5B for seed and growth equity
• $1.5B for new company creation ("hatching" ventures)
• $2B for separately managed accounts
• $750M dedicated healthcare vertical

Company Profile

• Stage: Pre-seed through pre-IPO (GC invests 62% of companies pre-revenue)
• Team: Visionary founders with transformational leadership, technical depth, missionary mindset
• Market: Trillion-dollar markets or new category creation with provable demand
• Traction: Pre-product through scaling revenue, early signals of product-market fit
• Vision: 10+ year commitment to building category leaders, not quick exits
• Geography: Global (North America, Europe, India focus; expanding via La Famiglia, Venture Highway)
• Entity: Delaware C-corps preferred or ready to convert

Sector Alignment

High Priority (2025-2026):

• Applied AI and AI-native business transformation
• Healthcare and life sciences (health assurance theme)
• Defense, government, and national security
• Industrials, manufacturing, and robotics
• Energy, infrastructure, and climate tech
• Fintech and financial services innovation
• Enterprise software and cloud infrastructure
• Consumer platforms with transformative impact

Active Interest:

• Autonomous systems and robotics (Applied Intuition, Anduril, Samsara)
• Computational biology and AI drug discovery (Altos Labs, Chai Discovery)
• Space and frontier tech (Rocket Lab via Bessemer)
• Education technology (ClassDojo)
• Supply chain and logistics optimization

Responsible Innovation Filters:

• Defense: Modernization and resilience, not offensive capabilities
• AI: Ethical considerations, societal benefit, responsible deployment
• Healthcare: Proactive, accessible, affordable (not extractive)
• Energy: Sustainability and efficiency focus

ZHC-Specific Fit

✅ Excellent for:

• AI-native robotics and autonomy - Applied Intuition (autonomous vehicle software), Samsara (IoT operations), Anduril (defense tech)
• Healthcare AI and robotics - Clinical workflow automation, surgical robotics, care coordination
• Industrial transformation - Manufacturing automation, supply chain robotics, predictive maintenance
• Defense and dual-use tech - Ethically responsible defense innovation, cybersecurity, resilience
• Applied AI platforms - Foundation models (Anthropic), AI infrastructure, enterprise AI (Glean)
• Transformational founders - Technical depth with 10+ year category creation vision
• Global ambition - Multi-market expansion with GC's international network
• Policy-aware innovation - Engaging with regulation proactively through GC Institute

❌ Poor fit if:

• Incremental improvements vs transformational change
• Short-term thinking or quick-flip mentality
• Markets below $1B TAM potential
• Pure consumer plays without B2B expansion path
• Teams lacking technical depth or domain expertise
• Offensive military capabilities (defense filter)
• Extractive business models in healthcare/fintech
• No clear path to positive societal impact

Getting in Front of General Catalyst

1. Warm Introduction (Strongly Preferred)

• Portfolio founder referral (Stripe, Snap, Gusto, Airbnb, Anthropic, Anduril network)
• Existing seed/angel investor introduction
• Other VC co-investment partners (Sequoia, Accel, Index, Bessemer)
• Accelerator connections (Y Combinator, Techstars)
• La Famiglia (Europe) or Venture Highway (India) ecosystem
• Industry conference introductions (TechCrunch Disrupt, Web Summit)
• GC Venture Fellows program alumni

2. Initial Outreach

• Email to gcinfo@generalcatalyst.com with clear subject line
• Research partner specialization first (see contact section)
• Concise format: Problem, solution, why now, traction, team, funding ask
• Lead with strongest metric or milestone
• Reference specific GC portfolio company synergies
• Include: Pitch deck (PDF), one-pager, product demo link
• Mention if addressing one of GC's five resilience industries

3. First Meeting

• 30-60 minute partner call or in-person meeting
• Deep dive on: Market opportunity, product vision, team background, competitive landscape
• Questions on: Why you? Why now? How does this transform the industry? What's the 10-year vision?
• Be prepared to discuss: Business model, go-to-market, unit economics, scaling strategy
• Technical depth expected - bring technical co-founder
• GC values transparency about risks and challenges
• May involve multiple partners for sector expertise

4. Due Diligence Process

• Market Analysis: TAM validation, competitive assessment, industry trends
• Product Evaluation: Architecture review, technical feasibility, scalability assessment
• Team Assessment: Background verification, reference calls, technical depth evaluation
• Business Model: Revenue model, unit economics, path to profitability, pricing strategy
• Customer Validation: 5-15 customer/user reference calls
• Financial Review: Cap table, existing investors, financial projections
• Strategic Fit: Alignment with responsible innovation, resilience themes, Famiglia ecosystem
• Legal/Regulatory: Entity structure, IP ownership, compliance strategy, policy landscape
• Timeline: 4-12 weeks depending on stage and complexity (can be faster for compelling opportunities)

5. Partnership & Investment

• Term sheet (lead, co-lead, or participating investor)
• Board seat for Series A+ investments
• Board observer seat at seed stage
• Access to GC platform resources:
  • Famiglia Ecosystem: 800+ portfolio companies for partnerships, learning, customers
  • GC Institute: Policy expertise and government engagement support
  • Operating Platforms: HATCo (healthcare market access), Percepta (AI transformation)
  • Transformation Guidance: Strategic support based on Hemant's "Transformation Principles"
  • Customer Value Fund (CVF): Non-dilutive growth capital option (revenue-based repayment)
  • GC Venture Fellows: Talent pipeline and student fellow program
  • Global Network: Access to La Famiglia (Europe), Venture Highway (India)
  • Capital Stack Flexibility: Seed, growth, separately managed accounts
• Ongoing multi-round support through IPO and beyond
• Strategic guidance on scaling, leadership, cross-border expansion
• Public investment announcements (selective)

What General Catalyst Looks For

Founders:

• Transformational leaders with missionary mindset (not mercenaries)
• 10+ year commitment to category creation
• Technical depth and domain expertise in target industry
• Ability to articulate contrarian insights and bold vision
• Coachability and growth mindset
• Diversity of thought and inclusive team building
• Resilience through market cycles
• Alignment with responsible innovation principles

Product:

• AI-native approach (not AI features bolted on)
• Category-defining potential, not incremental improvement
• Clear path to becoming industry standard or platform
• Defensibility through technology, network effects, or data moats
• Scalable architecture for global reach
• Positive societal impact alongside commercial success

Market:

• Trillion-dollar markets or new category creation
• Clear demand signals and timing advantages
• Transformation opportunity in critical infrastructure
• Alignment with one or more of GC's five resilience industries
• Regulatory landscape navigable with GC Institute support
• Global expansion potential

Execution:

• Evidence of product-market fit or strong early signals
• Capital-efficient progress to date
• Clear milestone-based roadmap
• Strong existing investor syndicate (if applicable)
• Thoughtful approach to talent acquisition
• Strategic about partnerships and go-to-market

Timeline Expectations

• Initial response: 1-3 weeks for warm intros, longer for cold outreach
• First meeting to term sheet: 6-12 weeks for Series A+
• Seed process: Can move faster (4-8 weeks) for strong conviction
• Due diligence: 4-8 weeks
• Closing: 3-4 weeks
• Total process: 3-6 months typical for Series A, faster for seed or urgent rounds

General Catalyst

• Website: generalcatalyst.com
• General Contact: gcinfo@generalcatalyst.com
• Phone: 415-659-5000
• Twitter: @GeneralCatalyst
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/general-catalyst-partners

Key Leadership & Investment Team

Hemant Taneja - CEO & Managing Director

• Email: HTaneja@generalcatalyst.com
• Twitter: @htaneja
• Focus: Healthcare, AI, defense, industrials, energy transformation
• Notable: Anduril, Anthropic, Applied Intuition, Gusto, Livongo, Ro, Samsara, Snap, Stripe
• Author: "The Transformation Principles" (2025)
• Background: 5 degrees from MIT, co-founded Commure, Hippocratic AI, Livongo, Transcarent

Ken Chenault - Chairman & Managing Director

• Former CEO of American Express
• Focus: Fintech, financial services, strategic governance

David Fialkow - Co-Founder & Managing Director

• Focus: Consumer, enterprise, early-stage investments

Joel Cutler - Co-Founder & Managing Director

• Focus: Enterprise software, SaaS, infrastructure

Marc Bhargava - Managing Director

• Focus: Fintech, crypto, payments
• Notable: Circle, Stripe, CRED

Chris Bischoff - Managing Director

• Focus: Health Assurance, digital health

Niko Bonatsos - Managing Director

• Focus: Consumer, marketplace, mobile

Kyle Doherty - Managing Director

• Focus: Enterprise software, infrastructure

Elena Viboch - Partner

• Focus: Healthcare, life sciences, computational biology
• Recent: Chai Discovery ($130M Series B co-lead)

Neeraj Arora - Managing Director (India)

• Former WhatsApp Chief Business Officer
• Focus: India ecosystem via Venture Highway acquisition

Adam Valkin - Partner (Europe)

• Focus: European ecosystem via La Famiglia partnership

Offices

• San Francisco, CA (HQ) - 75 Hawthorne St, 20th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105
• New York, NY - 434 Broadway, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10012
• Cambridge, MA - 20 University Road, Suite 450, Cambridge, MA 02138
• London, UK - 42 Berners Street, West End, England W1T 3ND
• Berlin, Germany - Schinkelplatz 4, Berlin, BE 10117
• Bangalore, India - 23, HAL Old Airport Rd, 6th Floor, Bangalore, Karnataka 560008

Portfolio Highlights (800+ companies, 50+ IPOs)

Public Companies:

• Airbnb - Home sharing platform
• Circle (2025 IPO, $28B valuation) - Stablecoin and payments
• Figma (2025 IPO, $25B valuation) - Design collaboration
• Gusto - HR and payroll platform
• Instacart (2023 IPO) - Grocery delivery
• Samsara - IoT and fleet operations
• Snap - Social media and AR platform
• Stripe - Payments infrastructure

Applied AI Leaders:

• Anthropic - Foundation models (Claude)
• Glean - Enterprise AI search
• Hippocratic AI - Healthcare AI (GC co-founded)
• Superhuman - AI-powered email

Defense & Government:

• Anduril - Defense technology
• Applied Intuition - Autonomous vehicle software
• Helsing - European defense AI

Healthcare:

• Commure - Healthcare technology (GC co-founded)
• Livongo - Digital health (sold to Teladoc $18.5B, GC co-founded)
• Ro - Digital health platform
• Transcarent - Healthcare navigation (GC co-founded)
• Altos Labs - Longevity and cellular rejuvenation
• Chai Discovery - AI drug discovery

Fintech:

• CRED - Credit card rewards (India)
• Ramp - Corporate cards and spend management

Consumer:

• ClassDojo - Education platform
• Eight Sleep - Sleep technology

Recent Investments (2025):

• Chai Discovery - $130M Series B (AI drug discovery)
• Orchard Robotics - $3.8M seed (agricultural AI/robotics)
• Substrate - Infrastructure

Media & Research

• General Catalyst Blog - Investment insights, founder stories
• The Transformation Principles - Hemant Taneja's book
• Hemant on Bloomberg, DealBook Summit, The Verge
• Regular thought leadership on applied AI, resilience, responsible innovation
• GC Institute policy papers and regulatory guidance