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Most active Israeli VCs, futuristic smart-city lights, & JLM tech scene map [OurCrowd Newsletter]

Find out which Israeli VC firms made impressive investments in Israeli startups last year; a new light dawns for smart safe cities with this Israeli Kibbutz-made innovation; discover Jerusalem’s growing startup ecosystem with a new up-to-date visual map; and more this week from Startup Nation… Start getting this weekly newsletter via email: Subscribe now The most active Venture Capital firms investing in Israeli startups Israel is known for its thousands of successful startups, but not many people outside the high-tech community are familiar with the investment firms that raise capital for these budding startups. Learn more. OurCrowd & Portfolio Companies in the News OurCrowd First featured in Crowdfund Insider OurCrowd featured in Times of Israel Corephotonics featured in QUARTZ Israeli company launches futuristic new outdoor lighting Kibbutz-based futuristic outdoor lighting system company, Gaash Lighting, introduces a modular high-efficiency LED luminaire with an IP address to facilitate IoT communication and control. Learn more. Made in JLM maps the 500+ startups of Jerusalem, and is still counting The local collaborative organization Made in JLM’s new map is the most up-to-date visual of Jerusalem’s growing startup prowess, a parallel ecosystem to neighboring...

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PRESS RELEASE: OURCROWD FIRST NAMED ISRAEL’S MOST ACTIVE MICRO VC FUND

  MATERIALS FOR RELEASE: PDF download here Photos and logos ZIP file download here OURCROWD FIRST NAMED ISRAEL’S MOST ACTIVE MICRO VC FUND IVC-APM Report recognizes OurCrowd seed fund’s strong start in 2015 — Tel Aviv / Jerusalem, Israel. February 10, 2016: OurCrowd First, OurCrowd’s seed fund for investing in early-stage Israeli and global ventures, has been named Israel’s most active micro venture capital fund in 2015, according to the latest IVC-APM report by the IVC Research Center and APM & Co. Law Firm. The report analyzed the most active venture capital funds according to the number of early stage investments made in Israeli companies during 2015. OurCrowd First topped the list with seven first investments from its 2015 $10M fund. To date, OurCrowd First has built a highly diversified portfolio of 10 carefully vetted early-stage companies. “We are delighted that OurCrowd First has, in its first year of operation, become the most active micro VC in Israel,” said OurCrowd CEO Jon Medved. “This highlights our commitment to providing seed capital to the growing cohort of Israeli entrepreneurs.” “We are...

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The road already traveled: Why invest in startup follow-on rounds?

Today, access to quality investment opportunities are no longer a luxury reserved for the well-connected. Everything from startups to real estate development projects are now available to the masses for investment. This access has garnered lots of attention from prominent investment thought leaders. One of the biggest issues they’re grappling with is how to educate the public to make sure they are investing responsibly in these new, often risky asset classes. In this post, we’re going to talk about what Brad Feld refers to as a new, official trend in the world of venture capital. The Opportunity What’s this new trend we speak of? In January 2011, Union Square Ventures launched their first “Opportunity Fund.” The fund was formed to invest exclusively in USV portfolio companies raising follow-on rounds of investment. This investment strategy was born out of the realization that a majority of returns in a fund are generated by a small number of the portfolio companies. Fred Wilson, USV’s founder and managing partner described the rationale behind launching the fund in 4 basic points: “This fund is meant to...

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Skybox raises $96M, Honda taps into Startup Nation, & OUP publishing Israeli innovation [OurCrowd Newsletter]

The latest from the Startup Nation: another large investment round as Skybox Security receives $96 million from PSG; Oxford University Press teams up with 3 Israeli EdTech startups; giant carmaker Honda is working with OurCrowd to find the best of Israeli startup car tech; and more… Start getting this weekly newsletter via email: Subscribe now PSG invests $96M in Israeli cyber company Skybox Security Founded in 2002, Israeli cybersecurity analytics company Skybox Security has received a $96 million investment from US private equity firm Providence Strategic Growth (PSG). Learn more. OurCrowd & Portfolio Companies in the News OurCrowd’s CEO Jon Medved featured on CNN The Bouqs featured in TechCrunch BillGuard featured in Times of Israel Oxford University Press teams up with 3 Israeli startups EdTech companies Tiny Tap, Total Boox, and KIDOZ help the UK’s distinguished publishing house reach millions of students and teachers on digital platforms. Learn more. Honda’s Nick Sugimoto on tapping into Israel’s startup ecosystem Japanese car manufacturer Honda has arrived and is ready to tap into Israel’s startup ecosystem, according to Nick Sugimoto, ‎senior program director, Honda Silicon...

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Over $550M raised, interactive cyber map, & Prosper CEO on recent Israeli acquisition [OurCrowd Newsletter]

This last week (and month!) saw an astonishing amount of investments raised for Israeli startups. Have you seen Israel’s cybersecurity map yet? The interactive map provides a peek into the growing industry. Prosper CEO Aaron Vermut on his first visit to Israel after buying BillGuard. Read on for the latest in Startup Nation. Start getting this weekly newsletter via email: Subscribe now Israeli startups raise over $550M this month Over the past four weeks, Israeli startups have raised an astonishing $556.4 million. Over the past week alone, 9 startups have raised $148 million, led by ForeScout Technologies, which raised $76 million. Learn more. OurCrowd & Portfolio Companies in the News OurCrowd’s CEO Jon Medved featured on Bloomberg TV mPrest featured in Times of Israel OurCrowd featured in The Jerusalem Post Freightos featured in TechCrunch MUV Interactive featured in NoCamels BillGuard featured in Geektime Interactive map spotlights Israeli cyber expertise Israel’s role in the global cybersecurity sector has been touted many times by local and international tech experts. Now, a new interactive map is giving interested parties a behind-the-scenes view of the growing industry. Learn more. Prosper CEO Aaron Vermut...

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