Oak HC/FT Hires Marc Andrusko for Fintech & AI Investments

Oak HC/FT, a prominent venture capital firm known for its deep investments in financial technology and healthcare, has significantly bolstered its fintech investment team with the appointment of Marc Andrusko as a Partner. This strategic move signals the firm's intensified focus on the evolving landscape where artificial intelligence converges with financial services infrastructure.

Andrusko's arrival is particularly noteworthy given his extensive background, which spans the foundational elements of traditional finance to the cutting edge of AI-driven enterprise solutions. His career trajectory mirrors the very evolution Oak HC/FT is betting on – a shift from modernizing legacy systems to embracing AI as a core driver of financial innovation. The fintech sector, once primarily focused on digitalizing core banking and payments, is now broadly encompassing any technology that influences financial decision-making, capital flow, and risk management.

Prior to joining Oak HC/FT, Andrusko held a key leadership role at Andreessen Horowitz, where he spearheaded investments in B2B AI applications and a diverse range of fintech sub-sectors. His investment thesis areas included capital markets technology, AI applications for professional services, sales enablement tools, payment infrastructure, and the CFO technology stack. He also demonstrated a keen eye for cross-industry applications, investing in companies at the nexus of fintech and sectors like healthcare and specialized vertical software.

Before his tenure at Andreessen Horowitz, Andrusko was instrumental at Plaid, leading the personal financial management vertical. In this capacity, he was instrumental in forging and scaling partnerships that delivered enhanced financial tools to millions of consumers, underscoring his operational acumen in the fintech space. His earlier career included significant experience at Goldman Sachs, where he held positions in corporate development, strategy, and sales and trading for interest rate products, providing him with a deep understanding of traditional capital markets.

This comprehensive experience across established financial institutions, critical data infrastructure providers, and emerging AI-centric companies positions Andrusko as a unique asset for Oak HC/FT. The firm views his pattern recognition capabilities as crucial for identifying truly disruptive and enduring businesses within the rapidly transforming fintech ecosystem. The broader market is witnessing a surge in AI integration across financial services, with projections indicating substantial growth in AI spending within the sector, driven by the pursuit of operational efficiencies and enhanced predictive capabilities.

“We have cultivated a robust conviction in an expanded definition of fintech, and Marc is precisely the caliber of partner we sought to spearhead this initiative,” stated Matt Streisfeld, General Partner at Oak HC/FT. “His background encompasses the traditional financial system, the infrastructure that propels its modernization, and the AI applications that are beginning to redefine it. This holistic perspective is exceptionally rare, and we are delighted by his decision to join our firm.”

Andrusko, who will be based in Oak HC/FT's New York and Connecticut offices, expressed his enthusiasm for the role. “For the past decade, I've observed the boundaries of fintech expand in real-time, encompassing vertical software, AI, and now the core enterprise functions of risk, operations, and capital management. Oak HC/FT stands out as one of the few firms possessing both the established credibility and the forward-thinking conviction to support this evolution. The opportunity to merge my operator-turned-investor perspective with a firm renowned for its growth equity expertise felt like an ideal alignment.”