The unique model of this text was printed on Linkedin.
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”. Firgun is all about genuinely feeling and expressing happiness, pleasure, or admiration for another person’s accomplishments, success, or well-being. Extra about Firgun and why it issues on VC Cafe: https://lnkd.in/dg2a86p
Hanukkah, the Jewish competition of sunshine is happening subsequent week (beginning the day after Xmas). It’s not probably the most spiritual vacation, however on the core story of Hanukkah, Judaism celebrates miracles, succeeding in opposition to the chances. I sincerely hope that the talks happening in Cairo, will ship us simply that. It’s time to #BRINGTHEMHOME NOW.
I wish to take a second to thanks, the readers of this text for spending your treasured time studying, commenting, liking and sharing. It retains me energised. I additionally wish to congratulate the Israeli tech ecosystem, who regardless of a really difficult yr, continued to ship, didn’t surrender and even broke new information in exits. From the founders who selected to begin firms this yr in opposition to the chances, to the brand new funds that managed to draw capital regardless of the information, and to all of the individuals within the Israeli tech ecosystem in Israel and overseas – carry on creating!
Within the wider tech world, it’s been a momentous week. Google launched a brand new ‘reasoning’ mannequin, Gemini 2.0 Flash, and introduced it is going to launch an ‘AI search mode‘ to compete with new rival chatbots. There have been some BIG rounds. Databricks secured a brand new $10B funding spherical at a $62B valuation and Perplexity raised $500M at $9 billion valuation. NVIDIA launched the Jetson Orin Nano Tremendous Developer Package, a $249 compact generative AI supercomputer that delivers vital efficiency beneficial properties at half the earlier mannequin’s worth. SoftBank‘s Masayoshi Son introduced plan to speculate $100B in US companies over the following 4 years. The Genesis physics engine is an open supply mannequin able to creating 4D dynamical worlds primarily based on actual physics. Midjourney has launched “Moodboards”. KLING AI launched v1.6, a brand new textual content to video mannequin that achieved 195% enchancment in comparison with the earlier mannequin. Microsoft introduced that GitHub Copilot is now out there for everybody free in VS Code. OpenAI‘s ChatGPT is now out there on Whatsapp (simply add +1 (800) 242-8478 to your contacts!) and ChatGPT internet search is accessible to all.
It’s the top of the yr, however information within the tech world isn’t slowing down, maybe the other. This nevertheless, would be the final #FIRGUN version for 2024. I’ll take the chance to want you all a Pleased Hanukah, Merry Christmas, Pleased Kwanza and festive season. Right here’s to wishing for extra miracles and a calmer, happier and extra productive 2025.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“The pessimist complains in regards to the wind; the optimist expects it to vary; the realist adjusts the sails.” –
William Arthur Ward
NEW FUNDING ROUNDS
- Huge congrats Dean Leitersdorf and crew Decart on elevating a $32M collection A (at a reported $500M valuation) simply three months after popping out of stealth along with your (this was beforehand wrongly reported as a $25M spherical).
- Nicely finished Ofir Tahor and crew justt on elevating $30M collection C to assist retailers cope with chargebacks!
- Nice job Avihai Sodri and crew Antidote Well being on securing a $22M collection B to advance AI Telehealth and ACA plans.
- Superior information Tal Shahar and crew Atlas Make investments in your $11M to offer actual property builders with a bridge financing platform!
- Kol hakavod Talia Cohen Solal and crew NeuroKaire (previously Genetika+) on securing a $10M spherical to advance precision medication instruments in psychological well being!
- Kudos Supply Yehudai and crew Arya in your $8.5M collection A to assist US {couples} preserve relationship satisfaction over time!
- Good things Ronel Veksler MD, PhD and crew Promise Bio on securing an $8.3M seed spherical on your precision medication device!
EXITS
NEW FUNDS
LINKS FOR YOUR BROWSER
ISRAEL
GLOBAL
SPECIAL: THE MOST POPULAR VC CAFE POSTS IN 2024
Try a few of our most learn posts of VC Cafe in 2024:
MEDIA OF THE WEEK
Israel’s high 2024 enterprise capital rounds (by yours really) (as printed by Calcalist ???????)
AI automation and brokers market map and state of the market by Perception Companions (supply)
Prospecting goes to look radically totally different in just some months, to not point out within the years forward. – the way forward for AI SDRs in keeping with Sapphire Ventures (supply)
18 Corporations Chosen From 1000’s of Candidates Obtain Funding, Entry to Anthropic Expertise together with Claude Credit and Menlo Ventures’ Firm-Constructing Experience by the $100M Anthology Fund (supply)
It’s been a superb yr for European fundraising – European VCs have raised $31B in new funds, the 2nd highest on report. However they’re nonetheless chronically outraised by US friends by Dealroom.co
Earlier this month, US firms handed the 2023 enterprise fundraising determine. Notably, main funding has rebounded extra rapidly than bridge rounds, which is probably going a optimistic signal for the ecosystem.
What does 2025 maintain? there’s motive to be optimistic that capital will stream extra freely subsequent yr.
The chance in vertical AI – a brand new frontier of industry-specific AI purposes that’s poised to reshape how companies function (by Greenfield Companions – supply)
Moral AI startup panorama by MMC Ventures (supply)
Don’t rely Google out of the AI race – Google Gemini’s market share amongst builders went from ~5% in September to >50% market share final week (per @OpenRouterAI)
LPs equally open to each established gamers and new entrants with modern fund propositions by Coller Capital (supply)
Secondary markets are hitting report ranges in 2024 by Bloomberg
Donald Trump was chosen to Particular person of the 12 months 2024 by TIME (supply)
Genesis Mission Demo – An Open supply Generative AI video mannequin primarily based on physics, and might run in your native pc (supply)
I am a former normal accomplice 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 assist of Room to Learn. Since inception in 2012 we have constructed 11 colleges and 50 libraries within the growing world.
