From Cybersecurity to Sneakers: The Next Israeli Unicorns

Everyone talks about Israel’s cybersecurity and defense tech, but what about consumer brands?

Danny Cohen, Co-Founder & General Partner at Sticker Ventures and former GP at Viola Ventures, joins Yoel Israel to explain why he launched Israel’s first VC dedicated to B2C. From mattresses to gaming apps, Cohen argues that Israel’s next global hits won’t come from cyber, but from consumer creativity mixed with data-driven performance marketing.

We cover:
- Why Israel is uniquely positioned for B2C success
- The surprising IPOs and exits you’ve missed
- How ex-8200 talent is redefining consumer marketing
- Why Israel needs more consumer success stories to inspire the next wave

Do you think B2C is the next big thing for Israel?

Hosted by Yoel Israel

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Shorts of the Week

2D Cameras are Done ft. Omer David Keilaf of Innoviz Technologies

Scaling Personal Relationships & Networking the Right Way ft. Chaim Simcha

What do beer tanks and life-saving medicine have in common? ft. Eran Miller of MNDL Bio

Why Do Israeli Startups Get Stuck at the Starting Line? ft. Greta Yulish of Reichman University

This Week in Israeli Tech News

Last week, Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, founder of Pershing Square Capital, opened the trading day at the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange and announced his intention to invest $1 billion in Israeli companies.

This move follows his acquisition of a 5% stake in the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) alongside his wife, Neri Oxman, in January 2024.

Ackman, a vocal advocate for Israel, stated his interest in supporting Israeli startups, including through his SPARC entity, designed to take large companies public. He shared his enthusiasm for Israel’s potential for long-term growth, noting that Pershing Square sees great opportunities for the country’s innovation sector.

Ackman also expressed optimism about Israel's future, stating that he believes the country is on the path to prosperity and peace, especially with the anticipated expansion of the Abraham Accords.

1. proteanTecs Raises $51M Backed by Arm, Samsung, and Siemens

   Haifa-based proteanTecs closed a $51M Series D led by IAG Capital Partners, with new strategic investors including Arm, Samsung Catalyst Fund, and Siemens. The deep-data chip monitoring company has now raised over $250M to expand globally across automotive, cloud, and telecom.

2. Red Access Raises $17M to Secure Browsers & SaaS Apps

   Tel Aviv-based Red Access closed a $17M Series A to expand in the U.S. and advance its agentless browser/SaaS security platform. It protects any session without agents or extensions and already covers hundreds of thousands of users.

3. Koi Raises $48M to Tackle Endpoint Blind Spots

   Founded in 2024 by 8200 alumni Amit Assaraf, Idan Dardikman, and Itay Kruk, Koi raised $48M across seed and Series A (including $38M in the A). Its AI-first risk engine “Wings” blocks unmanaged, self-installed software before it reaches enterprise endpoints - already securing 500K+ worldwide.

4. NeuroKaire Launches BrightKaire Clinical Test in the U.S.

   NeuroKaire has launched BrightKaire™, a blood-based test that helps clinicians match patients with the right antidepressant. The test, now orderable in the U.S. following CMS regulatory approval, is projected to cut months of trial-and-error and save $16B annually in treatment costs.

5. Israel Innovation Authority Commits $70M to Deep-Tech VC Funds

   The Israel Innovation Authority launched a ₪250M (~$70M) Yozma track to back Israeli VCs with grants up to $10M each.

6. Hush Security Raises $11M to Ditch Secrets and Vaults

   Fresh out of stealth, Tel Aviv’s Hush Security is tackling machine identity head-on with a secretless, policy-based access platform. Forget vaults, forget static secrets - this team is pushing runtime, just-in-time controls built for the AI era.

Culture Corner

Rare Gold Coin of Queen Berenice Unearthed in Jerusalem Archaeologists in the City of David have uncovered a 2,200-year-old pure gold coin depicting Queen Berenice II of Egypt, wife of Ptolemy III. Only 20 such coins are known worldwide, and this is the first ever discovered in a controlled excavation outside Egypt. The coin, likely minted in Alexandria, may have been used to reward soldiers after the Third Syrian War. Its discovery challenges long-held beliefs that Jerusalem was weak and marginal after the First Temple’s destruction, instead revealing a city rebuilding ties with major powers of the era. The find offers rare evidence of Berenice’s political power, showing her name inscribed as a ruler in her own right. The coin will go on public display in early September at the City of David Research Conference.

Learn more

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