Former Andreessen Horowitz Partner joins Sarah Antor and Robin Wood Sailer to deepen the firm's transatlantic operating partnership across critical technology and resilience sectors
Helena Capital today announced that Katy Nelson has joined Sarah Antor and Robin Wood Sailer as General Partner. Nelson's addition marks a significant milestone for the firm, bringing an unparalleled depth of experience and strategic insight that will be instrumental in shaping its future and rounding out the management team.
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Katy Nelson, General Partner, Helena Capital
Nelson joins Helena Capital after a distinguished five-year tenure at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), where she served as a Partner. During her time there, she was the architect and leader of the firm's largest cross-sector go-to-market (GTM) organization. This initiative was pivotal in helping a16z scale its assets under management from approximately $13 billion to over $90 billion. Nelson was a vital part of establishing GTM as a core operating function within a16z, providing essential support to hundreds of portfolio companies from nascent, pre-product startups through to those preparing for IPO. Her work in this capacity provided her with a 360-degree view of enterprise growth dynamics.
Within the a16z ecosystem, Nelson worked extensively with the firm's cybersecurity portfolio, where she built a robust global CISO (Chief Information Security Officer) network and community. This direct engagement has given her profound, first-hand insight into how security and identity leaders evaluate, adopt, and deploy cutting-edge enterprise technology.
Nelson brings a perspective that is highly relevant to Helena Capital and its portfolio companies. At Andreessen Horowitz, she played a key role in the early development and scaling of the firm's groundbreaking efforts to invest in companies critical to the U.S. national interest. She helped shape how the firm engaged with companies operating in sectors central to national resilience and industrial capacity, and was instrumental in supporting the deployment of capital into this vision. Her work there focused on translating technical innovation into real-world adoption through enterprise go-to-market, partnerships, and institutional engagement.
"Katy Nelson is one of the most respected operators in venture capital, and her arrival represents a significant inflection point for Helena Capital," said Sarah Antor, Managing Partner of Helena Capital. "Robin and I built this firm around a clear conviction: the next generation of category-defining companies in advanced manufacturing, supply chain, and resilient infrastructure will be won not just on capital, but on hands-on operational partnership. Katy embodies that thesis. She has the rare combination of investor judgment, operator instinct, and global network that our portfolio companies need to scale across the Atlantic."
At Helena Capital, the mission is to build a distinctive transatlantic fund that actively bridges the mutual interests of Europe and the United States focused on strengthening global supply chain resilience as a core pillar of global economic stability, security, and long-term growth.
Helena Capital's investment focus is squarely on security, resilience, and critical national infrastructure, encompassing sectors such as aerospace, advanced manufacturing, and public infrastructure. The firm focuses on the commercialization gap supporting companies that have moved beyond core invention risk but have not yet reached scaled adoption, helping them bridge into durable revenue, distribution, and long-term market integration. Nelson's experience directly extends and strengthens this approach.
Nelson's background prior to a16z further underscores the breadth of her expertise. Earlier in her career, she held influential roles at Gartner, where she advised C-suite executives at Fortune 500 and Global 2000 companies. She guided these organizations through major technology transitions from the early adoption of cloud computing and mobile to the emergence of artificial intelligence. Beyond her investment and operational work, Nelson maintains an active presence in the academic community as an Executive in Residence and adjunct professor at the NYU Stern School of Business.
Katy Nelson is more than an investor; she is an operator and a proven builder of strategic functions and communities. Her unique combination of deep sector knowledge, operational excellence, and global network will be a meaningful asset as Helena Capital continues to build its reputation as a leading growth investor in critical technology and resilience. The firm looks forward to her leadership and contributions as it enters this next phase of growth.
About Helena Capital
Helena Capital is a transatlantic growth investment firm building the next generation of critical technology companies. With offices in New York and Munich, the firm partners with founders solving foundational challenges in industrial resilience, supply chain security, advanced manufacturing, aerospace, and public infrastructure. Helena Capital invests on the other side of the deep tech 'valley of death,' providing growth capital and hands-on operational partnership to revenue-generating companies between Series A and pre-IPO. Learn more at helenacapital.vc.
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Contacts:
Dan Chmielewski
Madison Alexander PR (for Helena Capital)
Office: 714-832-8716
Mobile: 949-231-2965
dchm@madisonalexanderpr.com
