In a recent post on Crunchbase News, Elena Sakach, partner at GV, outlined her investment strategy and shared her views on fintech, artificial intelligence, and how she evaluates major opportunities.
Sakach has built her career investing in some of the most recognised fintech and software companies, including Stripe, Ramp, Basis, Tennr and Humans&. Her career path reflects a traditional foundation in finance, combined with a growing focus on venture and growth investing.
Career Background and Move to GV
Sakach began her career in investment banking at Goldman Sachs, working in the technology, media and telecom group. She later moved into investing roles at TPG, where she focused on software and fintech investments across both buyouts and minority stakes.
Her career evolved toward growth and venture investing, leading her to Coatue in 2021. In May 2024, she joined GV, where she now focuses on growth stage companies with the potential to scale into public businesses.
Her investment approach centres on companies that solve structural problems using technology and data. She applies her fintech experience across sectors, rather than limiting herself to one category.
Focus on Being an Investor First
Sakach does not define herself strictly as a fintech investor. Instead, she views herself as an investor who looks for strong opportunities regardless of sector.
Her experience across banking, private equity, growth investing and venture capital allows her to understand companies at different stages. She explained that banking provides exposure to companies throughout their lifecycle, buyouts focus on mature businesses, and venture investing targets emerging companies early in their growth.
At GV, the focus is on identifying fast growing businesses early and supporting them as they scale.
Characteristics of Successful Fintech Companies
According to Sakach, the most successful fintech companies share several core characteristics. A key factor is trust. Once customers trust a financial platform, they are less likely to switch providers.
Another important element is expansion. Strong fintech businesses grow by offering additional services to existing customers over time. This increases their value and strengthens customer relationships.
She also highlighted the importance of infrastructure. Companies that become part of essential financial systems are more likely to succeed because they play a central role in how financial processes operate.
She noted that even today, modern payment platforms still represent only a portion of global payment volume, showing that there is still significant room for growth.
How Fintech Investment Has Changed
Sakach explained that current fintech investment opportunities often fall into two categories. The first includes early stage companies developing new ideas, often driven by artificial intelligence. The second includes later stage businesses that demonstrate strong customer retention and continued growth.
She emphasised that strong execution remains critical. Many successful fintech companies win by consistently delivering reliable and effective products.
She also pointed to automation within financial institutions as a major opportunity, particularly where AI can improve efficiency.
The Impact of AI on Software Businesses
Artificial intelligence is changing how software companies compete. Sakach said that technology alone is no longer enough to protect a business, because software can now be recreated more easily.
Instead, long term advantage comes from other factors such as unique data, customer relationships, strong distribution, and technical talent.
She also noted a shift between companies built before and after the rise of modern AI tools. Older companies often need to rebuild their systems, while newer companies can design their products around AI from the beginning.
AI as a Driver of Expansion, Not Just Efficiency
Sakach believes the most important impact of AI will come from expanding what companies can do, not just reducing costs.
She explained that AI can increase access to services and allow organisations to serve more customers. For example, automation in healthcare could enable providers to treat more patients, rather than simply reducing operational expenses.
Her investment focus is on opportunities where AI enables entirely new levels of growth and output.
Views on AI Valuations and Market Conditions
Sakach noted that the current investment environment differs from previous market cycles. She believes AI represents a major technological shift, which is attracting significant investment.
She also pointed out that venture capital as an asset class has grown, and larger funds must invest substantial amounts of capital. This increases competition for deals.
However, she emphasised that valuation alone is not the most important factor. The key question is whether a company has the potential to define a new category.
How She Identifies Large Opportunities
When evaluating investments, Sakach looks for opportunities that have the potential to reshape industries.
She explained that investors consider several factors, including market size, timing, industry trends, and the strength of the founding team.
She believes that truly transformative opportunities are rare, and careful selection is essential.
Elena Sakach’s investment approach reflects a focus on long term structural change, particularly in fintech and artificial intelligence. Her strategy centres on backing companies that solve important problems, build strong customer relationships, and have the potential to scale significantly.
Her views also highlight the growing influence of AI, not only as a tool for efficiency, but as a technology capable of expanding what businesses and industries can achieve.
