Brian Shortsleeve Joins General Catalyst

Brian Shortsleeve has left H.I.G. Capital to become a principal with General Catalyst Partners, peHUB has learned. In an email to friends and colleagues, Shortsleeve wrote that he will concentrate on “leading recapitalizations, buyouts and growth equity investments in lower middle-market growth companies.”

Such investments clearly are not what VC-focused General Catalyst is known for, although it did sponsor a leveraged buyout of BBN Technologies back in 2004 (alongside Accel Partners). David Fialkow, a managing partner with the firm, says that the firm wants to invest in “great entrepreneurs,” no matter their company’s stage of development. There are not, however, any plans to raise a dedicated growth equity fund or to hire additional staff outside of Shortsleeve.

Shortsleeve spent the past four years as a principal with H.I.G. Capital, before which he spent three years as a management consultant with Bain & Company.