EXCLUSIVE: Tiger Global partner Alex Cook to leave firm, sources say

Alex Cook, a partner at Tiger Global who oversaw some of its largest fintech investments and India deals, is departing the firm after a tenure of nearly seven years, three people familiar with the matter told TechCrunch. 

Cook has briefed multiple people around him about his departure news in recent days, although he hasn’t explained why he was leaving. The sources requested anonymity as the conversations were private.

His departure adds to high-profile shifts within Tiger Global. Scott Shleifer, who previously led the firm’s private equity business, moved to a senior advisory role last year. John Curtius, who led the firm’s software investments, left in late 2022. 

Cook anchored many fintech deals for Tiger Global, including TradingView, TrueLayer, Scalapay, Xendit, Selfbook, Fazz and Refyne. The median size of his deals were about $35 million whereas the median valuation stood at north of $250 million, according to PitchBook. 

The departure has come as a surprise to at least some founders. Cook spoke frequently — multiple times a week — to founders, according to some accounts. He assumed responsibility for managing relationships with some portfolio startups previously overseen by Shleifer, according to people familiar with the matter.

Tiger Global declined to comment.

Cook’s focus extended significantly to emerging markets, particularly India, where he frequently visited and met with founders in person. In July 2022, for instance, he told founders in Bengaluru, India, that Tiger Global was about to slow its pace of investments, TechCrunch reported at the time.

This development comes at a challenging time for the venture industry. Tiger Global raised $2.2 billion for its latest VC fund, its smallest fundraising effort in a decade and a stark contrast to its previous years of robust investor demand that had allowed the New York-based giant to raise increasingly larger funds, including its record $12.7 billion fund. At $2.2 billion, to be sure, Tiger Global is still operating one of the largest funds.

Amid this difficult fundraising climate, fueled by investor caution towards VC and private equity investments due to declining returns, Tiger Global announced a significant leadership change in November, with founder Chase Coleman assuming the role of venture chief from Shleifer. Coleman has taken on the responsibility of managing relationships with certain key portfolio startups globally, according to people familiar with the matter.