HUJI VC Club

We are thrilled to welcome back Lior Handelsman, GP at Grove Ventures, founder at SolarEdge Technologies, and a global leader in the tech and renewable energy sectors, to HUJI VC Club for the second time! 🎉  Lior's journey began in the IDF's 81 intelligence unit, paving the way for an incredible career that led him to co-found SolarEdge Technologies. During his remarkable 17-year tenure as co-founder and VP of Marketing & Product Strategy, he played a pivotal role in transforming SolarEdge Technologies into a global leader in renewable energy technologies. Lior's expertise in marketing, product management, and business development has been pivotal in shaping the company’s success. 🌍💡 Now, as a General Partner at Grove Ventures, Lior focuses on nurturing early-stage startups, particularly in deep tech and climate innovation within the Israeli ecosystem. With Grove managing over $500M in AUM (notable companies include NoTraffic, Teramount, Protai, Wiliot, Nucleai, Lumigo, and much more), Lior continues to empower entrepreneurs to build groundbreaking solutions that address some of the world’s most pressing challenges. ♻️⚡ ⏩ Lior’s previous session with us highlighted his journey and the key strategies behind his success, emphasizing the importance of adaptability, deep market analysis, making strategic investments, and how to stay resilient in difficult times. Lior is not only a talented investor, technologist, and businessman but also a great person to collaborate with. 𝐖𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 Grove Ventures 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 – 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐫. Join us in welcoming Lior back to HUJI VC Club for another incredible session! 🌟🙌 #RenewableEnergy #VentureCapital #Startups #Entrepreneurship #ClimateTech #DeepTech #IsraelTech #GroveVentures #Innovation #Sustainability Dov Moran Lotan Levkowitz Renana Ashkenazi Tal Abuloff Or Git

Bridging the Gap in Defense Tech Innovation 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤, 𝐰𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐃𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 Office of the Prime Minister of Israel 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐞. 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝑫𝒆𝒇𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒆 𝑻𝒆𝒄𝒉? Defense Tech integrates data, sensors, and advanced solutions to create smarter, more connected warfare systems. Current global conflicts—Russia-Ukraine, Middle East tensions, and China-Taiwan - have amplified its importance and funding. 𝑲𝒆𝒚 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒔 1️⃣ Cultural Gaps: Misalignment between defense organizations (at the prime minister office) and the tech ecosystem creates collaboration barriers for startups. 2️⃣ Long Sales Cycles: Bureaucracy within defense systems slows adoption, requiring persistence. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑹𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑰𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 Innovation teams bridge internal and external worlds, driving the adoption of technologies like AI and Quantum Computing while fostering understanding between stakeholders. This session underscored that Defense Tech isn’t just about technology—it’s about uniting people and processes to create smarter, safer solutions. 𝘋𝘶𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘴. 𝘈𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘭𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. #DefenseTech #Innovation #AI #QuantumComputing #Leadership

Last week, we had the privilege of hosting Hadar Siterman Norris (for a second round!!), Partner at Team8, for an incredible lecture at the HUJI VC Club. Hadar shared her experience in #fintech and #VC, and we walked away with valuable insights, here are some: ✅ Team8’s Unique Approach: We learned about Team8’s innovative model of combining in-house expertise with a global network to help early-stage #startups succeed. Hadar shared how this approach helps companies not just survive, but thrive in the competitive startup landscape. ✅ Israeli Fintech Trends: Hadar shared insights into the Israeli fintech ecosystem from 2019-2020, where a strong culture of innovation and the fear of missing out #FOMO have led to the rapid emergence and #acquisition of #fintech companies like Melio, Lemonade, nCino, Inc., and Plaid. ✅ The Role of Investor Leads in Funding Rounds: In venture capital funding, the investor lead plays a central role in determining the terms of the deal, including the size of the round. They contribute significantly to the round's capital and often take a seat on the board, influencing company direction. 🙏 ✅Niche vs. Generalist Funds: While vertical funds like Team8 focus on specific sectors, generalist funds might take a broader approach. Team8’s specialization in #fintech, #cybersecurity, and #data ensures that they have a deep understanding of the market, making them more effective investors. ✅Predictions for the Future of Fintech: The fintech market is expected to continue its rapid growth, driven by advancements in #technology, regulatory changes, and an increasing global need for efficient financial solutions. 💹 A huge thank you to Hadar Siterman Norris for sharing her expertise with us and inspiring us to think bigger about the potential of fintech and venture capital. We continue to learn and grow our knowledge each week! Thank you for sticking with us for Y2 of the program! ...And for the CLUB - Stay tuned for the surprise next week... we can't say more than that 😶 #Fintech #VentureCapital #Team8 #Innovation #Startups #Investing #TechForGood #HUJIVCClub

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐂 𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐛 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐀 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 🚀🎉 As we kick off the new academic year, the VC Club is thrilled to announce the start of our programs across all campuses. Our mission to bridge the gap between academia and the venture capital industry continues to drive our initiatives, providing students with unparalleled opportunities to engage with industry leaders, gain practical experience, and develop entrepreneurial skills. 𝐀𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬 🗺️ 📍RUNI VC Club has officially kicked off its 6th cohort! Following the kick-off event featuring Eddy Shalev, over 220 applications were received, demonstrating outstanding motivation and skills. After a thorough selection process, 37 exceptional students have officially joined the club. The first event is scheduled for this Tuesday, featuring networking and a surprise workshop to boost their careers. 📍 HUJI VC Club launched its 2nd year! The club kicked off with two exciting meetings: the first featured Zaki Djemal, Founder of Fresh.Fund, and the second with Hadar Siterman Norris, Partner at Team8 Capital. The syllabus for the year has been published and looks fantastic! 📍 COLMAN VC Club kicked off its 3rd year with an opening event featuring an engaging interview with Yasmin Lukatz, attended by 150 students. Nearly 200 students have submitted their applications, and interviews are currently in progress. 📍 TAU VC Club is launching its 3rd year! Registration for interviews and the upcoming kick off event is still open. The event is scheduled for Tuesday, 26.11. link in the comments. 📍 Technion VC Club is back with its 2nd cohort! With over 100 candidates, interviews are underway, and preparations are in full swing for next week’s launch event. Check out their new “VC 101” guide on LinkedIn, link in the comments. A huge shoutout to the amazing club managers who will be leading their campuses this year: 🔹Reichman University - Tomer Shoolman , Idan Dadon, Ruth Steinberg, Litan Cherikover, Itai Na'eh 🔹Hebrew University - Yarin Meirovich, Yarden Ashuach, Rona Yaniv, Ella Beit On, Einav Raviv, Idan Keynan, Lior Danai 🔹College of Management Academic Studies - Yair Gluska, Hani Pardilov, Idan Goldovsky, Roy Ravid, Yoad Admoni, Guy Yashar 🔹Tel Aviv University - Guy Negri, Roee Galai, Stav Akler, Roee Kaplun 🔹Technion - Ilan Zendel, Amit Ben-Tzvi, Shaked Cohen, Roee Bar רואי בר, Orel Rahmany, Noam Keren Thank you for your dedication and leadership as we embark on another exciting year together! 🌟 #VentureCapital #Entrepreneurship #הוןסיכון #VC #innovation

We’re beyond excited to welcome back Hadar Siterman Norris from Team8 as our guest lecturer for the second cohort of HUJI VC Club! 💡 After an incredible first session last year, Hadar is returning to share her deep knowledge and experience in #Fintech and #VentureCapital. 🌟 Hadar is one of the leading experts in Israel in fintech investments, with an impressive journey that spans the world of finance and tech. Hadar holds a B.A. in Economics and Philosophy from Ben-Gurion University, followed by an MBA from Columbia University Business School in New York. 🌍📚 After her studies, Hadar joined Mastercard, where she held key roles in investment, product, and account management, working across both the US and European markets. At Mastercard, Hadar led $50M+ equity investments into leading fintech companies, negotiating commercial agreements worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Now, as part of Team8, Hadar is focused on leading Seed and Series A fintech investments, helping startups navigate the early stages of growth with strategic backing.  Team8 is a pioneering VC known for empowering entrepreneurs in #Cybersecurity, #AI, #DigitalHealth, and of course, #Fintech, with a unique company-building approach. What We Learned from Hadar last time:   Last year, Hadar gave us incredible insights into the world of fintech - from how fintech companies provide solutions to complex financial problems to her experience investing in leading global startups. Some key takeaways included: ✅ Fintech's Global Impact: Hadar shared how fintech is reshaping industries globally, particularly in B2B payments and supply chain finance.   ✅ Navigating Investments: We learned how to evaluate startups for potential investments, especially in high-growth sectors like fintech, where technology meets finance.   ✅ Team8’s Strategic Edge: Hadar explained how Team8 combines in-house expertise with a global network to help early-stage startups succeed. We’re thrilled to have her back to dive deeper into these topics and hear her fresh perspectives on the latest trends in fintech and VC. 💡🎯 #HUJI #FintechExpert #Team8 #VentureCapital #StartupGrowth

This week, we had the pleasure of welcoming Zaki Djemal back to HUJI VC Club. Zaki’s unique journey and perspectives brought us fresh insights and practical takeaways. Here are a few highlights: 💡 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩?  Zaki reshaped our view of startups, describing them as agile, temporary organizations aiming to achieve repeatability and scalability amid constant uncertainty. ☘ 𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 Startups operate in “search mode,” where taking calculated risks is part of the path to exponential growth. 📉 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐫 𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐬𝐫𝐚𝐞𝐥’𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐞 When a student asked about the effects of the ongoing conflict on Israel's investment scene, Zaki acknowledged a slowdown but emphasized the market's resilience. Interestingly, some investments are emerging not in spite of the situation but because of it. 🔥 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬:  #DefenseTech has become a focal point, attracting attention and investment during this period, highlighting the adaptability and resilience of Israel's startup ecosystem. 📈 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 𝐯𝐬. 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬   Zaki pointed out that successful startups often prioritize rapid scaling, even operating at a loss initially, while traditional businesses typically aim for steady, lower-risk growth. The session was packed with valuable insights for anyone in the startup ecosystem, from founders to investors. A big thank you to Zaki Djemal and for joining us again! And a warm welcome to the 45 new students who have joined us from across the campus. This is just the beginning 🚀 Fresh Fund ASPER-HUJI Innovate #Startups #VentureCapital #Growth #FreshFund #Entrepreneurship #Investing #Scalability #DefenseTech #Innovation

🥁🥁 We’re thrilled to welcome back Zaki Djemal who returns for the second year in a row as our first guest lecturer to kick off our new program! 🎉! 🥁🥁 Zaki Djemal is the Founder and Managing Partner of Fresh Fund After beginning his career as a correspondent for Galei Tzahal, Zaki pursued his BA at Harvard University.  During his time at Harvard, he founded two startups, Menschmark and Tadar, which operated quickly, establishing himself as a leader in the tech space and earning him a place in the prestigious Forbes 30 under 30 list! 🔥 At just 28, Zaki returned to Israel, settling in Jerusalem, where he founded Fresh Fund. The fund, which at it’s early days, focused on discovering the next wave of student-led innovations, invests in some of the most promising early-stage startups in Israel, including Remilk (a lab-grown dairy pioneer 🧑🔬🥛), PayEm, and Wisor.AI. 💡 Last year, Zaki's lecture was a game-changer for our members, where he shared about: 💥 Product-Market Fit: Building something people truly need and want to pay for. 💥 Early-Stage Funding: Understanding how to navigate pre-seed, seed, and what is needed from both the entrepreneur and the investor in such early stages. 💥 Startup Risks: Embracing uncertainty and thriving in “search mode.” 💥 Strong Opinions, Loosely Held: The importance of staying flexible in decision-making. We are thrilled and excited to start this year with the chance to learn from one of the most innovative minds in VC. Let’s give a warm welcome to Zaki Djemal as he joins us for another round of incredible insights! 🔑🎓

🚀 HUJI VC Club: Kicking Off the Second Year! 🚀 This Tuesday marks our first session, and after a great online reunion, we’re ready to dive into an incredible lineup of guest lectures and hands-on learning experiences. 💼✨ On This Year’s Syllabus: 🔹 Zaki Djemal - Founder of Fresh.Fund. Returning for the second time, Zaki will be kicking off our journey with a deep dive into Product-Market Fit and navigating early-stage funding. His talk last year on startup risks and flexible decision-making set the tone for our members, and we’re excited to learn more! 🔹 Hadar Siterman Norris - Partner at Team8 Capital. One of Israel's top fintech investors, Hadar brings invaluable insights from her experience with Mastercard and Team8. Her focus this year will be on the global impact of fintech and strategies for evaluating startup investments in high-growth sectors. 🔹 Harel Beit-On - Co-Founder of Viola Group. Harel will explore his unique approach to building long-lasting ventures and the macroeconomic factors shaping venture capital today. His views on AI and deep tech’s future were transformative last year, and we look forward to more! 🔹 Lior Handelsman - Grove Ventures. For the mix of entrepreneur and investor POVs - Lior is a leader in renewable energy and tech. As a co-founder of SolarEdge Technologies and as a partner at Grove Ventures, Lior brings a wealth of knowledge in deep tech and climate innovation. 🔹 Exclusive VC Tours Herzog Senior Management – Herzog will host us for a special Legal Tour + Drinks in TLV! We will Get insights from Yoni Frider, Gil White, and Dan Sharot into the legal side of venture capital with exclusive access to Herzog’s senior management team. JVP Tour – Featuring Erel N. Margalit, Yoav Tzruya, Gadi Porat, and more at JVP for a firsthand look into one of Israel's top VC firms - located in our university city, JERUSALEM! Follow Us on This Journey! 🌱 This year is all about learning, growth, and new opportunities. Our new members - Get ready for an amazing semester of deep insights, valuable networking, and hands-on experience with some of the best minds in venture capital. 💡🔥 And lastly - HUGE thanks to EVERYONE who made this happen - from the speakers to our mentors and the people who chose to stick with us - you are investing in the young generation of leaders, and that is incredibly meaningful for us. 🚀 Get Ready for a Year of Knowledge, Networking, and Growth! Let’s get to work.

Wishing a successful and safe  2024-2025 Academic Year! 🤓 As we begin this new academic year, for our second cohort - we’re thrilled to welcome 45 new students into the club! 👀 And… Fun Fact ! We have 3 PhD students and 5 Master's students on board! 🌟 👉 The plan for this year? From insightful speaker events to practical workshops, our agenda is packed with learning experiences designed to prepare you for the fast-paced VC ecosystem. Some of the top-tier firms you'll be meeting this year include: 🔹 Fresh Fund 🔹 Pitango 🔹 Team8 🔹 Viola Growth 🔹Grove Ventures 🔹 Herzog 🔹 JVP ….and many more! 🤞 With that, we cannot ignore the difficult times we are in. The ongoing situation has affected us all - from loss and hardship to many of our peers being called up for reserve duty. We want to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude to those serving and protecting our country. You are always in our thoughts. 💙 For those who started the academic year today, we wish you a peaceful and meaningful journey. Let’s stand together, support one another, and continue moving forward while keeping the Israeli economy thriving, even in challenging times. Here’s to a year of learning, resilience, and making an impact! 💼✨ And ofcourse - May all hostages be home soon.🎗️

We are excited to introduce Asher Aharonov as the next host of HUJI VC Club's 'Meet the Member' series 🎉 Asher recently completed his first year studying Economics and the MATAR excellence program. He’s passionate about financial systems and markets and is currently working as a financial analyst at oinc, where he focuses on financial modeling and planning. As part of our series, Asher delves into Luminescent, an Israeli startup transforming waste heat into clean energy through its innovative and world's first isothermal engine⚡ 𝐄𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲!