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- Is FinTech Israel’s Real Crown Jewel? ft. Adi Levanon from Selah Ventures
Is FinTech Israel’s Real Crown Jewel? ft. Adi Levanon from Selah Ventures
This Week in IsraelTech - FinTech Grows, Even If Banks Don’t, ft. Adi Levanon from Selah Ventures
FinTech Grows, Even If Banks Don’t, ft. Adi Levanon from Selah Ventures
Most people think cyber is Israel’s crown jewel, but is FinTech quietly winning the long game? Adi Levanon is the founder of Selah Ventures and one of the few solo GPs shaking up Israel’s VC scene. In this episode, she shares why FinTech - not cyber - might be Israel’s best-kept secret, how she wrote her first $500K check without flinching, and what the rise of FinTech defense means for the global fight against financial crime. We dive into:
Building a fund from scratch as a solo GP
Why Israeli FinTech is quietly outperforming cyber
FinTech trends, founder traits, and fundraising truths
Why she’s betting on behavioral finance, compliance, and infrastructure
What VCs won’t tell you about partnerships, politics, and power
Should Israel be investing more in FinTech than Cyber? Let us know.
Shorts of the Week
If You Crash, Your Startup Crashes with You. ft. Alon Leibovich of Ignite DeepTech
Haredim Aren’t Israel’s Diversity Problem, They’re the Missed Opportunity ft Yitzik Crombie of MeGo
Israeli Tech Is Outgrowing Its Old Comparisons ft. Yuval Illuz of OurCrowd
This Week in Israeli Tech News
Appcharge Raises $58M to Slash Mobile Gaming Payment Fees
The Israeli startup is helping game developers keep more of their revenue with branded web stores that bypass Apple and Google’s 30% cut, charging just 5%.
Diginex to Acquire Findings for $305M
UK compliance solutions firm Diginex is set to buy Israeli cybersecurity company Findings, which helps enterprises rapidly assess and manage supply chain cyber and compliance risks.
Team8 Capital Targeting $250–300M for Third Fund
The VC arm of Team8 Group is moving quickly to close its largest fund yet, backing startups in cyber, data, fintech, and digital health.
NeoLogic Secures $10M to Build Power-Efficient Server CPUs
NeoLogic’s CMOS+ chip design promises up to 3x fewer transistors, 40% smaller processors, and massive power savings for data centers.
Elbit Systems Lands $1.6B European Defense Contract
The deal swells Elbit’s backlog to $23.8B, with deliveries of precision strike systems, drones, EW tech, and C4ISR solutions over five years.
Israel Launches A 40M NIS Space Tech R&D Lab
The Israel Space Agency and Israel Innovation Authority are teaming up to build a national lab that will give startups and mature companies a cheaper, faster path to launch their technologies into orbit.
Advent to Acquire Sapiens for $2.5B, Taking Israeli-Linked Insurtech Private
Sapiens, dual-listed in Tel Aviv and Nasdaq, is one of Israel’s most valuable tech-linked insurance software firms. The deal will deliver a 64% premium to shareholders, with Formula Systems and top Israeli institutional investors among the biggest beneficiaries.
Culture Corner
Archaeologists at Tel Shiloh believe they have found the location where the Ark of the Covenant once stood. The ark is described in the bible as a gold covered chest holding the Ten Commandments, matching what was recently found at the site. Archeologists uncovered a stone believed to be from the Iron Age I which consists of the biblical dimensions and east west orientation of the Mishkan. The layout even has a two to one ratio exactly as described in the Torah. Matching the laws in Vayikra 7, The team also found over one hundred thousand animal bones, mostly right side portions of sheep, goats, and cattle. The right side portions of the animals were reserved for strictly priestly sacrifices at the time. Pottery found from the same era also supports the connection to the Tabernacle’s nearly four hundred year presence in Shiloh, and a massive inner wall dividing the space aligns with Shemot 26’s description of the curtain separating the Holy of Holies where the Ark rested. Archeologists believe that the overwhelming amount of evidence discovered at this site matches the biblical account in a way that is hard to ignore.
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