From Combat to AI Startup: Aviv Shemeni's Journey to Millions
Translated & summarized from Globes by baba
Aviv Shemeni, a former Maglan special forces officer, founded the AI startup Limy after experiencing combat in Gaza and Lebanon. The company, which connects brands with AI information consumers, has secured $10 million in funding from Andreessen Horowitz. Limy serves over 200 major clients, including American Express and Samsung, and generates millions in annual revenue. Shemeni attributes his resilience and entrepreneurial success to his military experiences, particularly those following the October 7th attacks.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Aviv Shemeni, a former Israeli special forces soldier, co-founded the AI startup Limy after combat experiences.
- Limy connects brands with AI information consumers and has secured $10 million in funding from Andreessen Horowitz.
- The company serves over 200 major clients, including American Express, Samsung, and Amazon.
- Shemeni's resilience as an entrepreneur was significantly shaped by his service during the October 7th attacks and subsequent combat.
- Limy generates millions of dollars in annual revenue, with clients reportedly seeing 8-12% revenue increases.
- Shemeni acknowledges that being Israeli can sometimes create business challenges.
Aviv Shemeni, a 29-year-old Israeli entrepreneur, has co-founded and is the CEO of Limy, an AI startup based in New York that connects brands with AI information consumers. Shemeni, son of retired Major General Gadi Shemeni, grew up in Israel and the US, serving in the Maglan special forces unit where he reached the rank of captain. His military service, particularly his experiences during the October 7th attacks and subsequent reserve duty, profoundly shaped his resilience and entrepreneurial outlook.
After his military service, Shemeni studied engineering and management while working in sales, eventually moving to a unicorn company before identifying a problem in data classification. This led him to co-found his first startup, Blend, which he had to close due to the challenges of the early pandemic and his own inexperience as an entrepreneur. The events of October 7th, where he was among the first responders in Kibbutz Be'eri, and subsequent prolonged reserve duty, including in Gaza and Lebanon, significantly hardened him, making him a more robust entrepreneur.
During a lull in fighting in southern Lebanon in February 2025, Shemeni conceived the idea for Limy. The startup aims to be the 'Coca-Cola' of AI models, connecting brands like Nike to AI agents that consume information. Limy's system analyzes how AI agents discover and present brands, identifies competitive gaps, and tracks user and agent activity. The company, with 40 employees and offices in New York, Israel, and soon Singapore and Italy, boasts over 200 major clients, including American Express, Samsung, and Amazon.
Limy has secured $10 million in funding from Andreessen Horowitz, which Shemeni views as validation of their direction. He acknowledges that being Israeli can sometimes present challenges in business, citing one instance where it nearly cost them an investment, but emphasizes that his combat experiences have made him impervious to setbacks. Clients are reportedly seeing significant revenue increases, between 8% and 12%, due to Limy's services.