Israeli Celebrities Dive Into Tech With Major Investments
Translated & summarized from Ice by baba
Israeli celebrities like singer Omer Adam and actor Assi Cohen are investing heavily in the country's booming tech sector, particularly in AI and cybersecurity. Adam is a partner in the server farm company Anan, valued at over $1 billion after a deal with Crusoe Technologies, and invested in AI cybersecurity startup Aryon Security. Cohen also invested in Aryon and the cybersecurity firm Huskeys, which recently secured funding from Blackstone. Former NBA player Omri Casspi's venture fund manages nearly $800 million, with nine of its investments reaching unicorn status.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Singer Omer Adam co-invested in Anan, a server farm company now valued over $1 billion after a deal with Crusoe Technologies.
- Actor Assi Cohen invested in AI cybersecurity startup Aryon Security and the network security firm Huskeys.
- Former NBA player Omri Casspi's venture fund manages $800 million, with nine investments reaching unicorn status.
- Itamar Minmar, a former reporter, is now advising tech companies and highlighting celebrity investments in the sector.
- Huskeys cybersecurity startup secured $27 million in funding, including from global investor Blackstone.
- Early-stage tech investments carry high risk but can yield significant returns for successful exits.
Prominent Israeli celebrities, including singer Omer Adam and actor Assi Cohen, are making significant investments in the high-tech industry, particularly in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. Itamar Minmar, a well-known reporter covering technology and economy, has left his media role to establish a consulting firm for tech companies and startups, while also maintaining his independent digital presence on AI and innovation. Minmar highlighted these celebrity investments in a social media video, showcasing a trend of Israeli stars leveraging their wealth in the tech sector.
Omer Adam has co-invested in Anan, an Israeli server farm company, which recently secured a major deal with U.S. cloud infrastructure giant Crusoe Technologies. This partnership, focused on AI High-Performance Computing infrastructure, has boosted Anan's valuation to over $1 billion. Adam also invested $1 million in Aryon Security, an AI-based cybersecurity startup, which raised $25 million in its Series A funding round. Assi Cohen joined this funding round for Aryon and later expanded his tech investments by partnering with mentalist Lior Suchard in the Israeli network security firm Huskeys.
Lior Suchard is an active investor, serving as a partner in the venture capital fund Merlin Ventures and advising startups. Huskeys recently completed a $27 million funding round led by global investment giant Blackstone, marking Blackstone's first early-stage investment in an Israeli cybersecurity company. Former NBA player Omri Casspi has also established a strong presence in venture capital, managing the Swish Ventures fund. His third fund raised $250 million, bringing the total assets under management to approximately $800 million. Out of 21 companies in Swish Ventures' portfolio, nine have reached unicorn status (valued over $1 billion), including cloud security firm Upwind, now valued at $3.8 billion.
Minmar noted that early-stage tech investments carry high risks, with many ventures failing. However, the Israeli cybersecurity industry continues to attract substantial international investment. Successful exits or IPOs for these companies can yield returns of tenfold or more on the initial investment for prominent figures involved.