Tal Jacobson

The 2025 Tel Aviv's tech ecosystem report by Dealroom.co and Tel Aviv Global reveals record-high corporate engagement in the city’s tech ecosystem: - Over 180 multinational companies, including Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and NVIDIA, have established R&D centres in Tel Aviv, attracted by its rich technical talent pool. - In 2024, corporate-backed funding rounds constituted 24% of all startup investments in the city, surpassing figures in many other global tech hubs. - A significant 83% of Tel Aviv’s scaling startups have secured investments from corporate sources, highlighting deepening ties between multinationals and local entrepreneurs. - Notably, many successful startups are founded by alumni of these tech giants; for instance, Wiz, acquired by Google for $32 billion, was established by former Microsoft employees I'm bullish about the Israeli startup ecosystem.

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Valuable insights from Adam Singolda , Founder & CEO of Taboola on the critical role transparency plays in building trust and driving success.

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2025 was a record year for Payoneer. We crossed $1B in annual revenue and have delivered record profitability.   I’m deeply grateful to our customers, who trust us to power their global ambitions, and to our teams around the world who execute with speed, focus and intensity every day. None of our remarkable transformation progress happens without you.   And we’re not slowing down.   In 2026, we’re moving upmarket to serve the complex needs of SMBs and SMEs engaged in global trade. We’re strengthening our platform for the future of money movement with stablecoins and embedding AI across every aspect of our company to accelerate innovation and unlock leverage.   Cross-border commerce is evolving quickly. We’re not just participating in that evolution - we’re shaping it.   ➡️ Read more in our earnings release - https://paynr.co/3ODkWii

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Tel Aviv is quickly becoming a hotspot for AI innovation, and Brandlight is leading the charge. The startup, founded this year, helps #brands stay visible as consumers turn to AI platforms for shopping. It just raised a $5.75M seed round co-led by Cardumen Capital and G20 Ventures One company to watch, the #ad space is slowly shifting, with many brands still being #unaware. “#AI #search is no longer the future - it is happening now. Traditional SEO is no longer enough, and brands must proactively influence how AI engines interpret and present their content,” said Imri Marcus CEO Brandlight With thanks to Calcalist כלכליסט for the coverage: https://lnkd.in/eg4NcQkF HITEC Insight Partners Angeles Investors Bain Capital Ventures American Marketing Association OpenAI Salvi Latino Corporate Directors Association (LCDA)

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I added the new Israeli Proptech startup landscape by TLV Partners to my 2025 collection on VC Cafe. There are over 200+ Israeli startups operating in the proptech sector (including a number of unicorns). The new crop of AI-first startups are penetrating every layer of the tech stack - from elevating the tenant experience and enabling predictive maintenance, to construction site monitoring and delivering AI-driven infrastructure insights. Link to the CTech by Calcalist article with the commentary below.

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The Scale Paradox is real — and it’s the reason so many companies are stuck in expensive user acquisition patterns. More budget doesn’t always mean more growth. In fact, it often leads to more of the same: Same messages, same channels, same tactics.... less resukts. That’s why we built McCann 6 — our answer to the scale paradox . It's not louder. It's smarter. ✅ Deeper ICP detection — not just who they are, but how they move, what they crave, and where they actually live online ✅ A blue ocean of activation — with underused, high-impact channels like Connected TV ✅ KPIs that actually matter — organic demand growth Thanks to @Lirone Glikman for the sharp convo at SHOW2025 and to the @YnetGlobal Studios crew for creating space for these real discussions. If you’re a B2B brand tired of playing the same game with the same tools — let’s talk. #B2BMarketing #BrandGrowth #McCann6 #McCannDigital #ConnectedTV #SHOW2025 #MarketingStrategy #DemandCreation Maor Chen Tomer Hamami Daniel Shavit Dima Slavutski Avital Brifman Dan Gurevich Bar Ben Nissan Omer Fluman Amit Mashiah Amir Weiss Etty Abadi

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Payoneer continued its strong growth over the last quarter, seeing total revenue for Q3 increase 9% YoY to $271m. The company saw B2B revenue grow 27% in Q3, representing around 30% of revenue excluding interest. I caught up with Payoneer CEO John Caplan to discuss the results, which underline a steady and well-executed growth strategy. The continued shift upmarket is clearly paying off, with larger customers increasingly using both AP and AR products and driving a meaningful share of revenue, while moves to expand in higher-growth emerging markets is helping to support stronger take rate dynamics. Read my full conversation with John: 👉 https://lnkd.in/eJ3785cS #fintech #payments #crossborder #CrossBorderPayments #B2B #earnings #emergingmarkets

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Jeffrey Bussgang and Flybridge did extensive work on this question a few years ago - I believe their data was less conclusive regarding Israeli companies that stayed put vs. relocated. Also "relocating" can mean different things - I believe Flybridge found that in many (most?) cases splitting the founding team (one founder relocates to US, another "stays puT to manage the local/Israeli team) produced optimal results.

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Welcome Yossi Hayut, Managing Director at Wix Ventures, on this episode of 🔥 The Lantern 🔥 Wix Ventures is the Pre-Seed and Seed VC arm of Wix.com, writing first checks and backing exceptional Founders, where Wix can add real value as a distribution partner, design partner, or both. 🗺️ What's Wix Ventures building in 2026? 🗺️ Yossi and the team are launching Foundry by Wix Ventures. This program is a compressed, hands-on accelerator for early-stage Founders..and coming to Boston! They’ll be holding 4 batches across Boston, New York, Tel Aviv, and SF and the very first one launches in Boston on April 11th and 12th. Foundry includes 2 full days of product sprints with Wix's Head of Product, Head of Design, Head of UX, and Marketing leadership. They'll be sharing the exact frameworks used to build and ship products for 300+ million users globally. Plus they’ll include credits for Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, Cloudflare, etc. Applications are open now through March 22nd! If you're an early-stage Founder in Boston, you should really consider this program! 🤔 What has Yossi learned from building Wix Ventures? 🤔 Start building. Don't wait to get to 100%. Get it in front of people, close the feedback loop fast, and iterate from there. Yossi sees too many Founders sitting on ideas without shipping. Everyone can build now! The builders who win are the ones who put it out in the world, listen, and keep moving. 🤝 How can we help Wix Ventures grow in Boston? 🤝 Yossi went to MIT. He knows Boston has the talent and he believes Boston Founders have the curiosity and drive to build world-class companies. He also sees a gap in Product, UX, and Go-to-Market knowledge that Foundry is specifically designed to fill. Support Wix Ventures by spreading the word about Foundry and connecting early-stage Founders who are ready to level up their product. The Lantern is brought to you by MGMT Boston & Invest Northern Ireland – Americas this month.

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💡 Venture capital is shifting — and studio operators are leading the way. That’s why I’m excited to host Denis Kovalevich, Founder at SUMMIT STUDIO CAPITAL, for The Venture Studio Forum's Speaker Series. Denis has lived the venture studio model from both sides: first as a #founder and operator of several venture studios, and now as an investor pioneering new fund models designed for the studio era. His experience gives him a rare vantage point on what it takes to build, scale, and finance venture creation platforms. In this session we’ll dive into: 🔹 Lessons Denis learned from creating and operating venture studios firsthand 🔹 Why VC and traditional institutional investors often miss the studio opportunity 🔹 How Summit Studio Capital is bridging the gap between capital and operators 🔹 What investors and founders alike should know about the next generation of venture creation 🗓 Thursday, September 18 - 12-1:30 PM EST 🔗 RSVP: https://lnkd.in/giS235JG Join us for a unique perspective on venture studio investment, shaped by someone who’s been both in the trenches and in the boardroom. #VentureStudios #VentureCapital #StudioOperators #VSF #BuildMode

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I am so happy to announce that ggml / llama.cpp are going to join the HF family ❤️🔥 Georgi Gerganov (🐐) and team are joining HF with the goal of scaling and supporting the community behind ggml and llama.cpp as Local AI continues to make exponential progress in the coming years. We've been working with Georgi and team for quite some time (we even have awesome core contributors to llama.cpp like Xuan-Son and Aleksander in the team already) so this has been a very natural process. llama.cpp is the fundamental building block for local inference, and transformers is the fundamental building block for model definition, so this is basically a match made in heaven. 🔥 Our shared long-term goal is to provide the community with the building blocks to make open-source superintelligence accessible to the world over the coming years. Onwards!

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𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐈𝐬𝐫𝐚𝐞𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝: 7 𝐈𝐬𝐫𝐚𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐬 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥-𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐬 📺 This month, Israel Plus showcases the stories of next‑gen Israeli companies through What's Next in Israel Tech 90‑second interviews with Gerson Panitch. 𝑴𝒆𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒔: 🌟 Unlimited Robotics – Martin Gordon, CPO & Co‑Founder Developing autonomous mobile robots tailored for healthcare logistics, like transporting meds and linens to alleviate staff shortages in hospitals. 🌟 NaNose Medical – Ilay Marom, COO & Co‑Founder Creates a non‑invasive breathalyzer that detects diseases (lung and liver cancer) via breath biomarkers. 🌟 Sixdof Space – Klony Lieberman, Co‑Founder & CTO Specializes in ultra‑fast 6‑DOF optical tracking systems for robotics leveraging hybrid CMOS/CCD sensors with over 40 scientific papers and patents behind the tech. 🌟 Vivothreads – Avi Rosenzweig, CEO Pioneering smart textile fibers infused with antimicrobial, anti‑odor, and other functional features, applicable in medical, military, cosmetic, home‑textile, and clothing industries. 🌟 Effectivate – Shai Granot, CEO & Co‑Founder Offers a web‑based cognitive‑training platform focused on memory and neuro‑wellness for older adults. Recently awarded a U.S. patent and featured at Longevitech TLV. 🌟 XOLTAR – Asaf Shiloni, CEO & Co‑Founder AI‑powered “accountability partner” for patient engagement—simulating nurse‑style interaction to promote healthy habits, using customizable virtual companions. 🌟 Water.io – Saray Cohen Keshtecher, Global Sales & Marketing Lead Creators of a “smart water bottle” tracking hydration habits. Saray has spearheaded its expansion into Israeli and U.S. markets. Sigal Feldman Gerson Panitch Zehava Avior What's Next in Israel Tech

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ZyG, a startup based in Tel Aviv, Israel, raised a $58M seed round led by Bessemer Venture Partners, Viola Ventures, and Lightspeed Venture Partners, with participation from several strategic investors, to scale its AI-driven platform for eCommerce growth and financing. Led by Co-Founder and CEO Omer Kaplan, the company has built an agentic operating system that automates demand validation, growth marketing, store building, creative generation, and logistics optimization through collaborative AI agents, operating on a pay-as-you-grow model while generating a proprietary “ZyG Score” to assess product scalability. FOUNDERS: Omer Kaplan & Tomer Bar-Zeev INVESTORS: Bessemer Venture Partners, Viola Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Disruptive AI, Emerge, Access Industries, Stardom Ventures & Jibe Ventures ROUND: Seed AMOUNT: $58,000,000 HQ: Tel Aviv, Israel #VentureCapital #ZyG #OmerKaplan #TomerBarZeev #TradedVC

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Happy News 🌹🌹 Two new ImagineBoxes (Immersive Interactive Classroom) established in Ma'ale Yosef Regional Council Imagination labs make learning experiential and interactive, and help students develop creative thinking, problem solving, teamwork and technological innovation In the Ma'ale Yosef Regional Council, two innovative imagination labs (immersive learning spaces in four dimensions) were inaugurated at the Ronson Nature and Community Education Center and the Western Galilee Education Center Middle School and High School. The new imagination labs are added to the imagination lab that is already operating at the Ma'ale HaGalil School in the Ma'ale Yosef Regional Council. The initiative to establish the imagination labs is from the Athena Foundation, which has established over 120 labs across Israel to date. The imagination labs make learning experiential and interactive, and help students develop creative thinking, problem solving, teamwork and technological innovation. The head of the Ma'ale Yosef Regional Council welcomed the inauguration of the laboratories: "The Imagination Laboratory is one of the most advanced tools in the world of education. The laboratory will contribute and help our children reach their full potential, and I thank everyone who worked and promoted the issue." Athena Foundation President and Founder, Uri Ben Ari, said that "the Imagination Laboratories give students a new way to learn - through direct experience, a connection between different fields of knowledge and a tangible experience of the educational material." The establishment of the new Imagination Laboratories was made possible thanks to the contributions of the Athena Foundation, its donors and partners, and the Ma'ale Yosef Regional Council. https://lnkd.in/drbNmdm4

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I am filled with optimism and inspiration every time I read the periodic reports about Israel's Tech Ecosystem by Startup Nation Central. It is truly exciting. I'm honored and happy to be part of this amazing ecosystem. Here are my key take aways on the first half of 2025 that showed continued growth, in both private funding and M&A: Funding: * In H1 2025, Israel’s private tech sector raised $9.5 billion across 367 rounds based on reported and estimated deals, marking a 58% increase in capital raised, compared to H2 2024.  * Early-stage activity gained some momentum in H1 2025, with capital invested in pre-seed and seed rounds rising by 50% compared to H2 2024 (from $406 million to $607 million). * Compared to the previous half (H2’2024), Private funding in the U.S. rose by 23%, while Israel saw a significant 62% jump.  * Compared to the first half of 2024, U.S. private funding is up 62%, while Israel’s is up 41%. * In the EU, funding is down by 20% compared to the first half of 2024. In Asia, funding saw a sharp 42% fall, compared to the first half of 2024. M&A * Compared to H1 2024, first-time M&A rose 734%, and 30% excluding the $32B Wiz acquisition by Google. * M&A activity in H1 2025 remained strong, with 60 first-time deals totaling $38.9 billion, making it one of the most active recorded first halves. Even excluding the high-profile Wiz acquisition, which closed in Q1, the remaining 59 deals still totaled $6.9 billion, a clear sign of broad-based strength in Israel’s exit market. * Compared to H2 2024, first-time M&A activity rose 20% in H1 2025 (60 vs. 50 deals), while total deal value fell slightly from $7.2 billion to $6.9 billion (excluding Wiz).  https://lnkd.in/dSpFXn5X

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𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐈 𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡, 𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 [https://lnkd.in/dzbjkPxT] with The Art of War is simple: founders remember stories and metaphors far more than frameworks and acronyms. By mapping each stage of the GTM journey to a recognizable principle from Sun Tzu, I give you a mental model you can actually recall under pressure—when you are choosing a beachhead, negotiating with investors, or deciding whether to open a new market. Instead of “Block 1: Scan,” you remember “Laying Plans”; instead of “Block 3: GTM Engine,” you think “Energy and Maneuvering.” This alignment also forces a more disciplined way of thinking about growth. The Art of War pushes you to pick terrain, concentrate force, avoid prolonged battles, and exploit weak points—all of which translate directly into sharper market focus, more intentional fundraising, and surgical deployment of BD teams. I didn’t do it as a gimmick; I did it to give you a strategic language that resonates emotionally, travels well inside your company and to investors, and turns an afternoon workshop into a set of guiding principles you can keep using long after the slides are closed. 𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝟏𝟒𝟎𝟎𝐡 𝐨𝐧 𝟐𝟔 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐢 𝐒𝐚𝐝.

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Here is my investment thesis for Zoomd Technologies (ZOMD.V / ZMDTF). Zoomd Technologies (ZOMD.V / ZMDTF) is an Israel-based digital advertising and monetization company that offers a mobile-first user acquisition platform powered by proprietary, patented technology. It provides advertisers with a unified dashboard connected to over 600 media sources and serves publishers as an onsite search engine. This unique position allows Zoomd to act as a one-stop shop for digital campaigns, helping advertisers target high-value users efficiently. Zoomd’s platform sits atop the digital media ecosystem—integrated with social networks, device manufacturers, ad networks, and publishers—thus minimizing dependence on any single platform like Google or Facebook. With a strategic focus on high-growth sectors such as fintech, gaming, and e-commerce, Zoomd serves prominent clients like Sony Pictures, Crypto.com, and SHEIN, positioning itself as a scalable, privacy-proof solution in the evolving adtech landscape. The market cap is $34.34 million while enterprise value is $28.67 million. Here are the metrics of cheapness: ·        EV/EBITDA = 2.48 ·        P/E = 4.39 ·        P/B = 1.97 ·        P/CF = 4.47 ·        P/S = 0.68 There are very low metrics of cheapness. Insider ownership is 29.2%, which is very good. ROE (return on equity) is 67.5%, which is excellent. The Piotroski F_Score is good at 7. Cash is $9.28 million while debt is $3.56 million. And TL/TA is 38%, quite low. Intrinsic value scenarios: ·        Low case: If there’s a bear market or a recession, the stock could decline temporarily. That would be a buying opportunity. ·        Mid case: The current P/E is 4.39 but should be at least 10. This translates into a share price of $0.80, which is over 125% higher than today’s stock price of $0.351. ·        High case: Arguably, the P/E should be 15. This translates into a share price of $1.20, which is over 240% higher than today’s stock price of $0.351.   RISKS ·        Tariffs are weighing on the stock in the near term. But it’s likely that the U.S. and China will work out some sort of deal, at least in the medium term, which would lower tariffs significantly. 

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𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗔𝗜. 𝗔𝗹𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗻𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘁. Veteran investor Yaakov Weinstein recently made an unpopular prediction: 👉 Toward the end of this decade (around 2028–2029), global markets may face a deep downturn — on a scale not seen since 1929. Not because of a single crash. Not because of one obvious bubble. But because 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗲𝗹 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝘂𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝘁. A few key points behind his view: Equity valuations, especially in the U.S., are already stretched. Sustaining them requires unusually strong and persistent profit growth. AI may boost productivity in the short term, but trillions in investment still haven’t proven they translate into durable profits. Demographics are turning into a headwind: Baby boomers are retiring, consumption slows, healthcare costs rise. Fewer workers means slower growth in pension inflows — a structural issue markets haven’t priced in. Real estate, long the engine of the “wealth effect,” has stalled — in both the U.S. and Israel. Short term? 2026 will likely still be a positive year, though with more modest returns. Governments and central banks will do what they can — mainly through rates and mortgages — to support households. Long term? This isn’t about a minor correction. It’s about 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗲. My takeaway: The real question isn’t whether markets can go higher from here — it’s 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽𝘀. Because when optimism fades, liquidity tightens, and narratives break — Only strategy matters. Short Bio - Yaakov Weinstein Current role: Manages the IBI Total Return hedge fund and serves as an advisor to other funds at the investment house. Previous roles: Chief Investment Officer at Migdal Capital Markets; founder of Afikim Investment House. https://lnkd.in/dKmbVH5n

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