Zeynep Yavuz (General Catalyst) on Founders, AI, and Europe’s VC Future
New TRVC Episode #20
Hello,
The first episode in 2026 of TRVC – The Turkish VC Podcast is now live, and I’m excited to share it with you. This episode is in Turkish — in the spirit of creating bridges between Turkish partners at VC firms outside of Turkey and the ecosystem in Türkiye.
In this episode, I speak with Zeynep Yavuz, Partner at General Catalyst, one of the world’s leading venture capital firms with over $43B under management. Zeynep is a Partner based in London, working with founders from seed stage all the way to IPO.
This was a wide-ranging and thoughtful conversation that goes beyond headlines and into how great companies are actually built.
Some of the topics we cover:
What investors really look for at the seed stage — and why “why you’re building” matters more than “what you’re building”
How General Catalyst partners with companies from seed to IPO under one platform
Europe’s structural challenges around exits and IPOs
Turkey’s gaming success and the role of “academy companies”
New funding models beyond equity, including user acquisition financing
One of the most important emerging trends: AI-driven transformation of service businesses
It’s a candid discussion about venture capital, entrepreneurship, and navigating uncertainty in a fast-changing world.
🎧 You can watch or listen to the episode on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts
As always, thank you for following TRVC. If you find the episode valuable, feel free to share it with others who might enjoy it as well.
Best,
Yunus