Yuliya Chernova is an award-winning venture capital and tech reporter at The Wall Street Journal, where she anchors coverage of startup ecosystems and investment trends through her weekly column "Chernova's Take." Based in New York, her work focuses on three core areas:
Successful story proposals typically include:
Achievements: Chernova's 2008 Neal Award-winning investigation remains required reading in business journalism programs, while her 2025 Khosla Ventures scoop influenced SEC disclosures practices for private equity firms.
Yuliya Chernova has established herself as a leading voice in venture capital and tech journalism through her 18-year tenure at The Wall Street Journal. Her career progression reveals three distinct phases:
This 2024 investigation revealed how venture firm General Catalyst leverages its $1.5 billion fund to acquire traditional businesses for AI-driven overhauls. Chernova dissected the firm's unique strategy of targeting mid-market companies in sectors like manufacturing and logistics, contrasting it with Silicon Valley's typical startup-focused approach. Through exclusive interviews with CEO Hemant Taneja, she demonstrated how AI implementation could boost workforce productivity by 30-40% in acquired firms.
The article's impact extended beyond financial circles, influencing congressional discussions about AI adoption in small-to-midsize enterprises. Chernova's methodology combined leaked internal documents with on-the-ground reporting at a transformed Ohio-based packaging company, creating a blueprint for analyzing private equity-tech convergence.
In this 2025 analysis, Chernova identified a seismic shift in VC priorities using Silicon Valley Bank data showing consumer internet funding dropping from 33% to 6% of allocations since 2016. Her reporting uncovered how inflation pressures and Gen Z's spending habits forced firms like Benchmark and Sequoia to recalibrate investment theses.
The piece stood out for its geographic breadth, comparing investment patterns in New York's direct-to-consumer startups with Bangalore's social commerce ventures. Chernova's inclusion of historical context – contrasting current trends with the 2010s "unicorn boom" – provided readers with a rare longitudinal perspective on market cycles.
Chernova's 2025 scoop on Khosla Ventures' fundraising plans combined financial forensics with personnel analysis. By tracking SEC filings and LinkedIn updates, she revealed how the firm rebuilt its team after high-profile departures, including the return of partner Keith Rabois. The article's most impactful revelation detailed Khosla's new focus on "hard tech" startups in energy storage and quantum computing.
This piece exemplifies Chernova's ability to decode financial maneuvers for mainstream audiences. Her explanation of fund structures and carried interest models helped non-specialist readers understand how $3.5 billion in commitments could influence emerging tech sectors.
Chernova consistently prioritizes stories demonstrating practical AI adoption over theoretical applications. Her General Catalyst analysis shows particular interest in measurable productivity gains (30-40% improvements) rather than speculative tech promises. Pitches should include verifiable metrics from mid-market companies using AI to solve specific operational challenges.
While Chernova rarely covers pure-play consumer brands, her work on VC allocation shifts reveals interest in generational spending patterns. Successful pitches might explore how Gen Alpha's digital-native behaviors are reshaping edtech or family-focused fintech solutions, particularly those bridging generational gaps in financial literacy.
The Khosla Ventures piece demonstrates Chernova's appetite for structural analyses of funding vehicles. She favors insights into emerging LP-GP dynamics, particularly how pension funds and sovereign wealth vehicles influence tech investment priorities. Pitches explaining novel fund structures or geographic capital flows (e.g., Middle Eastern investments in Midwest startups) align well with her reporting patterns.
Chernova's reporting frequently examines labor market impacts of technological shifts. Her packaging company case study detailed retraining programs for legacy employees. Effective pitches might showcase companies successfully upskilling workers for AI-augmented roles or unions negotiating tech adoption clauses.
While blockchain technologies occasionally surface in Chernova's work, her primary focus remains on revenue-generating businesses rather than speculative crypto ventures. Pitches centered on Web3 or NFT applications without clear paths to profitability have lower success potential based on her publication history.
"Chernova's work redefines how mainstream audiences understand venture capital's societal impacts" - Jesse H. Neal Awards Committee
General Catalyst Plans to Buy More Old-School Businesses and Transform Them With AI
Consumer Sector Loses Favor With Venture Capitalists Amid Market Shifts
Khosla Ventures Aims to Raise $3.5 Billion for New Funds Amid Tech Investment Surge
At PressContact, we aim to help you discover the most relevant journalists for your PR efforts. If you're looking to pitch to more journalists who write on Startup, here are some other real estate journalist profiles you may find relevant:
