Sourcery

Inside General Catalyst’s $1.5B AI Roll-Up Machine

113 snips
Dec 5, 2025
Marc Bhargava, Managing Director at General Catalyst, dives into transformative AI roll-ups reshaping the $16 trillion services market. He reveals how their $1.5B fund incubates AI-native companies that not only automate 20-30% of tasks but also double EBITDA margins in just a year. Marc discusses selecting industries ripe for AI disruption, the necessary multidisciplinary teams needed for success, and the potential for AI to enhance rather than eliminate jobs. His insights hint at a future where AI-powered businesses mirror software giants, creating new opportunities across various sectors.
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INSIGHT

Large Bet On AI Creation

  • General Catalyst committed $1.5B to a creation strategy focused on incubating applied AI companies and AI-enabled roll-ups.
  • They believe improving models (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google) enables many new companies built on top of those models.
ANECDOTE

Crescendo Call Center Transformation

  • Crescendo built AI software for call centers and automated 50–70% of tasks in pilots within a year.
  • After pilots, General Catalyst funded Crescendo to buy call centers and transform 10% margins into ~40% EBITDA.
INSIGHT

Mapping AI Impact To Services

  • GC mapped 70 services categories and selected 10 where AI can automate 20–30%+ of tasks and materially reshape margins.
  • Automating repetitive tasks lets teams handle far more throughput leading to rapid EBITDA expansion.
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