David Cohen, co-founder of Techstars will return as the chief executive officer after Maëlle Gavet steps down at the end of the month because of health reasons.
In a statement, Cohen emphasised that while he is excited to be back as CEO, he was never far away.
He said, “I was the first employee and have been an employee here continuously since then. I was the first Managing Director of our first and at the time, only, accelerator (Boulder) in the early years. In total, I have served as CEO or co-CEO for thirteen of the seventeen years that Techstars has existed and have been on the Board since the company’s inception.”
Cohen expressed gratitude for Gavet’s impactful tenure, during which the company made significant strides. “Over the past three and a half years, we have accomplished much under Maëlle’s leadership.
“The company has made over 2,000 startup investments, and in 2023 alone, 469 Techstars portfolio companies raised a total of over $2.4 billion, with 322 of them securing rounds of $1 million or more,” Cohen said.
He further stated that the impact of Gavet’s leadership is evident not only in financial metrics but also in the operational growth of Techstars, with applications to its programs doubling between 2022 and 2023.
