Discord and Mercor Investor Niko Bonatsos Departs General Catalyst, Plans New VC Firm
Niko Bonatsos exits General Catalyst to launch a new VC firm focused on young founders and consumer AI startups.
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Discord and Mercor Investor Niko Bonatsos Departs General Catalyst, Plans New VC Firm
Niko Bonatsos Exits General Catalyst to Launch New VC Firm Niko Bonatsos, the prominent investor behind Discord and AI talent platform Mercor, has left General Catalyst to launch his own early-stage venture capital firm. Known for betting early on breakout founders—many of them young and unconventional—Bonatsos told TechCrunch his departure was mutual and amicable. As the VC landscape shifts amid a wave of generational founder momentum and consumer AI resurgence, his next move is drawing intense industry interest. Credit: Google A Strategic Exit from a Transforming Firm Bonatsos’s exit marks another high-profile departure from General Catalyst, a firm once known for its pure-play venture approach but now branching into wealth management, private equity–style AI roll-ups, and nondilutive financing through its Customer Value Fund. These strategic expansions have reshaped the firm’s identity—and, some insiders suggest, its internal dynamics. Over the past year, General Catalyst has also seen…
