Maëlle Gavet is stepping down as CEO of Techstars at the end of May 2024 due to health reasons. She’s been at the helm for nearly four years, but now it’s time for her to focus on her well-being. Taking her place is none other than David Cohen, who’s actually a co-founder and board chairman of Techstars.
In a heartfelt message, Gavet expressed her gratitude and said she’ll be cheering everyone on from the sidelines. It’s definitely a bittersweet moment for the company.
But Gavet’s departure isn’t the only shake-up Techstars is facing. They fell short of revenue goals in 2023, which led to some tough decisions like cutting staff by 7% and closing down accelerator programmes in places like Seattle, Boulder, and Sweden.
Cohen, who’s no stranger to Techstars, thanked Gavet for her hard work and dedication. He’s stepping back into the CEO role after 13 years at the helm. Talk about coming full circle!
Under Gavet’s leadership, Techstars made some serious moves. They invested in over 2000 startups, with nearly 500 of them raising a whopping $2.4 billion in funding. Plus, the diversity of founders increased, with more women and people of color getting in on the action.
As for Cohen, he’s pumped to be back in the driver’s seat and he’s ready to lead the company into its next chapter.
