Gene Munster Leaving Piper Jaffray To Launch VC Firm

Wall Street's sell-side community will be getting a bit of a shake up Thursday.

In addition to word that technology and internet analyst Bob Peck will be leaving SunTrust for Credit Suisse, Benzinga has learned another top sell-side analyst is making a transition.

Long considered the top analyst covering Apple Inc. AAPL and other important tech names, Piper Jaffray PJC senior analyst Gene Munster will be leaving the firm in order to start a new venture capital firm.

Munster will be joined by long-time associates Doug Clinton and Andrew Murphy to start Loup Ventures, a firm that will be investing in virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence and robotics.

Munster joined Piper Jaffray in 1995 and has covered the digital media space.

In addition to numerous blockbuster bullish calls on Apple, Munster was also considered a top source on big tech and internet names like Facebook Inc FB, Google GOOGL, Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN and Yahoo! Inc. YHOO.

Benzinga has not yet learned who may be replacing Munster in covering these all-important tech names.