Carin Watson

Chief of Staff @generalcatalyst

[Jaya Gupta @JayaGup10]

https://t.co/5vDrndcmFn

[Carin Watson @WatsonCL]

@yuris 👀

[General Catalyst @generalcatalyst]

At GC, seed is our most powerful lens into the future. It's how we see the world not as it is, but as it could be, through the eyes of founders bold enough to shape it.

We don’t just invest in companies. First and foremost, we invest in founders.
Why? Because the best founders may not always succeed, but we believe they will not fail.

When uncertainty rises and others retreat, we step forward. We thrive in ambiguity and navigate it alongside you, through every pivot and breakthrough.

If you're building in a space where the problems are complex and the impact can be category-defining, we'd love to be your first call.

More on our seed commitment from @yuris, @neerajarora, and @jcfurstenberg → https://t.co/eV6P2CsuiQ

[Hemant Taneja @htaneja]

We’ve helped architect and lead a $900M+ Series A for Pacific Fusion, led by @eric_lander, Will Regan, and Keith LeChien, taking a big leap towards nuclear fusion through an innovative pulsed magnetic approach: https://t.co/AvdyH0oxK7

[Hemant Taneja @htaneja]

.@GeneralCatalyst has raised ~$8Bn of new capital, across core VC, Creation strategy, and SMAs, to invest in the most ambitious entrepreneurs driving transformation and resilience in AI, Defense, Climate & Energy, Industrials, Healthcare, and FinTech: https://t.co/0paqpvF6Jo

[General Catalyst @generalcatalyst]

We’re proud to announce we’ve raised approximately $8B of new capital to fuel the next generation of groundbreaking technologies & businesses. As we venture beyond with global entrepreneurs to expand what’s possible, the future has never been brighter.

https://t.co/LR3skpk8bV

[George Fraser @frasergeorgew]

Two years ago, Fivetran took on a unique type of debt from @generalcatalyst. Debt comes with covenants and payback and these can be deadly to a mid stage startup if things go wrong. But GC has created a unique offering that sits between traditional debt and equity. We’ve been able to basically “squeeze out” one equity round because of it. Every mid stage tech startup should look at it: https://t.co/wPzGZuuhwQ

[Amanda Goetz @AmandaMGoetz]

Yesterday a video went viral on TikTok when a woman shared the inside of her car after it caught on fire

Including her Stanley cup - still in tact and with ice in it!!!

The president of Stanley stitched the video in < 24 hours offering to replace her cup…..and her car.

This company will now get likely 1B earned media impressions and positive brand awareness + knowledge of the quality of their product through this one quick response and 30 second video.

1. Listen to your social team
2. Moved fast
3. Care about your audience

Great marketing move, Stanley!!!

[Hemant Taneja @htaneja]

Discussing the RIL Responsible AI Commitments with Secretary Raimondo yesterday, various members of our group of VCs advocated for:
1. Importance of preserving open source, its pivotal role in establishing AI competitiveness, reframing political fear into opportunity, and its security benefits
2. Hedging geopolitical risks and preventing our best technology from falling into the wrong anti-democratic hands while not overreacting and restricting ourselves
3. How to create better feedback cycles so government hears from founders at all stages rather than just companies with massive resources and DC presence
4. Creating trust between enterprise customers and AI start-ups
5. The need to avoid bad/over regulation (like some EU proposals), and the key differences between internal governance and regulation
6. Regulation, IF ever developed, to be at application layers, not model layers
7. The need for AI talent in government (which can also unlock massive gov’t efficiencies if implemented internally)

We all want AI and our country + allies to succeed. Conversations and forums like these are how we accomplish that. And we need more diverse voices and debate from every end of the spectrum which is why we're eager to continue these conversations and bring more people in. My DMs are open.

[Hemant Taneja @htaneja]

Today, 35+ VC firms, with another 15+ companies, representing hundreds of billions in capital have signed the voluntary Responsible AI commitments from @ResponsibleLabs (RIL), the non-profit I co-founded. As Chairman of RIL, I’m proud to unveil this today with tech leaders and Commerce Secretary Raimondo in San Francisco. This group includes (among others): @AntlerGlobal, @itsArthurAI, @BainCapVC, @Base10Partners, @CredoAI, @felicis, @FordFoundation, @generalatlantic, @generalcatalyst, Generation Investment Management, @InflectionAI, @insightpartners, @intelcapital, @IVP, @KinnevikAB, @Lux_Capital, @MayfieldFund, @Radicalvcfund, @RibbitCapital, @SoftBank, and @XYZ_vc.

These commitments include:
1. A general commitment to responsible AI including internal governance 
2. Appropriate transparency and documentation
3. Risk & benefit forecasting
4. Auditing and testing
5. Feedback cycles and ongoing improvements 

In addition to the Commitments, we are publishing a 15-page Responsible AI Protocol, a practical how-to playbook to help investors and start-ups alike fulfill the commitments. Since April, our steering group of cross-societal AI experts has worked hard to understand the unique considerations and relevant and realistic standards for technologists at any stage. We strongly believe in the power of AI to transform our world for the better. Our role as investors is to advocate for our startups and the innovation economy from day 1.

Everybody saw the executive order last month–the reaction in the Valley has generally been to denounce it. The reality is that right now it’s largely just reporting requirements. However, there is a risk that devolves into regulation that slows innovation down and makes America and its businesses uncompetitive. But the right path forward is to not be antagonistic towards D.C. We in the Valley need to learn that this is not about regulation vs. innovation, but about innovation at the intersection of technology, policy, and capital. 

We have to embrace collaboration with our elected leaders. And as investors, we must hold ourselves accountable for what we fund and found. I want to commend the RIL team and committee for engendering trust and creating space for feedback, including with the Commerce Department and the White House. 

We are facing what is likely the quickest adoption of any new technology ever in AI. It’s difficult to think about the regulatory frameworks that protect the pace of innovation as well as protect against any nefarious use cases of technology. While we all learn how this role of technology evolves, it’s important for us to be intentional about the mindset and mechanisms used in building early stage companies, as both investors and founders. We can’t wait or kick the can down the road. 

We hope to see more venture firms and startups embrace this mindset, and encourage more to consider signing: https://t.co/kbr7O9SUpE

[General Catalyst @generalcatalyst]

1/ Today, we're thrilled to welcome @lafamigliaVC to the GC family. GC has a long history of investing in Europe... set in motion by @adamvalkin almost a decade ago, and driven by @chriswbischoff and our team in London since that office opened in 2021.

https://t.co/9tyfWamLHO

[La Famiglia @lafamigliaVC]

Today, we are excited to announce that @lafamigliaVC is joining forces with our long-time friends at @generalcatalyst to turbocharge technological value creation in Europe and take our seed investment approach to the global stage 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦🗽

[Niko Bonatsos @bonatsos]

Thank you @yoyo_thomas, @vhmth and @shahedkhan from all of us at @generalcatalyst! Overnight success; 8 years in the making with the best yet to come!

[FORTUNE @FortuneMagazine]

The U.S. will enter into a voluntary agreement with leading venture capital firms to encourage early-stage startups to develop AI responsibly.

“We need to have a framework of accountability, explainability, transparency,” @htaneja said at #CEOInitiative. https://t.co/xXEb70UUUu

[Carin Watson @WatsonCL]

I know ChatGPT is not sentient...but sometimes I just want to say, "Thank you - that was SO good!" Just me?

[Carin Watson @WatsonCL]

Beautifully stated.

[Hemant Taneja @htaneja]

SVB crisis is what happens when our community fails to collaborate. We must commit to a new VC model: collaboration, responsible innovation, &amp; appreciation of unintended consequences. We have a lot of work to do--together. My thoughts @theinformation: https://t.co/CN3mwLChVl

[Hemant Taneja @htaneja]

At @generalcatalyst we are continuing to work actively with Silicon Valley Bank as are a number of other venture firms: @BessemerVP @GreylockVC @lightspeedvp @Lux_Capital @MayfieldFund @Redpoint @svangel @upfrontvc. We ask the rest of the global VC community to join us.

[Carin Watson @WatsonCL]

RT @htaneja: Great to see VC firms step up to help portfolio companies make payroll w/ very low interest loans. In addition to us at @gener…

[Hemant Taneja @htaneja]

While there are many conversations underway, we are opening our statement to the broader VC Community to signal our collective need for a strong banking partner for our community. To add your firm, email [email protected]. https://t.co/jWIOmiwqo1 #SVB

[Hemant Taneja @htaneja]

Several VC leaders met today to discuss the aftermath of SVB’s downfall. This is a joint statement from all of us. @Accel @altcap @BCapitalGroup @generalcatalyst @eladgil @GreylockVC @khoslaventures @kleinerperkins @lightspeedvp @MayfieldFund @Redpoint @RibbitCapital @upfrontvc