Apr 14, 2020 - Economy

Greylock Partners adds new consumer-focused general partner

Kia Kokalitcheva

Illustration of a hand with money signs shooting out of it to symbolize VC funding. — Illustration: Lazaro Gamio / Axios

David Thacker, a Google vice president of product management who oversees G Suite's apps, is joining venture firm Greylock Partners as a general partner focused on consumer technology.

The intrigue: "This is an opportunity right now, in this pandemic, where entrepreneurs have an opportunity to expose consumers to new products and delight them," Thacker tells Axios, noting part of the challenge will also be to spot the fads that emerge from the current circumstances.

Be smart: The virus pandemic will accentuate trends like remote working, learning and entertainment — but these aren't new, and won't fully replace their in-person analogs, says Thacker, who was an associate at Greylock from 2009 to 2011.

What's next: Both Thacker and fellow general partner Josh McFarland predict that big companies will continue to raise venture capital at high valuations from major investors despite the market turmoil.

However, they expect most investors will take longer to cement deals, and startups with less-than-stellar businesses will struggle more to get capital.

Greylock, which raised its last fund in 2016, said it has "nothing to share" when asked if it's raising a new one.

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Greylock Partners adds new consumer-focused general partner

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