Meet Lital Leshem, the battlefield-tested investor reshaping Israel’s defense tech future.

From Gaza to global VC, Lital is now leading a $150M fund investing in unmanned systems, AI, sensors, and satellite comms - and she’s not shy about what’s broken in our defense ecosystem or who’s to blame.

🎙️ In this sit-down with Yoel Israel, she talks:
- Why Europe’s defense panic is Israel’s moment to lead
- What went wrong on October 7th - and how we fix it
- How she’s turning Iron Dome innovators into global unicorns
🔥Plus: the controversial reason she says world peace could kill her fund...

👀 Watch now and let us know: Can a startup save a country? Or is defense tech the only real path to peace?

About Lital Leshem

Lital Leshem is an American-Israeli entrepreneur, corporate advisor, and Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, known for her expertise in rapidly scaling startups. She is a founding member of the UAE-Israel Business Council and brings a decade of cross-sector leadership in tech, defense, and innovation.

Lital co-founded Carbyne, an emergency communications technology company that has raised $128 million from investors including AT&T Ventures, Hanaco VC, and Founders Fund.

She previously served as a Partner at Frontier Resource Group, leading strategic investments in defense, aviation, and cybersecurity across emerging markets.

A Major (Res.) in the IDF Southern Command, Lital has 11 years of military and intelligence experience and has actively served in the reserves since October 7th.

In response to the events of October 7th, she and her co-founder Lee Moser launched Protego Ventures - a $150 million early growth fund investing in Israeli defense tech. The fund supports innovation in sensors, big data, AI, UAVs, and dual-use technologies with commercial and military impact.

About Protego Ventures

Protego Ventures is a $150 million defense technology fund based in Israel, created to address urgent security needs in Israel and globally. In light of growing geopolitical instability and the rising demand for advanced, battle-tested solutions, Protego invests in early growth-stage companies developing technologies in AI, cybersecurity, sensors, and UAVs.

With deep ties to Israel’s innovation ecosystem and a strong global network, Protego helps its portfolio companies align with government priorities, secure contracts, and scale. The fund aims to advance both national security and investor value by backing dual-use technologies with real-world impact.

This Week in Israeli Tech News

1. eToro Closes Landmark $620M Nasdaq IPO

   The Israeli investment platform just made waves on Wall Street with one of the biggest IPOs of the year, reaching a $4.3B valuation.

2. AI21 Labs Raises $300M to Build Reliable Enterprise-Grade AI

   The Tel Aviv-based LLM pioneer is shifting the AI race from size to trust, building dependable models for business-critical use cases.

3. PhaseV Secures $50M Series A to Accelerate AI-Powered Clinical Trials

   The clinical AI startup is transforming how pharma and biotech run trials - already used by 30+ global organizations.

4. Somite AI Raises $47M Series A to Advance AI-Driven Cell Therapy
   Reimagining regenerative medicine, Somite is developing an AI platform to generate any human cell on demand.

5. Kela Emerges from Stealth with $39M to Modernize Battlefield Tech
   This Israeli defense tech startup fuses commercial AI, sensors, and edge tech into battlefield systems - at startup speed.

6. IBM’s Red Hat Acquires AI Startup Jounce for $20M
   Just one year out of stealth, Jounce exits to Red Hat to power next-gen modular AI cloud infrastructure.

7. Celery Raises $6.25M to Automate Financial Oversight with AI
   This fintech startup is bringing AI agents to industries like healthcare and construction, replacing manual audits.

8. Mentaily Raises $3M to Expand AI-Powered Mental Health Support
   Founded post-Oct. 7, Mentaily’s LIV platform is tackling mental health access with intelligent virtual assessments.

9. Ramon.Space Signs $70M Deal with Eutelsat-OneWeb for Satellite Comms

   Haifa-based proteanTecs, founded by Mellanox veterans, is revolutionizing chip monitoring and reducing AI server power consumption by up to 14%.
   Ramon.Space, a long-standing player in Israel’s space-tech scene, has secured its largest agreement to date - supplying advanced onboard processing systems to European satellite provider Eutelsat-OneWeb.

10. Classiq Raises $110M to Power the Future of Quantum Software

    Tel Aviv-based Classiq is building the foundational software layer for quantum computers, making algorithm development more accessible across industries.

Come Get Featured:

IsraelTech will at Yozmatech’s Squad Up: Empowered & Performing Teams on May 20th, and at Axis Tel Aviv on May 22nd, where our very own Yoel Israel will be the featured MC.

Come say hi - and you might just be featured on IsraelTech.
See you there!

Culture Corner

Herzog Congratulates New Pope, Plans to Attend Ceremony

President Isaac Herzog congratulated the new Pope Leo XIV - Cardinal Robert Prevost of the U.S. - on his historic election as the first American pope. In a statement from Jerusalem, Herzog expressed hope for strengthened ties between Israel and the Vatican, and called for the return of hostages and peace in the region. He is expected to attend the pope’s official inauguration next week, joining other global leaders. Herzog was the only Israeli official to issue condolences after Pope Francis’s death, amid tensions over Vatican criticism of Israel’s war in Gaza.

Listen to the full story

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