Six months since Oct. 7, YL Ventures partner: Not out of the woods

• Published date: 18 April 2024
• Author: SHARON SEEMANN
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

Challenges

In the aftermath of October 7 and the Gaza War, what recent challenges have you faced in your industry, and how did you overcome them?

As a partner at an Israeli-American VC firm, beyond my connection as an Israeli, the war's impact on our industry and portfolio companies was significant.

This was mainly due to the remarkable rallying of many of our founders and their teams, who volunteered for reserve duty and civilian aid efforts, leaving young cybersecurity startups in their most critical stages of development.

That being said, what I witnessed during the first few months of the war was unimaginable resilience, agility and determination by these entrepreneurs to double down on bridging any production, human resources or technical gaps they may have had to prioritize customer needs and expectations.

As the firm's marketing lead and partner, after October 7, I focused on accelerating the value-added assistance and support provided by my team to our portfolio companies. My team and I leveraged our resources, workforce and networks to guide our founders through this new reality and ensure their continued operations on a global scale, including strategizing with founders and marketing teams on future marketing plans and implementation, helping them drive customer engagement and adoption and a host of PR efforts. We may not be out of the woods yet. Still, the Israeli cybersecurity industry is the nation's most globally recognized and successful export, considered by many to be the "Ivy League" of the global cybersecurity ecosystem, and its ability to weather such a catastrophic national crisis - while ensuring business continuity, standing together and supporting the Israeli economy and society at the same time - is truly exceptional.

Decisions

Looking back, what decision do you feel was the best for your career or business, and why?

Before entering the VC and startup ecosystem, I began my professional career as a commercial litigation lawyer. During my military service in the IDF's Unit 8200, I was somewhat exposed to the world of tech and startup innovation, with many of my friends joining the Israeli high-tech sector after their army service. At university, I held a student position performing research and analysis related to the Israeli technology and venture capital industry. I was always drawn to this ecosystem, and when the opportunity to dive in and join a globally renowned VC firm as its first marketing lead presented itself, I jumped at...