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New non-profit angel club matches US investors with Israeli start-ups

Posted on August 31, 2007 • By Miriam Schwab
Category: Business 1 Comment

Tevel is a new US non-profit angel club that aims to facilitate introductions between Israeli hi-tech entrepreneurs and potential investors in the US. Companies interested in using Tevel’s services must submit an application, and Tevel uses a professional screening process to select the most promising companies to present to their investors.

Alan Weinkrantz describes the case for Tevel on his blog:

• Currently Israel produces each year hundreds of innovative companies in various leading fields. Unfortunately, due to limited financial resources, the majority of these companies are prevented from reaching the next level.

• As seasoned business people, Tevel recognized the importance in assisting the growing Israeli economy by recruiting external funds with the hopes to enable it to flourish, further expand and by that benefit the global economy.

• Therefore by putting together a platform to introduce early-stage companies to US investors, Tevel strives to create new business opportunities while supporting Israel’s growing economy.

Tevel was founded by Dr. Oren Fuerst and Oren Heiman, both highly active supporters of the State of Israel. The site states that despite the fact that the club focuses on investments, the sole purpose is to promote philanthropic causes: “Doing good for Israel while doing well for yourself is no longer a vision!”

According to the club’s site, Tevel focuses on companies from sectors in which Israeli technologies tend to excel, including:

• life sciences
• Internet
• electronics
• telecom
• software
• clean-tech
• and homeland security.

Investors who want to join the club have two membership options: Gold and Platinum. At the bi-monthly meetings, Tevel members will be introduced to a number of pre-screened start-ups, plus one pre-screened Israeli philanthropy to which contributions are encouraged.

I personally find this initiative a breath of fresh air. Too often, Israel is seen as just a charity case, and Diaspora Jewry will often invest in every emerging market under the sun, but see investing in Israel as “too risky.” This for a country with a per capita GDB of $31,767, putting Israel at eighteenth place for OECD countries. By encouraging investments in Israel, Tevel is contributing to Israel in a way that benefits both the investor and the company, bringing Diaspora-Israel relations to a whole new level.

For more information, see www.tevel.org, and Alan Weinkrantz’s PR Blog.