Israel VC Indicator Survey
18/07/2008. Whilst an economic slowdown has not yet been fully reflected in the official economic indicators, according to nearly three quarters (72 per cent) of venture capitalists surveyed, Israel is already undergoing an economic slowdown. Some 55 per cent of venture capitalists surveyed expect that the overall economic climate will worsen over the next six months, according to the Israel VC Indicator Survey from Deloitte.

R&D programmes give boost to Israeli-European cooperative efforts
25/04/2008. In this IVCJ article, Jessica Steinberg looks at some of the programmes that have been created over the years to promote wide-ranging Israeli-European research and business relationships.

European VCs in Israel
23/04/2008. Most European VCs that have reached some scale invest in Israel. In this IVCJ article, Alex Brabers, executive vice president of GIMV, examines their reasons and looks at differing investment approaches.

Israel VC Indicator Survey
16/04/2008. Venture capital investors traditionally focus on opportunities in their local markets. Yet, as the economy has become more global so has business investment. While globalisation is unpredictable, more and more venture capital firms see a bright future where potential rewards significantly outweigh the risks. This Global Venture Capital Survey from Deloitte measures the investment attitudes and intentions of venture capitalists around the world, examining views on target geographies and sectors over the next five years.

Global institutions give more emphasis to Israel
16/04/2008. Zeev Holtzman, founder and chairman of Giza Venture Capital, is positive on prospects for greater interest in Israel from European institutions. In this IVCJ article he explains why.

Europe offers opportunities for Israeli firms with a local presence
04/04/2008. There are attractive markets in Europe for Israeli technology companies. In this IVCJ article, Bert van der Heide of Kurtz Marketing & Management in the Netherlands, describes how Israeli firms can take advantage of available incentives to open branches in Europe and better access the burgeoning opportunities.

IVC: Gemini and Vertex are the most active venture capital funds of 2007
20/02/2008. IVC Research Center has released its survey of last year's most active Israeli venture capital funds. The ranking was made based on the number of first investments in 2007.

Internet investing: pitfalls and potential
23/01/2008. In this IVCJ article, Zeev Holtzman, founder and chairman of Giza Venture Capital, says that he sees substantial potential in Israeli internet companies, yet he cautions VCs to keep in mind lessons from the past when investing in the resurgent internet sector.

Delaware versus Israel: where are the biggest and easiest exits?
12/12/2007. In this IVCJ article, Barry Levenfeld, partner at Israeli law firm Yigal Arnon & Co., takes issue with those who oppose incorporating in Israel. He discusses how both tax and exit circumstances have changed in recent years, making company incorporation in Israel less problematic and - in some ways - more advantageous than ever before.

Overseas stock exchanges vie for Israeli business
28/11/2007. The cost of adhering to a comprehensive regulatory regime resulting from Sarbanes-Oxley legislation has discouraged some Israeli companies from seeking US listings and has emboldened non-US stock exchanges such as London's AIM and the Toronto Stock Exchange to bid for the listings of relatively young and emerging Israeli companies. NASDAQ still holds itself out as a premier exchange for Israeli firms and the AMEX is hungry for new business as well. In this IVCJ article, Jessica Steinberg surveys the popular options for Israeli companies seeking overseas listings.

Rethinking exit strategies
14/11/2007. The exit landscape has changed in recent years. In this IVCJ article, Eddy Shalev, Founder and Managing Partner of Genesis Partners, urges venture capitalists to help their portfolio companies increase their valuation in preparation for acquisition as well as to consider an IPO on an alternative market.

Today’s 'big 5' challenges for Israeli VCs
31/10/2007. Maintaining the vitality of the local VC industry will not be accomplished easily in today's changing environment. In this IVCJ article, Zeev Holtzman, founder and chairman of Giza Venture Capital, pinpoints the challenges that must be faced.

Efi Cohen-Arazi opines on Israeli biotech
24/10/2007. In this IVCJ article, Isabel Maxwell profiles Efi Cohen-Arazi in her continuing series on investment and high-tech personalities.

How to avoid ruining a successful exit
17/10/2007. The consequences of a poorly structured investment can be severe – even to the extent of impeding a potential buyout. In this IVCJ article, Mimi Zemah, partner at law firm of Zellermayer, Pelossof & Co., explains how VCs can avoid mistakes that can negatively impact a portfolio company’s eventual exit.

Medical device firms can boost their chances of success
10/10/2007. The fastest growing population among developed nations today is the over 60 age group, which, according to a recent United Nations study, is expected to account for a full one-third of the population by 2050. This ageing population is characterised by increased healthcare demands and a desire to improve life quality, driving growth in innovative medical developments. An innovative technology, however, does not guarantee success in the marketplace. Elka Nir, Managing Director-Life Sciences of Giza Venture Capital, and a veteran medical devices industry executive, describes what it takes to turn a promising technology into a successful medical solution and a major business opportunity.

Israel at forefront of stem-cell research
19/09/2007. Israeli companies are hoping to capitalize on the discoveries emanating from its world class stem-cell research. In this IVCJ article, Wendy Elliman looks at the accomplishments of Israel’s leading research institutes along with commercial efforts that are on the horizon.

Israeli technology tackles obesity
12/09/2007. There are 60 million Americans who are spending over $100 billion annually in the hope of winning their war against obesity, this IVCJ article states. Worldwide, the figure for overweight and obese adults is closer to one billion. In this IVCJ article Rachelle Gershovitz examines what Israeli companies are going to combat this weighty healthcare issue.

Israel's life sciences sector is coming of age
05/09/2007. Israel's life sciences sector is coming of age, and venture capitalists are taking notice. In this IVCJ article, Zeev Holtzman, founder and chairman of Giza Venture Capital, describes the developing interest in Israel's life sciences industry, which has the potential to emerge as an important global factor.

Investor performance in Israeli high-tech
08/08/2007. In this IVCJ article, Gil Avnimelech, lecturer and PhD candidate at the School of Management, Ben-Gurion University, examined investor performance in high-tech start-ups and uncovered both expected and surprising data.

Israeli VCs raises $473m in capital in 2006
13/06/2007. The IVC Research Center reports that Israeil VCs have $1.5bn in capital available for investment and are projected to raise $700m in 2007.

Israel’s private equity bandwagon heats up
09/05/2007. Private equity activity in Israel is reaching new heights. In this IVCJ article, Zeev Holtzman, chairman and founder of Giza Venture Capital, looks at the rapid emergence of the domestic private equity industry.

2006 Summary of Israeli high-tech company capital raising
25/04/2007. Israeli high-tech capital raising in 2006 reaches $1.62bn - highest in five years, says the IVC Research Center. In 2006, 402 Israeli high-tech companies raised $1.62bn from local and foreign venture investors, 21 per cent above the $1.34bn raised in 2005 and 11 per cent above 2004 levels.

Angels are fearlessly treading again in Israel
21/02/2007. Angel investors have begun returning to the Israeli investment scene, finds the IVCJ. Zeev Holtzman, Founder and Chairman of Giza Venture Capital, describes their recent fate and how their return serves a higher purpose.

IVC 2006 Summary
24/01/2007. Israeli High-Tech M&As were valued at $10.6bn, says the IVC Research Center, while $693m was raised in Israeli IPOs.

Life sciences in Israel – It's a question of investment
03/01/2007. Clal Biotech CEO Ruben Krupik had been seeking a means of bringing drugs from the early development stage to market, says the Israel Venture Capital Journal. Teaming with Teva Pharmaceutical may well turn out to be the best answer. Avida Landau explains.

Cleantech finds investors in Israel
29/11/2006. Israeli venture capital has at last discovered cleantech. In this IVCJ article, Ira Moskowitz surveys the local venture capital scene for the latest in cleantech activity.

Israeli institutions find it’s time to move assets
15/11/2006. Israeli institutions are gearing up to move assets into alternative investments. In this IVCJ article, Yitz Raab of KCS Capital discusses issues that institutions will face as they diversify their portfolios among non-traditional assets.

Private equity takes its place in Israel
18/10/2006. In recent years, says the Israel Venture Capital Journal, a number of private equity funds have begun operating in Israel, and several venture-oriented funds have begun to shift their emphasis toward private equity investments, as well.

Capital raised by Israeli VCs surges to $1.2bn in 2005
16/08/2006. In 2005, the favourable capital raising trend begun in 2004 intensified, finds the IVC Research Center. Israeli venture capital funds raised $1.2bn, an increase of 40 percent from the $724m raised in 2004.

The arts of communication
14/06/2006. In this part two of a two-part series in the Israel Venture Capital Journal, high-tech entrepreneur Isabel Maxwell continues to discuss the principles of good communications.

Investing in the media
07/06/2006. Do private equity investments in the media make good sense? Ynon Kreiz, Benchmark Capital's general partner of its European funds, has industry experience with the Saban Capital Group and is co-founder of Fox Kids Europe, the European children's entertainment company. In this IVCJ article, Kreiz relates his views on the factors making for smart investing in the media industry.

Playing to win: should Israeli VCs invest in the video games market?
25/04/2006. Israel has potential to be a significant force in the video games market, maintains Allon Bloch, general partner of venture firm Jerusalem Venture Partners, in this Israel Venture Capital Journal article. But Israel is currently notably absent from the video game market ecosystem.

Israeli VC Industry Outlook 2006
04/04/2006. Zeev Holtzman of the IVC Research Center projects that those major Israeli funds that have not been in the market to raise new capital for funds will start the process in 2006. Walden, Cedar and several others that have held off until now fall into this category. But not all funds that are currently in the market or that will soon join the search for capital will be able to achieve their targets, and many will have to settle for smaller than hoped for funds.

Summary of Israeli high-tech company capital raising Q4 2005 and full year 2005
21/03/2006. Capital raised by Israeli high-tech companies reached $1.34bn in 2005, reports the IVC, with an 8 per cent year-to year decline due to a slow fourth quarter.

The cost of being public in the era of Sarbanes-Oxley
20/02/2006. Many private Israeli firms, including those that are venture-backed, see an initial public offering as their ultimate goal. Yet the costs of being public in the US can be substantial and sharply impact operations, says Foley & Lardner, in this Israel Venture Capital Journal article.

Teva, Check Point and the Black stone
14/02/2006. In this Israel Venture Capital Journal article, Eyal Shamir, Vice President of Business Development at BDO Ziv Haft looks at the resurgence of buy-out funds. He finds that their growing power makes even the largest companies potential takeover targets. Israeli companies, too, are not immune to their grasp.

The arts of communication
08/02/2006. Internet entrepreneur Isabel Maxwell is well-experienced in dealing with communication issues between Israelis and their Silicon Valley counterparts. In this Israel Venture Capital Journal article, she presents her insights and offers concrete suggestions on how to close the communications gap.

Assimilation and self-denigration: a risk to Israel's risk-capital industry
31/01/2006. In this IVCJ article, Roni Hefetz, founder and General Partner of Walden Israel, advises Israeli start-ups to exercise caution when seeking funding from US venture firms. He contends that while there are many potential advantages, they sometimes come with a high cost.

Foreign investors key to technology industry growth
01/01/2006. Foreign investors appear poised to up their stake in Israeli companies. In this Israel Venture Capital Journal article, Zeev Holtzman, Chairman and CEO of Giza Venture Capital, explains why.

From Jaffa to Java
20/12/2005. Israel's software developers are on the global map, but with changes in the industry, will they continue to have appeal to VC investors? Yaron Polak, Partner in Genesis Partners, provides his insights in this Israel Venture Capital Journal article.

Summary of Israeli high-tech company capital raising
14/12/2005. In the second quarter of 2005, 98 Israeli high-tech companies raised $387m from venture investors - both local and foreign. The amount was up 11 per cent from the $350m raised by 102 companies in the previous quarter and was 14 percent higher than the $338m raised by 91 companies in the second quarter of 2004.

Israel venture capital survey Q3/2005
21/11/2005. Israeli high tech capital raising was stable over the first nine months of the year, despite a 13 per cent drop in Q3 figures, says the IVC Research Center. Around 10 per cent of capital invested was directed to seed companies.

Investing in early stage companies: the challenge and the opportunity
16/11/2005. There are many interesting opportunities among Israel's start-up companies that do not attract support from traditional venture capital sources. In this IVCJ article, Dov Hershberg, executive director of the BIRD Foundation, urges that these firms not be overlooked.

Linkage of new Israeli high-tech companies to the military and defence system
28/09/2005. In this Israel Venture Capital Journal article, Dr Yoel Raban, Dr Miri Lerner and Dr Benson Honig investigate the linkage between new Israeli high-tech companies and the military and defence system. The study examines the impact of social capital, signalling, and learning spillovers on resource acquisition in terms of investments and the financial performance of companies with and without linkage.

Right from the start - A perspective on Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) programs
21/09/2005. In this IVCJ article, Dr. Shlomo Kalish, Founder and Chairman of Jerusalem Global Ventures, discusses entrepreneur in residence programs - a growing phenomenon among Israeli venture capital funds.

Co-incubation: a new approach for supporting start-ups – conclusions from the Bio-Link project
31/08/2005. Networking is one of the most important factors for the success of companies in biotech incubators, according to these results from the Bio-Link project published in the Israel Venture Capital Journal.

Meeting the challenges of Israeli biotechnology
03/08/2005. In the Israel Venture Capital & Private Equity Journal, Dr. Avi Molcho, Managing Director at Giza Venture Capital, discusses the drug development company model as key to building a successful biotech industry in Israel.

Medical device firms can improve their chances of success
13/07/2005. In this Israel Venture Capital Journal article, Dr. S. Morry Blumenfeld looks at the sector for medical device start-ups, and the pitfalls that can often plague VC firm's aspiring companies in this area of their portfolio.

The hidden secret of Israeli medical technology
29/06/2005. In this Israeli Venture Capital Journal article, Dr. Dalia Megiddo, Managing Partner of Innomed Ventures, examines the contribution of Israel’s defense industry to the success of medical technology ventures in Israel.

Summary of Israeli high-tech company capital raising - Q1 2005
22/06/2005. In the first quarter of 2005, 102 Israeli high-tech companies raised $350 million from venture investors - both local and foreign, says the IVC Research Center. This Survey, conducted with the cooperation of the Israel Venture Association, reviews capital raised by private Israeli high-tech companies from Israeli venture capital funds and from other investors.

The law for the encouragement of capital investment in Israel
31/05/2005. In this IVCJ article, Ruchama Salman, CPA and specialist in Israel's incentive laws for industry, and Shmuel Barashi, CPA at the accounting/consultancy firm BDO-Ziv-Haft, describe the Law for the Encouragement of Capital Investment in Israel and the issues being considered as Israel moves to update the law.

Life sciences have appeal for venture capitalists
16/05/2005. The IVCJ talks to Kenneth Abramowitz, Managing General Partner of NGN Capital, about what the IPO window is like right now for life science companies and what markets, management and technology appeals to VCs.

First-timers in Israel rely on local co-investors
29/03/2005. Increasing numbers of foreign investors are taking their first look at Israeli companies, and several have already made their initial Israeli investments. Jessica Steinberg reports for the IVC on how some of these first-timers approach the Israeli investment scene.

Exploration-exploitation dilemmas of venture capital companies
14/03/2005. The role of organizational slack and time horizon is examined in this article, and finds that VC management must understand the forces driving the entrepreneurs in their exploratory behaviors, while the entrepreneurs must understand the predicaments of the VCs’ exploitative strategy.

Private equity makes its mark in Israel
28/02/2005. Israel’s blossoming private equity market is surveyed by Jessica Steinberg who finds that opportunities abound in several PE niches.

Publicly held Israeli VCs offer benefits
15/02/2005. There are few publicly held VCs in the US that invest in early stage companies, says the IVCJ. Yet, in Israel, the publicly held VC has held out as a structure, enabling small investors to share the potential upside…and the risk… of investment in young Israeli companies.

Israel's VC fund raising takes encouraging turn
17/01/2005. Israeli venture capital firms are in the midst of a new wave of capital raising. Zeev Holtzman, Chairman and CEO of Giza Venture Capital, assesses the current environment for fund raising and discusses those ingredients that can increase a fund’s chances for success.

IVC: Israel Venture Capital Survey Q3/2004
14/12/2004. The positive trend in the Israeli venture market continued in 2004's third quarter, finds the IVC Research Center. 113 Israeli high-tech companies raised $438 million from venture investors - both local and foreign. The amount was up 30 per cent from the $338 million raised by 91 companies in the previous quarter and was 55 percent higher than the $283 million raised by 103 companies in the third quarter of 2003.

Money Tree Israel: Q3 2004
18/11/2004. Israel has seen the highest level of investment in high-tech companies backed by venture capital funds (where at least one of the investors in the financing round is a venture capital fund) since the fourth quarter of 2000. According to the The Kesselman & Kesselman PricewaterhouseCoopers Money Tree Survey, at least $347 million was raised by high-tech companies in the third quarter of 2004.

Overcoming the roadblocks to institutional investment in VCs
16/09/2004. Israeli institutional investors have been slow to invest in venture capital funds despite the Israeli economies reliance on the technology market. But moves are now in place to overcome the issues that have stymied investment in the past, according to Amit Oring and Gili Elkin of Kost, Forer, Gabbay & Kasierer -Ernst & Young Israel.

The future of seed investment
16/09/2004. With the Israeli economy seemingly on the rebound and at least a dozen venture capital funds heading out to raise funds over the course of the next 12 months, prospects for early-stage seed funding are finally looking better, according to Jessica Steinberg of the Israel Venture Capital Journal.

IPO opportunities for Israeli tech on the London Stock Exchange
16/09/2004. In 2003, 79 per cent of all initial public offerings on Western European exchanges took place in London. The London Stock Exchange saw 86 IPOs, more than the NYSE and NASDAQ combined, according to Jack Clipsham of BDO Stoy Hayward.

Israeli VC activity in Asia
22/07/2004. The Israel Venture Capital Journal asks five leading Israeli venture capital firms that operate in Asia for a perspective on their activities in the region and how they consider them to contribute to their overall portfolios.

Asian investors target Israel
19/07/2004. Most Asian investments in Israeli venture are made with little fanfare, but are growing in number and importance as these investors strive to gain a foothold in Israel's technology market, according to Nicky Blackburn of the Israel Venture Capital Journal.

From good, to bad, to worse, for Israeli venture funds
27/05/2004. Israeli venture capital firms are increasingly shying way from investments in high-risk start-ups, and are instead concentrating their efforts on maintaining their existing portfolios, according to Joel Bainerman of Israel Technology. This trend has created widespread concern among the nation's venture capital community.

IVC survey Q1 2004
10/05/2004. In the first quarter of 2004, 111 Israeli high-tech companies raised $323m from venture investors. This represents a 31 per cent increase from the $246m raised by 96 companies in the previous quarter and a 53 per cent increase from the $211m raised by 86 companies in the first quarter of last year, according to the IVC Research Centre.

The Israeli venture story, a GP's perspective
08/03/2004. High-tech venture capital activity in Israel, a country with a population of just six and a half million, is equal to half of that in the whole of Europe. Ed Mlavsky, chairman and founder of Gemini Israel Funds, explores the root of the Israeli entrepreneurial spirit and looks ahead to what the future may hold for the nation's venture industry.

Israeli high-tech company capital raising 2003
28/01/2004. Venture capital firms from around the world invested just over $1bn in Israeli high-tech companies in 2003. The total value of investments was down by 14 per cent on the $1.14bn invested in the previous year, according to the Israeli Venture Capital Research Centre.

Israel Money Tree Survey Q1 2003
10/06/2003. Israel witnessed a sharp drop in the number of companies raising venture capital in the first quarter of 2003. The market recorded the lowest number of deals since 1998, according to the Kesselman & Kesselman PricewaterhouseCoopers Money Tree Survey.

A new threshold to opportunity
21/05/2003. Institutional investors in the more mature private equity markets are expected to increase their allocations to the asset class. Yet in Israel such investors are a little more reluctant. Allan Barkat of Apax Partners Israel discusses how their participation in its private equity industry could create a wealth of opportunities for the region.

VCs' foremost challenge
12/02/2003. The venture capital landscape in Israel, and indeed throughout the world, has changed dramatically over the last couple of years. Eyal Niv of Giza Venture Capital discusses the changing landscape, particularly from a technological point of view.

On the Israeli VC horizon
22/01/2003. Institutional investors are hesitant to invest in Israeli funds as the political situation continues to cause concern. David Waxman of Equip Ventures, however, believes now is an ideal time to invest because of lower company valuations and an increasingly experienced pool of VC talent.

Keeping the faith
18/12/2002. Israeli venture capital firms are finding it increasingly difficult to raise new funds in the current climate. Indeed, many are unable to make capital calls for money that has already been committed. Gil Hermon of The Challenge Funds discusses the almost unsustainable growth that occurred in 2000 and argues that there are still many opportunities now that the industry is returning to a state of normality.

Israeli VC in flux
23/04/2002. Are Israeli venture capitalists running out of cash? With few new domestic commitments to its VC players, Israel has become massively dependent on foreign capital, particularly from the US and Europe. However, as a result of a number of factors, including political instability and the technology downturn, this source of capital has begun to dry up. Elinor Arbel, managing editor of D&A Hi-Tech Information, examines the current state of venture capital fund-raising in the country.

Foreign investors in venture capital funds exempt from Israeli tax
19/03/2002. In September 2001, Israel's Minister of Finance, in accordance with an agreement reached with the Israeli Venture Capital Association, announced that investors in Israel-based venture capital funds will not be subject to Israeli tax on fund gains. Law firm Dr Avi Alter & Co, looks at the impact these reforms will have on encouraging venture capital activity in the region.

What happened to Israeli high tech in the l990s?
28/01/2002. It is high time that Israeli high tech returned to its roots and began to serve, once again, the Israeli public and the national economy, rather than small groups of foreign investors and their local partners, says Joel Bainerman of Israel Technology.

The promised economy
11/09/2001. The NASDAQ meltdown may have put a damper on the Israeli high-tech sector's stellar performance. But the market correction has also masked favourable shifts in investor interest as the Israeli high-tech economy becomes more integrated into a broad global investor base. McKinsey Quarterly comments.

The new companies law and how it impacts vc investments
10/07/2001. The Israeli New Companies Law affects the way in which venture capital investment are structured and therefore has an impact on investors in Israeli venture capital funds. Here Naschitz, Brandes & Co, analyses the provisions of the new law and the changes from the old Companies Ordinance Law.

New developments in Israeli venture capital
13/06/2001. Israel has become one of the fastest growing and largest venture capital centres outside the US. This overview by Zeev Holtzman of Giza Venture Capital outlines the most significant developments and trends affecting the industry today.