Venture capital firms General Catalyst announced the launch of the General Catalyst Institute, an organization that works with governments and public policy leaders around the world to accelerate the adoption of new technologies to create global resilience.
“We believe humanity is entering an era where instability is the new normal. This will be evident in supply chains, healthcare, education and safety, and how we create value and purpose for future generations,” General Catalyst said in a statement.
“As a result, building humanity’s collective resilience across interconnected sectors will be crucial. This new, volatile world will require governments to act proactively and quickly adapt to the rapid pace of innovation.”
The organization’s top priorities are to work closely with governments to develop public policies that support startups using emerging technologies, educate governments on transformative technologies, create public policy tools and guidance for startups to scale and innovate responsibly, and build partnerships and networks with governments, NGOs, academics, and experts.
As an initial effort, GCI said it will partner with governments around the world on responsible AI policy advocacy to help communities thrive through technology adoption, increase startup competitiveness, and positively impact resilience.
The company used applied AI — systems designed to solve specific problems or tasks by using machine learning algorithms to analyze data and generate predictions based on that data — as an example of technology that governments can leverage during times of uncertainty.
GCI said it will partner with governments to guide them in harnessing and adopting cutting-edge technologies such as applied AI, and will also invite collaborations and partnerships with academia and experts to develop and scale technology-based policy solutions.
The new organization will also act as an intermediary between entrepreneurs and governments to strengthen various sectors, including healthcare.
GCI will be led by Theresa Carlson as president, who previously led divisions at AWS and Microsoft focused on the public sector and regulated industries.
The company’s chief public policy officer will be Mariam Mujica, a former litigation lawyer who moved into government, ultimately serving at the State Department and the White House National Security Council.
Mujica has worked on national security issues, including the challenges the U.S. faces in the Middle East, including the Iran nuclear negotiations, the Benghazi attack and destabilization caused by the Syrian civil war.
GCI will also establish a Responsible Defense and Risk Committee, which aims to provide guidance on responsible innovation and risk management in the areas of general technology, defense, and intelligence.
Committee members include former CIA chief operating officer Andrew Makridis and retired U.S. Army brigadier general Rich Gross, a former legal adviser to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
GCI will also have an advisory board chaired by General Catalyst CEO and Managing Director Hermant Taneja.
Larger trends
Last October, General Catalyst announced the formation of a new business venture, General Catalyst-owned Health Assurance Transformation Corporation (HATCo), and its intent to acquire healthcare systems that bring technology to the forefront of healthcare prevention and delivery through value-based care models.
In January, HATCo A letter of intent to acquire Summa Health, an Ohio-based not-for-profit health care system with more than 30 locations in the Akron and Canton areas.
General Catalyst Managing Director Holly Maloney recently said: We sat together MobiHealthNews As part of the investment series, she highlighted the value of intentional partnership strategies and the importance of understanding what is important for health systems to ensure resilience.
“Only when we prepare the ecosystem, the health system, to be a better business can we free up resources to do what we do best, which is provide really high-quality care at a lower cost, drive better outcomes and guarantee that care,” Maloney said.
