Hello Lightspeed
Starting this month, I will be joining Lightspeed Venture Partners as a Partner based in Israel.
For the past four years while at Sequoia, I viewed Lightspeed mainly as the “other guys next door”. We shared not only the same building, but also similar work ethic and an appetite for early stage deals with similar characteristics. There are very few active, top-tier, global funds in Israel so the resemblance is far from coincidental.
I came to know the Lightspeed team and specifically Yoni and Dudu, the partners who lead the Israeli practice, over the past few years through mutual investments and industry gatherings. When we really had a chance to sit down and talk, two important things quickly became apparent:
- Lightspeed is incredibly bullish about Israel and is ‘doubling-down’ on the region. In the past four months alone, they invested in four different Israeli-related companies ranging from a $2m seed to a $20m growth round.
- Yoni, Dudu and I get along really well. I already knew they are fantastic investors — they have a wonderful reputation in the ecosystem and their track record speaks for itself but perhaps more importantly, things simply “clicked” on a personal level.
We clearly bring different viewpoints, experiences and interests to the table. But that’s exactly how successful partnerships are built. The vibe was super positive and collaborative right from the very first meeting, and I’m extremely excited to take a seat at the table alongside these two and the larger team in the US and around the world.
When Yoni and Dudu first told me about their decision to add another partner to the fund, and that that person would get to take an active role in continuing to grow the early-stage practice in Israel, expanding the coverage to the EU, and investing across all stages (a new $1B+ fund means lots of firepower), I knew this opportunity had my name on it.
Countless more meetings and hours spent together later and here I am.
And so ends my time with Sequoia Capital..
It was a true privilege to work alongside this amazing group of investors and founders over the past four years. These years have transformed my thinking and I’m grateful for being given the opportunity to learn the craft of venture capital from this partnership around the world.
I’m mostly indebted to Shmil, Haim, Gili and Yoav here in Israel. They are a group of extraordinary gentlemen and I’m sure we will find ways to work together down the road.
Lastly and perhaps most importantly — the founders. I’ve been constantly amazed by the creativity, talent and drive of the founders I’ve worked with and will continue to work with in my new role at Lightspeed. I’m staying in venture capital so I can keep working closely with such capable and inspiring people to build meaningful companies.
Going forward, I will be at Tal@lsvp.com
If you’re working on an early stage company (how early?…before you get the domain ;) — email or PM me and let’s meet.
I’m excited for what lies ahead. Wish us luck. Let’s go!
