Has New York Replaced Silicon Valley for Israeli Founders?

For years, Israeli tech has often been described as a single, unified ecosystem. Today, that narrative is evolving.

In this episode, Eyal Bino, founding partner of 97212 Ventures, explores how New York has emerged as a critical tech hub for Israeli founders outside of Israel - and how this global expansion is opening new pathways for growth, collaboration, and impact across the Israeli tech ecosystem.

If you think success comes down to talent alone, this episode will challenge you.

What we cover:
- Why New York, not Silicon Valley, is becoming the default second home for Israeli startups
- How Israeli founders change when they live in New York and what they lose and gain
- The uncomfortable role luck plays in venture capital and why few people admit it
- Why many VCs say they help founders but don't deliver when it matters
- What a real day-one partner actually does beyond writing a check
- Why branding as a “New York company” matters more than people want to admit
- How introductions, trust, and timing beat pitch decks and cold emails
- Why the venture model may be misaligned with founders and where it is cracking

This episode is for founders who are tired of recycled advice and investors who know the real game is rarely discussed in public.

Shorts of the Week

Why Israeli Founders Struggle ft. Nina Raab of LionRun Consulting

Innovation under the stars ft. Sivan Cohen Shachar of DeserTech

Israel built cyber talent in the army. AI will be built somewhere else. ft. Hanan Brand of the Israel Innovation Authority

Why do some good startups get blocked in VC meetings? ft. Adi Levanon of Selah Ventures

This Week in Israeli Tech News

1. Striker Venture Partners Commits $165M to Early-Stage Cyber and AI, With Israel at the Core

   New Silicon Valley fund Striker Venture Partners set aside up to half of its $165M fund for Israeli startups, backing a tightly focused model of large pre-revenue investments in cyber and AI. The firm plans to support just 10 companies from inception.

   The fund is led by former CRV partners Matan Lamdan, who oversees Israeli and cyber investments, and Max Gazor, bringing deep experience in early-stage scaling.

   
   

   

2. Mobileye Pushes Beyond Vehicles With $900M Bet on Humanoid Robotics

   Mobileye announced its acquisition of Mentee Robotics, extending its autonomy stack from cars into general-purpose humanoid robots. The move brings together Mobileye’s safety-first AI and large-scale production expertise with Mentee’s simulation-driven, vertically integrated humanoid platform.

3. Fireblocks Expands Into Crypto Accounting With $130M TRES Finance Acquisition

   Fireblocks moved to close a key gap in its enterprise crypto platform by acquiring TRES Finance, bringing accounting, reporting, and treasury visibility directly into its infrastructure. The deal reflects how crypto firms are increasingly operating under fintech and public-market expectations.

4. IL Ventures Scales Up With $100M Fund to Back Deep Tech at the Seed Stage

   IL Ventures is raising a second, significantly larger fund as it doubles down on robotics, industrial AI, logistics, and supply-chain innovation. The firm continues to focus on founders applying advanced technology to traditionally non-digital industries.

5. AppsFlyer Nears Major Private Equity Transaction After Profitable Growth Phase

   AppsFlyer entered advanced talks for a potential $2.5–$3B acquisition, following a period of sustained profitability and growth that pushed annual recurring revenue past $500M. The company has long been viewed as a cornerstone of Israel’s global SaaS footprint.

Culture Corner

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and his family uncovered ancient Jewish history this past week while touring near Na’aleh, northeast of Modi’in in central Israel. Exploring a previously unknown cave, they found pottery fragments and five coins believed to date back to the Bar-Kokhba revolt nearly 1,900 years ago, when Jews were hiding from Roman forces. Archaeologists say the cave likely served as a refugee shelter during that uprising. The discovery came during a Yesha Council tour designed to strengthen ties between Israel and its supporters in the United States, and included a visit to biblical Shiloh (where the tabernacle was held for some 400 years before Jerusalem became the capitol). Israeli officials called the find a powerful reminder of the deep Jewish connection to the land — and one of the most unusual diplomatic moments of the year.

Listen to the full podcast episode here

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