Cathy Gao
Director/Board Member at Safegraph, Inc.
Profile
Cathy is a Partner at Sapphire Ventures.
As a daughter of a software engineer and a small business owner, Cathy has been immersed in technology and entrepreneurship from an early age.
She has experience investing at multiple stages, ranging from buyout to venture capital and has also sat on the other side of the table as a business operator.
Her experiences have shaped her passion for deeply understanding business models and working hand-in-hand with entrepreneurs to help scale companies.
Through investing, Cathy strives every day to express her core values of conviction, partnership, and passion.
For her work, she has been recognized by the Venture Capital Journal as a Rising Star and by Silicon Valley Business Journal as a Woman of Influence.
Prior to Sapphire, Cathy was an investor at AXA Venture Partners where she invested in enterprise software.
She started her career at Blackstone and TA Associates and was an operator at Gusto, joining shortly after the Series B.
Cathy graduated summa cum laude from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania with a B.S.
in economics and a minor in history.
She is a history nerd and enjoys reading biographies in her spare time.
Cathy is also a staunch advocate for women in technology and venture capital and is a proud member of AllRaise.
Cathy Gao active positions
| Companies | Position | Start |
|---|---|---|
Sapphire Ventures LLC
 Sapphire Ventures LLC Investment ManagersFinance Sapphire Ventures LLC (Sapphire Ventures) is a private equity and venture capital firm, subsidiary of SAP Ventures Investment GmbH founded in 1996 by R. Douglas Higgins and Andreas Markus Weiskam. The firm is headquartered in Palo Alto, California. | Private Equity Investor | 01/08/2019 |
Glipped, Inc.
 Glipped, Inc. Packaged SoftwareTechnology Services Glipped, Inc. operates as a software company. The firm provides companies with a SaaS solution that streamlines and powers employee engagement programs such as volunteering, team activities, leadership & training and diversity & inclusion. The company was founded by Gaurav Bhattacharya and Saumya Bhatnagar and is headquartered in Santa Monica, CA. | Director/Board Member | 01/07/2021 |
Safegraph, Inc.
 Safegraph, Inc. Data Processing ServicesTechnology Services Safegraph, Inc. builds and maintains data sets to help accelerate machine learning and AI. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, CA. | Director/Board Member | 01/03/2021 |
Former positions of Cathy Gao
| Companies | Position | End |
|---|---|---|
AXA Venture Partners SAS
 AXA Venture Partners SAS Investment ManagersFinance AXA Venture Partners SAS (AVP) is a venture capital subsidiary of AXA SA founded in 2014. The firm is headquartered in Paris, France with additional offices in New York and London. | Private Equity Investor | 02/06/2019 |
TA Associates Management LP
 TA Associates Management LP Investment ManagersFinance TA Associates Management LP(TA Associates) is a venture capital firm headquartered in Boston. The firm is founded in 1968 by Peter Brooke a subsidiary of TA Associates Management Holding LP. | Private Equity Analyst | 02/07/2015 |
The Blackstone Group, Inc. (Illinois)
 The Blackstone Group, Inc. (Illinois) Engineering & ConstructionIndustrial Services The Blackstone Group, Inc. provides marketing research services. It provides custom market research services for clients in industries as consumer packaged goods, financial services, healthcare and technology. The firm's clients include eBay, Harris Bank and Pfizer. The company was founded by Ashref A. Hashim in 1987 and is headquartered in Chicago, IL. | Corporate Officer/Principal | - |
Training of Cathy Gao
| The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania | Undergraduate Degree |
Experiences
Positions held
Connections
1st degree connections
1st degree companies
Male
Female
Members of the board
Executives
Linked companies
| Private companies | 6 |
|---|---|
TA Associates Management LP
TA Associates Management LP Investment ManagersFinance TA Associates Management LP(TA Associates) is a venture capital firm headquartered in Boston. The firm is founded in 1968 by Peter Brooke a subsidiary of TA Associates Management Holding LP. | Finance |
The Blackstone Group, Inc. (Illinois)
The Blackstone Group, Inc. (Illinois) Engineering & ConstructionIndustrial Services The Blackstone Group, Inc. provides marketing research services. It provides custom market research services for clients in industries as consumer packaged goods, financial services, healthcare and technology. The firm's clients include eBay, Harris Bank and Pfizer. The company was founded by Ashref A. Hashim in 1987 and is headquartered in Chicago, IL. | Industrial Services |
AXA Venture Partners SAS
AXA Venture Partners SAS Investment ManagersFinance AXA Venture Partners SAS (AVP) is a venture capital subsidiary of AXA SA founded in 2014. The firm is headquartered in Paris, France with additional offices in New York and London. | Finance |
Sapphire Ventures LLC
Sapphire Ventures LLC Investment ManagersFinance Sapphire Ventures LLC (Sapphire Ventures) is a private equity and venture capital firm, subsidiary of SAP Ventures Investment GmbH founded in 1996 by R. Douglas Higgins and Andreas Markus Weiskam. The firm is headquartered in Palo Alto, California. | Finance |
Glipped, Inc.
Glipped, Inc. Packaged SoftwareTechnology Services Glipped, Inc. operates as a software company. The firm provides companies with a SaaS solution that streamlines and powers employee engagement programs such as volunteering, team activities, leadership & training and diversity & inclusion. The company was founded by Gaurav Bhattacharya and Saumya Bhatnagar and is headquartered in Santa Monica, CA. | Technology Services |
Safegraph, Inc.
Safegraph, Inc. Data Processing ServicesTechnology Services Safegraph, Inc. builds and maintains data sets to help accelerate machine learning and AI. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, CA. | Technology Services |
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