Viola Ventures News
21 articles
The firm also recently announced Alex Shmulovich as a Partner. These future generation leadership hires and promotions are part of Viola Ventures’ strategic plan as the firm celebrates its 25th anniversary.
Viola Ventures, celebrating its 25th anniversary, has announced strategic leadership changes to strengthen its investment team. Alex Shmulovich has been promoted to Partner, while Tal Abuloff and Alon Cinamon have been appointed as Principals. These appointments are part of Viola Ventures plan to deepen its expertise in vertical AI, fintech, cyber, and AI infrastructure early-stage investments. Tal Abuloff brings experience from Grove Ventures, while Alon Cinamon has a background in cybersecurity investments. Founded in 2000, Viola Ventures manages over $1.3 billion and has invested in over 200 Israeli tech companies, including ironSource and Payoneer. The firm aims to leverage these leadership changes to enhance its investment strategy.
Management Changes
Israel’s next tech boom: Pioneering the future of global defensetech | CTech
Viola Ventures has released a report highlighting the significant growth and potential of Israeli startups in the defensetech sector. With global defense budgets increasing and technological innovation reshaping warfare, Israel is positioned as a leader due to its military expertise and tech ecosystem. The report notes a peak in defensetech funding in 2024, driven by conflicts involving Israel and Ukraine. It emphasizes the Asymmetry Paradox, where high-cost defense systems struggle against low-budget attacks. Israeli companies are poised to excel in autonomous systems, smart manufacturing, real-time intelligence, and resilient communication. The report identifies key markets for Israeli defensetech, including India, Germany, and Poland. Despite challenges in penetrating the U.S. market, Israeli companies are encouraged to focus on talent, modular platforms, low-cost offerings, and localized production.
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מה גורם לעזיבות באחת מהקרנות המייסדות של ההייטק הישראלי
Viola Ventures, a prominent Israeli venture capital firm, is undergoing significant management changes as part of a generational transition. Key partners, including founder Avi Zeevi and Danny Cohen, are stepping down, with younger partners like Lior Akavia taking on more responsibilities. The firm is focusing on fintech, cyber, and AI investments, moving away from consumer products. Viola Growth, another arm of the group, recently raised $250 million. The firm faces challenges in a competitive fundraising environment, as it plans to raise a seventh fund. Despite these changes, Viola aims to maintain its leading position by adapting its partner composition to ensure long-term success.
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עמרי בן דוד, שלמה דוברת וצביקה אורון יובילו את הקרן השביעית של ויולה ונצ'רס | כלכליסט
ויולה ונצרס, קרן הון סיכון ישראלית, מכריזה על שינויים אסטרטגיים לקראת הקרן השביעית שלה. הקרן תובל על ידי שלושה שותפים כלליים שהצטרפו ב-2017: צביקה אורון, עמרי בן דוד ושלמה דוברת. דני כהן, שותף בקרן מאז 2014, יישאר בקרנות הנוכחיות אך לא יהיה פעיל בקרן הבאה בשל שינוי במיקוד ההשקעות. הקרן תתמקד בשלושה תחומים עיקריים: Vertical AI, פינטק, ותשתיות AI/סייבר. בנוסף, ויולה מתכננת להעביר את משרדיה הראשיים מהרצליה לתל אביב. הקרן ממשיכה להשקיע מהקרן השישית בהיקף של 260 מיליון דולר, וממשיכה במאמציה להקים חברות טכנולוגיה מובילות מישראל.
Management Changes
Top tech investor: ‘If Israel becomes less good to live in, people will leave’
צעד יוצא דופן לקבוצת ויולה: משיקה מרכז כוח אדם טכנולוגי באבו דאבי
Israeli company Viola Group, which has invested in nearly 150 startups, is launching a technology center in Abu Dhabi. This is an unusual move for Viola, whose main activity is the companys venture capital funds. The center was established in collaboration with the Emirati Investment Office and Abu Dhabi technology company G42. Viola plans to employ thousands of workers at the center.
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Shlomo Dovrat: "We estimate a 90% decrease in tech investments in Israel in the next quarter" | CTech
Shlomo Dovrat, co-founder of Viola Ventures, has warned that the Israeli governments judicial reform poses a significant risk to the high-tech industry. He stated that global investment in Israel has already started to decrease significantly due to the reform. Dovrat also discussed the AI revolution currently underway in the high-tech industry, stating that it will likely be the most significant development witnessed in our lifetime. He also highlighted the need for Israel to transition to the next stage of innovation and expressed concerns about the erosion of human capital in the country.
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Leading Israeli VC Viola voices concern regarding "threats to the judicial system" | CTech
Viola Group, one of Israels leading venture capital firms, has expressed concerns over the new governments plans to reform the judicial system. The firm, which has over $4.5 billion AUM and has invested in over 200 companies, believes that any disruption to the principles of equality, an independent legal system, and freedom of speech could pose a threat to the Israeli state. Viola Groups portfolio includes successful technology companies such as ironSource, Payoneer, Redis, Verbit, Outbrain, Pagaya, Lightricks, SimiliarWeb, and Immunai.
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Tech investment group Viola appoints new VP of BD | CTech
Viola, an investment group, has appointed Hilly Rejwan Sorek as Vice President of Business Development. Sorek has previous experience in the Israeli startup ecosystem and venture capital. In her new role, she will support Violas portfolio companies by identifying their needs, providing access to potential customers, and establishing strategic collaborations. Viola aims to give its portfolio companies a competitive edge in closing deals, expanding revenue streams, and forming partnerships. The appointment is part of Violas ongoing efforts to build a platform that supports its portfolio companies with various resources. Viola has $4.5 billion of assets under management and has invested in over 200 companies, including unicorns like IronSource and Payoneer.
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Israel's massive fintech year confirms the sector as a powerhouse | CTech
A report from Viola Group has highlighted the significant impact fintech had on Startup Nation in 2021. The total number of investments reached $27 billion, with $4.5 billion dedicated to fintech. The funding of fintech companies in Israel saw a 136% growth, making 2021 larger than the three previous years combined. A majority of the total funding went to megarounds, funding that exceeds $100 million. Notable deals include Melio, Tipalti, and Rapyd. The report also includes companies related to insurtech and crypto. Viola Group is a tech-focused investment group with more than $4 billion in assets under management.
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Viola Ventures announces new $250 million fund for early-stage investments
Israeli venture capital firm Viola Ventures has closed its sixth fund of $250 million, bringing its assets under management to $1.25 billion. The firms portfolio includes several successful technology companies, and it aims to invest in early-stage companies in various verticals. Viola Ventures has had consistent success in fintech, vertical AI, and deep tech, and it plans to invest in emerging areas such as digital health, next-gen enterprise infrastructure, SaaS 3.0, Web 3.0, and cybersecurity. The Israeli tech ecosystem has seen significant growth, with Viola Ventures having around 15% of the countrys total unicorns. The firm has promoted Yael Alroy to Partner and appointed Jeff Shapiro to assist portfolio companies in building their management teams.
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Daniel Cohen, Viola: Web3 is the next revolution
Daniel Cohen, General Partner at Viola Ventures, discusses trends in investing, including Web3 and digital health. He also mentions Viola Ventures investment in Lin Health, an online medical service. Cohen believes that cybersecurity will continue to thrive, and he is excited about gaming as the future of media and entertainment. He emphasizes the importance of entering a big market with an entrepreneur who has a chip on their shoulder. Viola Ventures does not participate in the management of companies but sees themselves as a support system. They are appointing a partner to manage HR-related issues. Cohen also discusses challenges in the Israeli economy, such as the growing gaps between tech workers and general workers.
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"Israel used to be called a startup nation. We now call it unicorn country"
Omry Ben David, a general partner at Viola Ventures, discusses the importance of early decisions for founders and the success of their companies. He emphasizes the need to hire top-notch people and warns against compromising on hiring. Ben David shares his passion for investing in early-stage Israeli tech companies and the strength of the Israeli tech ecosystem. He also talks about the role of accountability in entrepreneurship and the support Viola Ventures provides to startups. The article highlights the growth-positive impact of Viola Ventures in the Israeli tech ecosystem and its mission to help entrepreneurs make key decisions.
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Ronen Nir to no longer be involved in new Viola investments
Ronen Nir, Managing Partner at Viola Ventures, will no longer participate in the firm’s new investments but will remain active with past investments. Nirs decision to reduce his activity in the fund comes after running for the position of CEO of the Israel Innovation Authority. Viola Ventures, founded in 2000, has invested in several prominent tech companies and raised $200 million for its most recent fund in 2017. The company stated that Nir will continue to be an active partner in the current fund.
Management Changes
Viola Ventures is Seeking Technologies that Combine AI and Fundamental Scientific Disciplines
Israeli startup Immunai, which is developing a technological platform to map the entire immune system for better detection, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, has raised $20 million in a seed round led by Viola Ventures and TLV Partners. Zvika Orron, a partner at Viola Ventures, believes that Immunai has the potential to disrupt the entire pharmaceutical ecosystem, similar to how Mobileye disrupted the automotive industry. The company leverages AI, single-cell technologies, and machine learning algorithms to build the largest proprietary data set in the world for clinical immunological data. Orron also expressed Viola Ventures interest in computational biology and their intention to continue investing in the field.
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Even After Covid-19, Zoom and Work From Home Are Here To Stay, Says Viola Ventures' Danny Cohen
Danny Cohen, general partner at Israeli early-stage venture capital firm Viola Ventures, believes that Zoom and working from home will continue even after the COVID-19 pandemic subsides. He also predicts that the growth of e-commerce, which has been the only option during the pandemic, will continue. Viola Ventures, founded in 2013, has over $1.3 billion in assets under management and has invested in companies such as Payoneer Inc.
Customers
Adapting to a New Normal Is the Key to Economic Recovery
Ronen Nir, general partner at Viola Ventures, discusses the lessons learned from the coronavirus pandemic and the need for companies to adapt to the new normal. He breaks down the business challenges into three stages, with the third stage focusing on working with a diminished budget and analyzing macro developments. Nir emphasizes the importance of target markets outside of Israel for Israeli startups and predicts a U-shaped recovery for markets, with significant growth not expected until 2021. He advises companies to take a safety margin and potentially raise money, even if it affects their valuation, to weather the storm. Nir also believes that the pandemic is accelerating existing trends, such as remote work and developments in the health industry.
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CTalk: More Israeli Companies Will IPO in 2020, Says Viola Ventures' Danny Cohen
Danny Cohen, a partner at Viola Ventures, stated that in 2019, fewer Israeli companies went public than expected. However, he predicts that more Israeli companies will attempt an initial public offering in 2020. Cohen also mentioned that for Israeli companies to have a larger number of companies valued at over $1 billion, they need to expand beyond the cybersecurity and devOps fields.
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Innovation nation: Viola Ventures' Ronen Nir on the evolution of Israeli VC PitchBook
The article discusses the growth and evolution of the Israeli VC ecosystem, with a focus on Viola Ventures. Viola Ventures, formerly known as Carmel Ventures, has become an industry leader with over $3 billion in assets under management. The article highlights the three decades of growth in the Israeli VC industry, starting with successful government intervention in the 1990s. The rise of cloud computing and the ability to market and sell products online has transformed Israel from a startup nation to a scale-up nation. The article also mentions the abundance of capital and talent in Israel, as well as the focus on overseas markets, particularly the US and Asia. Viola Ventures emphasizes the importance of being selective in investments and the need to address mid-term risks, such as political instability.
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Israel's Viola Ventures closes $170m VC fund
Viola Ventures, formerly Carmel Ventures, has announced its new fund with commitments of over $170M towards a target of $200 million. This is the fifth fund raised by Viola Ventures, which now has over $1 billion in assets under management. The fund was raised from a significant number of returning investors as well as selected new investors from the US, Asia, Europe, and Israel. Viola Ventures has also expanded its partners team with the addition of Omry Ben David and Zvika Orron. Viola Ventures is part of the Viola Group, Israels largest tech investment group with $2.8 billion assets under management. The company is doubling down on its commitment to support Israeli entrepreneurs and build global technology leaders.
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Carmel Ventures raises $194m Fund IV
Israeli venture capital firm Carmel Ventures has announced the final closing of its latest investment fund, Carmel Ventures IV, with total commitments of $194 million. The fund will be invested in early-stage transformative technology companies in high growth sectors. Several Asian strategic investors, including Baidu, Ping-An, and Qihoo360, have joined the new fund. Carmel Ventures manages over $800 million of investor capital and is invested in 35 active companies.
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