Hanaco Ventures

growth-positive

The article discusses the rising interest in GovTech, driven by DefenseTech and public sector innovation. It highlights Carbyne as a key player in modernizing emergency contact centers with cloud-native platforms. Carbynes growth is attributed to its efficient products and strategic public-private partnerships with companies like AT&T, GMR, Converge, Tyler, and Axon. The article emphasizes the importance of efficiency, AI, and cloud technology in GovTech, and how companies like Carbyne are aligning with government priorities to deliver impactful solutions. The article also mentions Carbynes recent investments, including a $100 million raise to enhance its infrastructure.

growth-negative

Hanaco Ventures, a prominent venture capital firm in Israel, has decided not to raise new funds under its brand following a failed investment in the startup Vesto, which was involved in a fraud scandal. The remaining founders of Hanaco Ventures will continue to manage existing investments but will not pursue new investments under the Hanaco name. Meanwhile, one of the founders, Alon Lifshitz, is establishing a new fund called Aurelius Capital, which will focus on investments in defense-tech and cybersecurity sectors.

growth-negative

Hanaco Ventures, a venture capital firm managing approximately $2 billion, is expected to stop raising new capital and will not raise a follow-on fund. The firm will continue to manage its existing portfolio but will cease making new investments. Founding partners are launching independent ventures, with Lior Prosor joining Arkin Group to establish a new fund and Alon Lifshitz launching Aurelius Capital, focusing on dual-use and defense technologies. Pasha Romanovski resigned from Hanaco’s management in 2024 following a fraud scandal at Vesttoo. Over its eight years, Hanaco participated in successful investments in companies like Fonterra, American Well, and Moovit.

growth-positive

Guardz, an Israeli cybersecurity startup, has secured $56 million in a Series B funding round led by ClearSky, with participation from Phoenix Financial and other existing investors. This brings the companys total funding to $84 million. Guardz focuses on protecting small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) from cyber threats through its AI-native platform designed for Managed Service Providers (MSPs). The funding will support Guardz in enhancing its go-to-market strategy and expanding its threat detection and cyber risk prevention capabilities. Founded in 2022, Guardz has quickly gained traction, protecting thousands of businesses globally through its MSP partners.

growth-positive

Speedata, a startup that developed a processor to accelerate data analysis tasks in server farms, announced the completion of a $44 million Series B funding round led by Hanaco. The company also officially launched its processor named Callisto and appointed a new CEO, Adi Galvan, replacing co-founder Yonatan Friedman, who transitioned to the role of Chief Strategy Officer.

growth-positive

Curve, a UK-based digital wallet provider, has secured £37 million ($47.9 million) in a funding round led by Hanaco Ventures, with contributions from existing investors such as Fuel Ventures and IDC. The funds will support Curves plans for 2025, focusing on new product launches, customer-driven enhancements, and market expansion. The company aims to enhance its infrastructure and forge new partnerships to accelerate its path to profitability. Currently serving over six million users, Curve offers features like avoiding foreign exchange fees, cashback, and installment payment options. The company has partnered with Infact for real-time credit reporting for its Curve Flex users.

growth-positive

Perfect, an Israeli startup focused on improving recruitment processes through AI, has raised $23 million in seed funding. The company offers a platform that acts as a co-pilot for recruiters, helping them write job posts, manage applications, and save significant time. Since its inception, Perfect has expanded its customer base from 20 to 200 businesses, including notable names like Fiverr and eToro. The funding, announced in two tranches, includes investments from Target Global, RTP Global, Pitango, and others. Perfects platform is built from scratch, utilizing proprietary data to enhance recruitment efficiency. The company plans to further develop its tools and introduce a free service for job seekers.

growth-negative

Pasha Romanovski, co-founder and General Partner of Hanaco Ventures, has announced his retirement from the venture capital fund after eight years. His tenure included successful investments but also recent scandals involving two companies he invested in, Vesttoo and Infarm, both of which went bankrupt. Romanovski was also personally sued by singer Omer Adam and investment manager Ran Nussbaum for allegedly misleading them into investing $750,000 in Infarm.

growth-positive

Israeli start-up SpotItEarly is developing a unique method for early disease detection using dogs. The company believes that dogs extraordinary ability to detect diseases, documented in dozens of studies since the late 90s, can be harnessed for widespread testing. SpotItEarly is training dogs to identify the four most common types of cancer in the world - breast, prostate, lung, and colon - at early stages.

growth-positive

Carbyne has partnered with Priority Dispatch to expand access to video calls in emergency 9-1-1 call centers. This partnership will standardize video calls into the emergency response protocols of the International Academies of Emergency DispatchTM (IAEDTM), available through Priority Dispatchs ProQA platform. Carbynes Emergency Communications as a Service (ECaaS) enables live video, voice, messaging, and real-time location from individuals calling 9-1-1, improving outcomes for emergency response incidents. The addition of video to ProQA is seen as a major step forward for the industry and the safety of people across the country. The technology is expected to be available in the spring of 2023.

growth-positive

Tel Aviv-based blockchain chip startup Chain Reaction has raised $70 million to expand its engineering team and develop its next chip. The company plans to mass produce its blockchain chip Electrum in Q1 2022, which is designed for fast and efficient blockchain operations and mining digital currencies. Chain Reaction aims to create a fully homomorphic encryption chip by the end of 2024. The funding round was led by Morgan Creek Digital, bringing the total raised to $115 million.

growth-positive

Remilk has received regulatory approval from the Singapore Food Authority (SFA) and a no questions letter from the FDA for its animal-free milk protein. The approval from SFA allows Remilk to sell its proprietary protein in Singapore, a global leader in alternative protein development. The no questions letter from the FDA confirms the safety of Remilks animal-free whey protein and positions the company at the forefront of the industry. Remilks protein is identical to cow-derived whey protein but produced without animal cells, making it a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional dairy. The company aims to reinvent the dairy industry by removing cows from the milk-making process.

growth-positive

Israeli startup Chain Reaction has raised $70 million in a Series C funding round, bringing its total funding to $115 million. The company designs semiconductors and related architecture for use in blockchain and privacy hardware. The funds will be used to expand the team and bring its first products to market in Q1 2023. Chain Reactions products include Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) and solutions for cloud data infrastructure designs. The company aims to reduce electricity consumption and speed up compute by optimizing its design for cryptographic calculations. Chain Reactions co-founders have experience in the semiconductor industry, having previously worked at Mellanox and Israeli intel. The company plans to make homomorphic encryption viable and sees opportunities in privacy applications and computing in the cloud.

growth-positive

Israeli startup MDI Health has raised $20 million in funding led by Intel Capital. The companys platform helps clinicians manage medication and customize it for each patient, using personalized AI technology. MDI Healths technology aims to prevent drug-related medical problems, which are a leading cause of death in the United States. The funding will allow MDI Health to meet customer demand, expand research and development teams in the United States and Israel, and automate comprehensive medication reviews (CMRs) for clinicians. The companys total funding now stands at $26 million.

growth-positive

Israeli cybersecurity startup Guardz has raised $10 million in Seed funding to provide real-time cybersecurity protection for small companies in high-risk industries. The platform monitors a companys digital footprint to analyze cybersecurity risks and remediate threats. Guardz also offers cyber insurance to small businesses that previously lacked comprehensive cybersecurity protection. The company was founded in 2022 and currently employs 15 people.

growth-positive

Israeli foodtech startup Remilk has partnered with American food giant General Mills to market a completely vegan cream cheese in the USA. Remilk produces milk protein proteins with an innovative fermentation technology, fully imitating cows proteins without the use of animals or animal components. The company has raised about $130 million in funding and was valued at $325 million in its last fundraising round. The vegan cream cheese, which has the same taste, texture, and cost as traditional dairy cream cheese, is the first commercial collaboration for Remilk. General Mills is also considering the production of additional products with Remilks protein. Remilk aims to replace traditional dairy products with its environmentally-friendly and animal-friendly alternatives.

growth-positive

Sepio, a physical layer-based asset risk management solutions company, has raised $22 million in a Series B funding round led by U.S. Venture Partners. The funding brings the total raised by the company to $37 million. Sepios platform provides actionable visibility, policy enforcement, and mitigation capabilities for managing asset risk. The companys unique approach to asset risk management has attracted investors and recognition in the cybersecurity industry.

growth-positive

Vesttoo Ltd, an insurance risk transfer platform, has seen its valuation triple to $1 billion after securing $80 million in late-stage funding. The series C round included investments from venture capital firms Mouro Capital, Gramercy Ventures, Black River Ventures, Hanaco Ventures, and Wall Street giant Goldman Sachs. While many startups struggle to raise capital due to fears of a recession and global market volatility, the insurance sector has performed well. Vesttoo plans to use the funding to expand its global footprint and enhance its marketplace platform, which connects insurers and investors. The company has already increased its international operations and hired employees in various locations around the world.

growth-positive

Redefine Meat has partnered with Giraudi Meats to drive European distribution of its New Meat steak cuts produced on 3D printers. The start-up, which raised $170 million in a series A financing round this year, aims to establish its products as an alternative to conventionally produced meat. Redefine Meat plans to launch its products at restaurants and butchers in France, Italy, Greece, and Sweden later this year, and in more countries next year. The companys New Meat is currently available in Israel, Britain, the Netherlands, and Germany. The partnership with Giraudi Meats demonstrates that Redefine Meats products are not compromise vegan products.

growth-positive

Fondue, a company aiming to replace ecommerce coupon codes with CashBack, has officially launched and secured $10.5 million in seed funding. The company aims to provide a more profitable and higher converting alternative to traditional discount codes. Fondue believes that brands need new tools and partners to navigate the challenges of slowing revenue and compressing margins. CashBack offers larger average order value, greater engagement, and higher customer lifetime value. Shoppers can choose how to redeem their CashBack, including extra store credit, gift cards, or cash. Fondue is already working with over 100 brands in the Shopify ecosystem and has received funding from various investors and angel investors.

growth-positive

Carbyne, a startup that designs systems used by emergency services, has raised $56 million in a Series C funding round. The company aims to expand in the U.S., establish a solid partner program, and invest in R&D. Carbynes technology is installed in emergency response services covering 400 million people and handling 150 million 911 calls annually. The funding values the company at around $400 million. Carbynes rise comes as emergency services face pressure to modernize their technology and improve responsiveness. The U.S. government has recently approved a $10 billion package to update legacy infrastructure and implement next-generation 911 technologies.

growth-positive

Israeli biotechnology startup SpotitEarly has completed a $6.2 million Seed funding round led by Hanaco Ventures. The company is developing a technique for early detection of cancer using algorithmics and AI combined with the olfactory abilities of dogs. The test can detect several types of cancer, including lung, prostate, breast, and colon cancer. SpotitEarly has discovered the unique odor associated with cancerous tumors and trained dogs to detect these odors in a fraction of a second. The company is conducting extensive clinical studies to prove the tests efficacy. The system can run about one million tests per year and is estimated to cost 20% of current early-stage cancer tests. The results are available within a few days.

growth-positive

Solidus Labs, a market surveillance and risk monitoring firm, has closed a $45 million Series B funding round. The investment was led by Liberty City Ventures and joined by Evolution Equity Partners, Declaration Partners, Brian Brooks, and Christopher Giancarlo. The company offers tools that monitor trading events and parse blockchain data for security threats. It has customers including regulators and crypto powerhouses like Fidelity Digital Assets, FTX.US, and dYdX. With the new funds, Solidus plans to accelerate the deployment of its intelligence tools and expand its research and development. The company aims to address a growing array of DeFi-specific use-cases. Solidus has secured support from former and current regulators and has notable advisors such as former SEC Commissioner Troy Paredes and former director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Kathy Kraninger.

growth-positive

Remilk, an Israeli start-up, is building a new facility in Kalundborg, Denmark, to produce precision fermentation-derived dairy proteins. The facility, located within the Symbiosis project, will be the largest of its kind in the world. Remilks decision to set up shop in Denmark is strategic due to the locations advantages in industrial sustainability. The company aims to reinvent the dairy industry in a sustainable way by eliminating the need for animals in the food system. Remilk will produce both whey and casein proteins using precision fermentation technology. The company plans to focus on the B2B market and partner with dairy product manufacturers. While the facility is in Europe, Remilk is particularly focused on the US market for initial market entry.

growth-positive

Cross River Bank, a technology infrastructure provider for fintech companies, has raised $620 million in funding at a valuation north of $3 billion. The funding round was led by private equity firm Eldridge and Andreessen Horowitz. Cross River Bank plans to use the capital to expand globally, build out its embedded payments, cards, lending, and crypto products, and acquire technology companies. The bank has been profitable since 2010 and has experienced consistent growth. It counts Coinbase, Affirm, Best Egg, and Stripe among its customers.

growth-positive

Hanaco Ventures, a venture capital fund, believes in investing in startups that adhere to environmental, social, and governmental (ESG) guidelines. The fund focuses on impact investments that aim to improve the ESG aspects of growing businesses. Hanaco Ventures invests in innovative breakthrough technologies, particularly in areas such as enterprise software, fintech, foodtech, agritech, and mobility. The company believes that socially responsible companies will gain financially and outperform others. Hanaco Ventures has invested in companies like Infarm and Redefine Meat, both of which align with ESG values and have shown impressive financial returns. The fund ensures that its portfolio companies are ESG-compliant and encourages them to report on their management systems, policies, and governing protocols. Hanaco Ventures predicts that ESG guidelines will become more prevalent in the future as more companies strive to make a positive impact.

growth-positive

Israeli-born venture capitalist Alon Lifshitz is raising a $120 million fund called Hanaco Venture Capital. The fund has already raised $80 million primarily from family offices. Hanaco Ventures will focus on investing in early-stage startups operating in Israel and New York, with a focus on artificial intelligence technologies, cybersecurity, fintech, augmented reality, robotics, and autonomous vehicles.