The secrets to raising funds in the U.S.
Ori Kaufman-Gafter, Head of International and Tech Banking at Bank Leumi USA, talks to Tim Guleri, Managing Partner at Sierra Ventures, about the most important things Israeli founders need to know before raising money in the U.S.
"My advice to entrepreneurs in Israel is that time is your friend and when you start your company, start reaching out and building relationships with like-minded venture capitalists here in the Valley because all we do is offer our networks here to leverage," Tim Guleri, Managing Partner at Sierra Ventures told Ori Kaufman-Gafter, Head of International and Tech Banking at Bank Leumi USA. The comments were made during the first session of the Expanding your Startup to the U.S. series being organized by Calcalist and LeumiTech USA.
The two discussed tactics to consider when growing a business in the U.S., and the key factors that impact an entrepreneur's progress when raising funds in the U.S.
"Our strategy hasn't changed for the last 40 years. We are principally early-stage investors and because we are early stage we are looking for visionary founders with a bullish vision who want to build lasting companies. We have always been sourcing our investments globally," noted Guleri. "Israeli entrepreneurs have an execution bias and Israeli founders have a great work ethic and just a phenomenal ‘I can take the hill’ attitude which probably stems from the military stint you are all required to do. This is phenomenal to see because that is a necessary ingredient in this race.”
You can watch the entire exchange in the video above
