General Catalyst Elevates Jeannette zu Fürstenberg to President, Signaling Strategic Focus on European Defense Tech

General Catalyst has appointed Jeannette zu Fürstenberg as president, elevating her from managing director just weeks after her promotion to partner in January 2026. This leadership restructuring signals the firm's strategic commitment to European technology investments, particularly in defense and security sectors experiencing unprecedented venture capital interest.

Zu Fürstenberg's portfolio centers on startups operating at the intersection of geopolitics and technology. Her investment thesis prioritizes companies developing dual-use technologies with applications in national security, cybersecurity, and critical infrastructure protection. This focus arrives as European defense budgets approach $400 billion annually and NATO members accelerate military modernization initiatives following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The European tech ecosystem saw venture investments reach €60 billion in 2025, with defense and aerospace startups capturing an increasingly significant portion. Zu Fürstenberg's promotion coincides with General Catalyst's expanding footprint on the continent, where the firm has participated in recent funding rounds for stealth-mode defense AI developers and satellite intelligence platforms. Her network, including influential gatherings at the Fürstenberg family castle near Lake Constance, provides unique access to European policymakers and defense establishment figures.

This leadership shift underscores several strategic priorities:

1. Geopolitical Positioning: European defense tech investments hedge against supply chain vulnerabilities exposed by recent conflicts. Startups in General Catalyst's portfolio focus on secure communications, drone countermeasures, and cyber resilience systems.

2. Regulatory Advantage: Unlike US counterparts constrained by Committee on Foreign Investment (CFIUS) regulations, European VCs face fewer restrictions backing dual-use technologies. Zu Fürstenberg's team leverages this flexibility to build portfolio companies capable of transatlantic scaling.

3. Talent Mobilization: Europe's deep engineering talent pool, particularly in Germany, France, and the UK, drives innovation in hardware-centric defense solutions. Zu Fürstenberg's operations facilitate talent exchange between Silicon Valley and European tech hubs.

Industry analysts note General Catalyst's European defense bets align with NATO's €1 billion Innovation Fund deployment into quantum, AI, and space technologies. The firm's positioning suggests confidence in Europe's capacity to build sovereign defense capabilities despite historical underfunding in deep tech sectors. As defense labs increasingly collaborate with venture-backed startups, Zu Fürstenberg's leadership will test whether private capital can accelerate Europe's military-tech transformation at startup velocity.