Mistral, Helsing-backer General Catalyst raises $8B in new funds; it’s largest global fund to date

General Catalyst, a global investment and transformation company, has closed its largest fund to date, raising approximately $8B (approximately €7.39B) in new capital.

The firm will use the funds to enhance investments in early-stage venture capital, company creation, and industry-wide transformation initiatives.

Jeannette zu Fürstenberg, MD and head of Europe at General Catalyst, says, “General Catalyst’s mission is to partner with the world’s most ambitious entrepreneurs, fueling transformative ventures that leverage applied AI and foster resilience across entire industries.”

“We believe that Europe, with its exceptional talent pool and unique industrial landscape, will be set to thrive with pioneering technology companies in the next decade.”

This new capital includes core venture funding and separately managed accounts, supporting General Catalyst’s focus on ambitious, large-scale innovation.

Capital utilisation

General Catalyst’s new fund aims to expand its role beyond traditional venture capital by supporting founders in tackling major global challenges. 

The firm plans to use the funding to drive growth in AI, defence, climate, energy, industrials, healthcare, and fintech, aiming to support transformative projects with resilient, high-impact solutions.

The fund is allocated across three areas: $4.5B for core venture capital investments at various stages (early-stage, growth, and health-focused), $1.5B for creating new businesses and “venture buyouts”, and $2B in separately managed accounts (SMAs) for innovative technology and business ventures. 

Hemant Taneja, CEO and MD of General Catalyst, says, “Since our inception 25 years ago, we have made a commitment to partner with founders from the beginning as they aspire to become “power law” companies. We’ve since scaled our capabilities globally, combining forces with La Famiglia in Europe and Venture Highway in India to broaden our support of founders at the seed stage.”

“But to achieve outsize impact using applied AI and global resilience to address what we believe are the world’s great challenges, we must also transcend the traditional definition of venture capital. So we’ve broadened our founder and capital solutions to venture beyond and support founders with a broader partnership.”

Fueling the next generation of technologies & businesses

General Catalyst focuses on fostering long-term, positive change by supporting founders who challenge the status quo. With a presence in San Francisco, Palo Alto, New York, London, Berlin, Bangalore, and Boston, the firm has backed major companies like Airbnb, Stripe, and Snap from early to growth stages.

The firm has helped build over 45 successful companies, such as Commure, Demandware, and Kayak, while also making early investments in globally impactful companies like Snap, Stripe, and Anduril.

General Catalyst is expanding its approach beyond traditional venture capital by offering innovative solutions to support founders throughout their journeys. This includes the Customer Value Strategy, which provides non-dilutive capital to boost growth, and the GC Transformation Flywheel, designed to link innovators with adopters for large-scale industry transformation.

Additionally, the firm has established the Health Assurance Transformation Company, collaborating with 15 per cent of US healthcare operations to enhance patient care through technology. 

The Transformation Flywheel model has also led to the launch of the GC Institute, which connects startups with global governments to support transformative technologies and influence public policy.

General Catalyst’s CEO, Taneja, says, “We are ready to be the company that drives transformations, global resilience and applied AI for the world. We are powered by early-stage venture capital at our core and excited to dream bigger and co-create with our GC Famiglia of founders, business leaders, and policymakers to expand what’s possible.”