Idan Lahav

AI unicorn Gong to add 100 jobs following revenue surge. The Israeli company has hit a $300M run rate and is growing its global presence with new offices, in addition to significantly increasing its local workforce. https://lnkd.in/eJ6GM93M

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Another milestone for Israeli cybersecurity and YL Ventures: Aim Security, led by founders Matan G. and Adir Gruss, has been acquired by Cato Networks! From their $10M seed round in 2023 through their $18M Series A, we had the privilege of working closely with the team as they built one of the fastest growing cybersecurity companies in Israel, and the category leader of AI Security. From day zero, Aim set out with a bold vision: to give enterprises a way to adopt AI securely and responsibly. In two years, Matan, Adir, and their exceptional team turned that vision into a reality, building a company trusted by some of the world’s largest organizations. This achievement demonstrates the power of brilliant founders, strong teams, and conviction from inception. For YL Ventures’ $400M Fund V, this is a significant outcome and another marker of Israel’s unique ability to produce companies that matter on a global stage. https://lnkd.in/erHnKmfN

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MetalBear, an Israeli startup that created the open-source Kubernetes tool mirrord, has raised $12.5 million in Seed funding. The company aims to solve a major challenge in software development: testing code in realistic cloud environments. The funding round was led by TLV Partners and included investments from TQ Ventures, MTF, Netz Capital, and angel investors such as Sentry co-founder David Cramer and OpenTelemetry co-creator Ben Sigelman. Eyal Bukchin | Aviram Hassan 🔗 Read full article link in comment #metalbear #tlvpartners #startupnews #funding #israel #businessupdate

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Thank you to Sigalit Ben Hayoun and Yael Steinhart for inviting me to talk to Tel Aviv University Alumni Organization — and to Assaf Gilad for moderating the discussion. Time really does fly 😅 and it was a real privilege to be back to discuss just how much has changed in tech since I first started, including the recent groundbreaking new leaps into AI. What’s incredible is the pace of innovation in this field. Current market estimates range from 3-7 years until AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) is achieved (AI systems surpassing human cognitive abilities). When this is achieved one can expect the pace of change to be the fastest we’ve ever seen in history 📈 Technology and AI is neutral - neither good or bad. What matters is what we (humans) choose to do with it. With good intent, AGI could help solve some of the biggest global challenges (health, longevity, climate change, scientific discovery). With bad intent, it can create even bigger global challenges with significant risks. That is why Google’s motto on AI is so important - to be “bold and responsible”. The stakes have never been higher. Hope humanity rises to the moment, does the right thing, and makes the right choices 🌍 Adding below in comments the link to the full discussion (tip: if you just want a summary, past the link directly into Gemini 🪄) #TelAvivUniversityAlumni #GoogleAI

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𝐈𝐬𝐫𝐚𝐞𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐈.   That’s the bold perspective from our own Eyal Niv, Managing Partner at Pitango First, in CTech by Calcalist’s VC AI Survey.   Israel is already active across the entire AI stack, from infrastructure to applications, and has the talent, vision, and ambition to lead globally. As Eyal explains, the future will belong to 𝐀𝐈-𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐈-𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐬 with defensible moats built on unique datasets, not just “AI wrappers.”   At Pitango, we’ve seen this firsthand across our portfolio: companies like AI21 Labs, DriveNets, AA-I, PsiQuantum, Quantum Source, Volumez and more are proving that Israel’s edge in deep tech and AI infrastructure is only getting stronger.   Bottom line: What makes a lasting company? Unique data, defensibility, and founders willing to build for the long term. Where does Israel fit? Anywhere it chooses.   Read the full interview with Eyal here: https://lnkd.in/esm_SVP5   #Pitango #PitangoFirst #Ctech

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