Cathy Gao is a Partner at Sapphire Ventures, where she invests in B2B AI and software. She backs founders building AI-native companies that become core to how work gets done, not tools that sit on top of it–AI that drives outcomes customers can measure, earns repeatable distribution, and compounds into workflow ownership over time. Cathy serves on the boards of EliseAI, Blue J, Jeeva AI, Sword Health, and Medable. Before Sapphire, Cathy invested at AXA Venture Partners and began her career at TA Associates and Blackstone. She also joined Gusto at the Series B, giving her firsthand experience inside a high-growth software company. Her perspectives on enterprise AI have been featured in Fortune, Bloomberg, CNBC, and The Wall Street Journal.