The UK-Israel Tech Hub at the British Embassy, in partnership with the global law firm Taylor Wessing, has launched the VC club, an exclusive invite-only platform that will facilitate bilateral relationships between VCs and investors from both countries. According to IVC research Centre’s 2020 report, UK investments represent only 3% of about £7.2 Billion ($10 Billion) invested in Israeli startups in 2020, leaving UK investors behind in the market share (compared to US investors, which account for 35%).
On the reverse end, we are witnessing a growing demand from Israeli investors wishing to access the breadth of UK investment opportunities.
To bridge this gap, the UK-Israel Tech Hub identified the need to provide UK and Israeli VCs and investors an exclusive access to cutting-edge start-ups from both ecosystems by building an exclusive and collaborative platform for both countries to exchange knowledge and business intelligence on investment opportunities.
British Ambassador Neil Wigan said: “With the UK being both the number one destination for Israeli entrepreneurs in Europe and the second-largest foreign investor in Israel, we know investors on both sides want to step up engagement. We are delighted to support and facilitate the growing demand via this programme, which will promote familiarity and trust-based relationships”.
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The UK Israel Tech Hub, a UK government unit operating out of the British Embassy in Israel, has deep technological and business knowledge along with strong ties within the Israeli ecosystem across different industries: fintech, cyber security, healthcare, smart cities and mobility, as well as a variety of societal initiatives including climate change and diversity. In each of these sectors, the Hub was commissioned by the largest corporations in the UK including RBS, Aviva, AstraZeneca, Rolls Royce, BT, BP and many more.
The new VC club will:
- Create opportunities for UK investors to better access the startup deal flow coming out of Israel
- Create trust-based relationships between like-minded VC investors from both countries
- Identify strategic opportunities for Israeli VCs in the UK ecosystem (UK deal flow, advisory board)
- Provide opportunities for knowledge sharing on market trends and business intelligence between UK and Israeli VCs
How Will it Work?
- The Hub will perform as an open information and communication channel between investors and VCs
- The British Embassy will hold online and live events for investors and VCs from both countries
- The Hub will facilitate one-on-one meetings between investors, founders and VCs from both countries
- The VC club will hold an annual summit bringing together the Club members, founders and investors
Avi Eyal, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Entrée Capital (IL VC and a VC club member): “There is a tremendous wave of digitalization and innovation between our two countries that has occurred over many decades. Entrée Capital has over a dozen investments in the UK that include Cazoo, Rapyd, ThoughtRiver, Dishpatch, Vyne Payments, and Generation Home. The proximity to Israel, similar legal systems, and English as the default spoken language all help to break barriers to doing business together. A company such as Rapyd is an ideal example of a UK company with operations in Israel, taking on the world. – only made possible due to the unique UK-Israel relationship.”
Toby Coppel, Co-founder and Partner, Mosaic Ventures (UK VC and a VC club member): “Our passion at Mosaic is to partner early with inspiring, ambitious tech founders: renegades who reimagine the world and shape it their way. Israel has an abundance of pioneering entrepreneurs for example, we have partnered with Eran Shir and Bruno Fernandez-Ruiz at Nexar, who are unleashing car camera vision at scale, for better driving and better managed public spaces.”
UK VCs
- Playfair Capital
- Remagine Ventures
- HSBC Ventures
- Anthemis
- Clean Growth Fund
- Bethnal Green Ventures
- Notion
- True
- Hearst Ventures
- Downing Ventures
- AXA Venture Partners
- Mosaic Ventures
- Seedcamp
- Local Globe
- Oxx
- Sustainable Ventures
Israeli VCs
- Hetz Ventures
- Entree Capital
- Ourcrowd
- Collider Ventures
- Discount Capital
- Qualcomm Ventures
- StageOne Ventures
- Maniv Mobility
- Rhodium
- 10D
- JVP
- HP Tech Ventures
- Israel Growth Partners
- Viola Fintech
- Lool Ventures