The Israeli tech ecosystem has entered a defining new chapter. After a period of intense recalibration, 2026 has arrived with a powerful resurgence of momentum. Capital is returning to Tel Aviv with vigor, but it is moving with a new level of selectivity. We have transitioned from an era of speculative growth into a period defined by high-conviction investing, where the focus has shifted toward technical defensibility, operational resilience, and mission-critical innovation.
For early-stage and growth-stage founders, navigating this landscape requires more than a strong pitch; it requires a deep alignment with the refined mandates of the modern investment committee.
The Value of the Briefing
This session offers a rare, high-density exchange with a curated panel of professional investors representing the primary pillars of the current market. For an entrepreneur, the value lies in gaining an unfiltered perspective on the "Resilience Premium." You will gain insight into how professional allocators are evaluating risk, the new standards for capital efficiency, and the specific characteristics of the startups successfully securing high-quality rounds in 2026. This is an opportunity to move beyond the headlines and understand the tactical reality of fundraising in a sophisticated, fundamentals-first market.
The Playbook Panel
Lisa Cohen, Investment Director at Intel Capital: A seasoned leader in DeepTech and AI, Lisa manages a portfolio of high-complexity industry leaders including Buildots, proteanTecs, and Voyantis, bringing the essential strategic and corporate venture perspective.
Yael Schiff, Vice President at Bessemer Venture Partners: Focusing on early-stage B2B SaaS, AI, and Cloud Infrastructure, Yael brings the rigorous "global playbook" perspective and operational insights from her background at Via and McKinsey.
David Feldman, Principal at Flint Capital: A key bridge between the US and Israeli software markets, David has a track record of identifying future giants like Socure and WalkMe and understands how to position Israeli tech for global LPs.
Stav Erez, General Partner at TeClub: One of the most connected figures in the Israeli ecosystem and a specialist in deep-tech venture creation, Stav knows exactly how to take a raw idea and turn it into an "innovation-dense" company that attracts follow-on funding.
Who Will Be Attending?
The room is designed to be an intersection of the ecosystem’s most ambitious leaders:
Early-Stage Founders seeking to calibrate their strategy for Seed and Series A milestones.
Growth-Stage Executives navigating the complexities of scaling in a disciplined capital environment.
Strategic Innovators looking for early visibility into the sectors currently commanding global attention.
Secure Your Seat
This is a special, limited-capacity event curated to ensure high-quality networking and meaningful dialogue. In a market moving this quickly, the insights shared will be time-sensitive and highly practical.
Due to the exclusive nature of the venue and the high demand for these sessions, places are strictly limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. We anticipate an overbooked house, do not wait to secure your registration.
Agenda
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Panelists
Lisa Cohen - Intel Capital (Investment Director)
Lisa Cohen is an Investment Director at Intel Capital, based in Tel Aviv, where she leads venture investments in early-stage technology companies. Prior to joining Intel Capital in 2023, Cohen spent seven years leading corporate venture investments for Innogy (part of E.ON) and held investment roles at Jerusalem Venture Partners, building deep expertise in deeptech and AI. Over her career she …
David Feldman - Flint Capital (Principal)
David Feldman represents Flint Capital's Tel Aviv office where he invests in early-stage software startups. Flint Capital is a Boston based Venture Capital firm that invests actively throughout the US, Israel & Europe. Flint has made early-stage investments in companies such as, Socure, last valued at $4.5B, WalkMe NASDAQ: WKME, CyberX (acquired by Micros…
Stav Erez - TeClub (General Partner)
Stav Erez is a General Partner at TeClub, an early-stage investment club, where she backs SaaS, AI, cyber and other technology startups. Previously, she was a Co-founder and Partner at Labs/02, a 40M deep-tech fund and incubator, leading venture creation around academic IP, serving as interim CEO for portfolio companies, and driving value creation and follow-on funding. She co-founded and led …
Yael Schiff - Bessemer Venture Partners (Vice President)
Yael Schiff is a vice president in Bessemer’s Israel office where she focuses primarily on early stage B2B SaaS, AI, Cyber, developer tools, data, cloud infrastructure, and fintech companies.
Prior to Bessemer, Yael was a GM at Via Transportation where her team led partnerships with cities and transit agencies. She was also a consultant at McKinsey and a line planner at Applied Materials…
Moderator
Lirone Glikman - Startup Grind (Co-Director)
Lirone Glikman is a global business development expert, an international keynote speaker, and a business relationship strategist. She is the CEO and Founder of ‘The Human Factor by Lirone Glikman’ - a global business development boutique firm. She supports tech companies' growth and expansion into the international markets. Lirone works with startups, corporations, universities and governments in…
Hosted By
Shahar Matorin, Israel Country Manager
Country Manager Startup Grind Israel - Father, business culture catalyst, Startup ecosystem builder & connector
Experienced Entrepreneur. Shahar has over 20 years of Global startup ecosystem experience. Shahar is the person responsible for putting Israel on the Global Startup Grind map.
Today Startup Grind is the largest independent startup community, actively educating, inspiring, and connecting more than 5M entrepreneurs in over 300 chapters. SG nurture startup ecosystems in 100+ countries through events, media, and partnerships with organizations like Google and Microsoft for Startups.
Skilled in strategy, management, investor relations. Globally connected professional with a can-do attitude.
After 12 years of helping scale Startup Grind into the world’s largest startup community, Shahar is now focused on launching Startup Grind Education (SGe). This is a transformative initiative designed to educate, inspire, and connect the next generation. The mission is to build the next layer of the global startup ecosystem: empowering high school students to become the innovators, creators, and entrepreneurs of tomorrow.
Shahar's commitment to community building is rooted in the belief that entrepreneurs are stronger together. This long-term mission is guided by a "give first" approach and a dedication to being a force of good and light in the ecosystem, ensuring no innovative mind is left behind.
Lirone Glikman, Co Director
Lirone Glikman is a global business development expert, an international keynote speaker, and a business relationship strategist. She is the CEO and Founder of ‘The Human Factor by Lirone Glikman’ - a global business development boutique firm. She supports tech companies' growth and expansion into the international markets.
Lirone works with startups, corporations, universities and governments in 4 continents, among them Google, Microsoft, Cornell University, eBay, Australian and Taiwanese governments and more.
Lirone is also an honorary adviser at an external United Nations committee dedicated to the UN's sustainable development goals.
Shir Papo, Co-Director, Operation
Gavriel Ariel, Co-Director, Business Development
With hands-on experience in startup ecosystems, venture building, and global business networks, I help entrepreneurs turn ideas into scalable businesses and investors find ventures worth backing.
Leading Business Development for StartUp Grind Tel Aviv - Responsible for driving strategic partnerships, curating high-value connections between founders, investors, and industry leaders, and designing growth-oriented programs for entrepreneurs.
I lead the Tel Aviv chapter’s business development efforts, overseeing collaborations, sponsorships, and ecosystem engagement, while ensuring founders get access to the right opportunities, networks, and resources to scale.
Always open to meaningful collaborations, strategic partnerships, and high-impact opportunities.
Nir Hazut, Co-Director, Value Creation
I come from the world of investments, with over a decade of experience working with entrepreneurs, investors, and venture capital funds. I founded Nexus Investors Club to help startups raise capital – not just through pitch decks, but by crafting a powerful story, taking the right approach, and understanding the psychology of the investor. I combine deep business insight with human intuition, and I hold a clear belief: money flows to those who project value, vision, and credibility.
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Global Partner
Carta (http://www.carta.com/launch?utm_campaign=20240423-nam-general-smb-startup_grind_partnership&utm_medium=social&utm_source=startup_grind)
Carta helps people manage equity, build businesses, and invest in the companies of tomorrow. Carta Launch is the only free cap table product, helping new founders get started. The company is trusted by more than 40,000 companies, over 7,000 funds and SPVs, and over two million equity holders to manage cap tables, compensation, valuations, liquidity, and more. For more information, visit carta.com.
Startup Grind is a global startup community designed to educate, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs. We host monthly events in more than 600 cities and 125+ countries featuring successful local founders, innovators, educators and investors who share personal stories and lessons learned on the road to building great companies. Our monthly fireside chat interviews, startup mixers and annual conferences provide ample opportunities to connect with amazing startups and the people behind them, tap into a strong support network, form meaningful connections and gain inspiration for the startup journey ahead. For more information visit StartupGrind.com or follow us on twitter @StartupGrind.
Complete your event RSVP here: https://www.startupgrind.com/events/details/startup-grind-tel-aviv-presents-the-investors-playbook-whats-actually-investable-in-2026/.
