The unique model of this text was revealed on Linkedin.
Should you’re new right here, the phrase “Firgun” (pronounced ‘feer-goon’) is a casual fashionable Hebrew time period and idea in Israeli tradition (initially Yiddish), which describes real, unselfish delight or pleasure within the accomplishment of the opposite individual. It’s the other of “schadenfreude” (which stands for being glad for another person’s misfortune). Firgun is all about genuinely feeling and expressing happiness, pleasure, or admiration for members of our group’s accomplishments, success and wins. Extra about Firgun and why it issues on VC Cafe: https://lnkd.in/dg2a86p
Yesterday was Worldwide Holocaust Remembrance Day. In Israel, the day is marked by a Siren, during which automobiles pull over on the freeway and everybody stands stills for a minute to recollect the 6 million Jews that had been slaughtered. However it looks as if the phrases ‘by no means once more’ or ‘always remember’ appear hole, in mild of the worldwide rise in Antisemitism. It’s an excellent reminder of the significance of the State of Israel for Jews worldwide, and the truth that there are nonetheless 59 Israeli hostages held in G**a. We should #BRINGTHEMHOME ??
Based on the Q1 2025 studies revealed up to now couple of weeks, Israeli funding reached $3.2 billion, a 12% enhance from This fall 2024. It was the primary quarter of development since Q2 2024, regardless of a decrease spherical rely (185 rounds recorded). M&A exercise soared to $35.7 billion, pushed by the $32 billion buy of Wiz and Munich Re’s $2.6 billion acquisition of Subsequent Insurance coverage. These high-profile transactions underscore sturdy international urge for food for Israeli innovation and reaffirm Israel’s pivotal position within the international M&A area.
Within the international tech world, for the primary time in roughly 5 years, OpenAI is gearing as much as launch an AI system that’s actually “open,” that means it’ll be out there for obtain without charge and never gated behind an API. Google advised workers that had been beforehand absolutely distant that they need to transfer to hybrid with 3 days every week within the workplace (or threat getting let go). The corporate reported that it’s AI summaries at the moment are being utilized by 1.5 billion month-to-month customers. Adobe introduced the mixing of image-generation AI fashions from OpenAI and Google into its Firefly app. OpenAI stated it might be involved in Chrome if courtroom orders Google spin-off. Character.AI unveiled AvatarFX for cinematic video era. Descript launched and AI-powered agentic video editor. PlayAI launched instantaneous voice cloning expertise. krea.ai can now generate 3D environments from textual content/photographs. Higgsfield AI launched a brand new Turbo mannequin for sooner and cheaper AI video generations. Tesla working revenue is down 71% and Elon stated he’ll step down from DOGE in Might to give attention to his companies.
Chinese language AI corporations proceed to launch highly effective AI modles: Alibaba Group launched a 14B-parameter open-source video mannequin and Baidu, Inc. unveiled Ernie 4.5 Turbo, Ernie X1 Turbo, and Xinxiang, an AI agent for Android designed to help with duties like data evaluation and journey planning. Tencent dropped Hunyuan3D 2.5, which It transforms photographs and textual content into beautiful 3D fashions. Chinese language AI agent startup Manus AI scored $75M funding by Benchmark at $500 Million valuation.
3 Fascinating predictions:
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“Every part may be taken from a person however one factor: the final of human freedoms — to decide on one’s angle in any given set of circumstances.”
— Viktor Frankl
NEW FUNDING ROUNDS
- Congrats Adam Neumann and staff Move on elevating a $100M spherical at $2.5B valuation to rework the rental housing expertise!
- Solution to go Avigdor Willenz and staff Factor Labs on securing a $50M sequence A to develop AI processors for inference!
- Effectively performed Yoav Regev and staff Sentra on securing a $50M sequence B to proceed to scale your enterprise information safety platform!
- Good things Man Benjamin and staff Healthee in your $50M ($30M sequence B and $20m in credit score) to automate the mess of U.S. well being advantages!
- Kol hakavod David Primor and staff Cynomi on elevating a $37M sequence B to switch CISOs with AI!
- Superior milestone Ofer Klein and staff Reco on securing a $25M sequence A extension to eradicate the safety hole brought on by the proliferation of apps, AI, identities, information, and configuration challenges!
- Kudos Shlomi Yanai and staff AuthMind on securing a $19.3M seed spherical to to advance observability-driven id safety throughout human, non-human, and Agentic AI Identities!
- Nice stuff Daniel Shechter and staff Miggo Safety on elevating 17M sequence A to battle cyberattacks in actual time!
- Large thumbs up Amir Shiner and staff RepAir Carbon Seize on securing a $15M sequence A extension to make carbon removing machines impressed by batteries!
- Mazel tov Itzhak Pichadze and staff frontline.io in your $10M in new funding to modernise how they prepare, help, and preserve complicated equipment!
- Good going Shahar Peled ???? and staff Terra Safety on elevating $8M in seed funding to increase your AI-driven penetration testing platform!
- Mabruk Roy Gottlieb and staff Hopper Safety on popping out of stealth with a $7.6M seed spherical to switch conventional Software program Composition Evaluation (SCA) instruments with a precision-focused platform that detects hidden vulnerabilities!
- Thrilling information Ohad Biron and staff Bagel AI on the $5.5M seed spherical to repair the misalignment between Product and GTM!
- Congratulations Rotem Tsabary and staff LatticaAI on elevating $3.25M in pre-seed funding to allow safe and personal use of AI within the cloud!
- Excessive 5 Ori Segal and staff Cyvore on popping out of stealth with $2.5M in pre-seed funding to safe digital workspaces throughout Zoom, Slack, Groups and different messaging platforms!
EXITS
NEW FUNDS
APPOINTMENTS
LINKS FOR YOUR BROWSER
ISRAEL
- The 25 most promising Israeli startups in response to Globes (in English right here)
- The Q1 2025 report by Startup Nation Central
- Israel’s Innovation Authority chief: Israel prime for deep tech funding
- Bonus: take heed to the superior Gili Raanan on the 20Min VC podcast
GLOBAL
- From ‘catch up’ to ‘catch us’: How Google quietly took the lead in enterprise AI
- Silicon Valley acquired Trump utterly unsuitable
- Company is consuming the world – how we’re nearing a single individual billion greenback firm
MEDIA OF THE WEEK
Israeli startups raised $3.2 billion in Q1 2025 (together with an estimate of undisclosed rounds) by Startup Nation Central
Even startups within the ‘quick lane’ are taking longer to lift…
From Seed to Collection A
2.2 years
From Collection A to Collection B
2.5 years
From Collection B to Collection C
2.4 years
$1M ARR is not the minimal requirement for sequence A in response to Carta
Deep tech attracted extra funding than some other sector in Europe in 2024 (supply: Dealroom.co)
World uncommon earth deposits are usually not uncommon. The issue is that the processing of uncommon earth is sort of absolutely dominated by China (supply)
The Linkedin impact – so true…
Watch freed hostage Agam Berger carry out for Holocaust survivors within the March of the Residing in Poland
That’s all for this week, thanks for tuning in. There’s lots to have fun in our “small” group! Carry on creating!
I am a former basic associate at google ventures, head of Google for Entrepreneurs in Europe and founding head of Campus London, Google’s first bodily hub for startups.
I am additionally the founding father of Techbikers, a non-profit bringing collectively the startup ecosystem on biking challenges in help of Room to Learn. Since inception in 2012 we have constructed 11 faculties and 50 libraries within the creating world.
