Jerusalem Venture Partners (JVP) said Wednesday it is growing its operations in Israel and around the world, and expanding its investments in companies in advanced and growth stages.
The venture fund also said it was adding new partners to its management team: Shai Schiller, Shimrit Kenig, Julia Kagan and Alex Dikman, as well as venture partners, Sara Thomas and Daniel Cohen.
The appointment of these new partners takes place in the midst of considerable expansion in JVP’s activities over the last two years, including raising a large early-stage fund and a significant growth fund, alongside leading fundraising rounds for its portfolio companies, collectively amounting to almost $900 million in the last year alone. JVP completed 2020 with 14 new investments in companies that promise to be game-changers in the interface between technology and the global market.
JVP’s model focused on building large companies from seed to growth that expand their business activities around the world, following recent successful IPOs like CyberArk (NASDAQ, $4.7 billion valuation); QLIK Technologies (NASDAQ: QLIK, $4b. valuation); Cogent (NASDAQ: CCOI, $3b. valuation) and more. In all of these companies, JVP was the largest shareholder, and continues to be with newer investments like Earnix, ControlUp, Quali, Nanit and others.
“We are proud to welcome Shai Schiller to our ranks, one of the most impressive senior executives in Israeli hi-tech. I am also excited to advance new partners who worked at JVP in the last few years,” said Erel Margalit, founder and executive chairman of JVP. “All our new partners come with unparalleled capabilities in their fields, rich experience, business vision, expertise in building international companies, and connections to the global market. These skills connect to JVP’s strategy to expand its activities in Israel and the world, leading new investments and building large companies that will lead the international hi-tech scene in the years to come.
“In addition,” Margalit continued, “each of the new partners are involved in our social and nonprofit activities across Israel – starting from Kiryat Shmona in the North, through Haifa, Jerusalem, Abu Gosh, Beersheba, along with activities with New York’s four leading universities. The new partners, like the existing ones, integrate women and men in equal measure into senior positions and creates a diversity of skills and ideas.”