Moelis Catalyst

Catalyst is the fund-of-funds division of Moelis & Company, the NYSE-listed global investment bank. It leverages the bank's investment banking relationships to source and evaluate growth-stage private equity and venture capital fund managers. The two entities share senior leadership, with Ken Moelis serving as Chairman of Catalyst.

Catalyst focuses on growth capital funds, targeting managers that invest in expansion-stage companies across technology, healthcare, and consumer sectors. The platform makes primary commitments to funds and may participate in co-investments alongside its underlying GPs. It does not publicly invest in buyout, credit, or real assets strategies.

Ken Moelis, the founder and CEO of Moelis & Company, chairs Catalyst, while Navid Mahmoodzadegan serves as Co-Founder and Managing Partner. Mahmoodzadegan is a veteran Moelis & Company banker who previously led the firm's global media and telecom practice. The team operates with a lean senior investment group out of New York.

Catalyst invests primarily through fund commitments, backing external growth equity and venture capital managers. The firm reserves capacity for co-investments alongside those managers, but does not run a direct-investment balance-sheet strategy or lead deals independently.

Catalyst selectively co-invests alongside the fund managers it backs, using the co-investment program to increase exposure to specific portfolio companies without paying additional management fees. The program relies on the parent bank's advisory intelligence to diligence opportunities that come through the sponsor network.