Mary D’Onofrio Leaves Bessemer Venture Partners for Crosslink Capital

Mary D’Onofrio, a seasoned investor at Bessemer Venture Partners, has left the firm to join Crosslink Capital. D’Onofrio was a key figure in Bessemer’s investments in prominent unicorns such as Anthropic and Canva. At Crosslink, she will lead the crossover fund, with a focus on Series B-plus investments in AI vertical software and infrastructure.

D’Onofrio’s move to Crosslink Capital is motivated by the rapid advancements in AI technology. She sees this as an opportunity to invest in both new AI-native companies and existing firms that need to adapt to the changing technological landscape. Her strategy at Crosslink will involve pursuing fewer, higher conviction deals, given the high valuations in the AI sector.

During her seven-year tenure at Bessemer, D’Onofrio became a partner in 2021 and was involved in investments in companies such as Anthropic, Canva, Teleport, HashiCorp, Toast, and Wrapbook. At Crosslink, she aims to leverage her experience to identify and support companies that are poised to benefit from the AI revolution.

Crosslink Capital, known for its investments in companies like BetterUp, Postmates, and Flume Health, has recently made headlines with the successful IPO of fintech startup Chime. The firm led Chime’s Series A round in 2014 and was one of its largest shareholders. D’Onofrio declined to comment on Chime’s IPO.

Crosslink’s investment strategy is multifaceted, encompassing early-stage venture, growth, and public investing. This approach allows the firm to be flexible in supporting companies at various stages of their lifecycle. For immediate success stories, Crosslink can draw from different pools of capital to continue investing. For companies that require more time to find their footing, Crosslink can be a patient partner, investing across the entire lifecycle of a business.