Your tech is humming 🎵, design partners are nibbling, but the U.S. remains a foggy horizon 🌫️. That gap between strong Israeli engineering and repeatable U.S. revenue kills promising companies every year. Enter Gil Ben-Artzy, the Israel-to-Silicon-Valley super-connector whose UpWest fund has backed 150+ startups—and watched four march to unicorn status 🦄. With a $70 M Fund IV and a 4-month, boots-on-the-ground GTM program, he doesn’t just wire money; he shoves teams over the ocean and into customer meetings 🚀. For founders who crave a playbook, not just a term sheet, Gil Ben-Artzy matters—big time.
Who Is Gil Ben-Artzy and Why Founders Listen
Before UpWest, Gil Ben-Artzy spent years operating inside tech giants and watching deals from the other side of the table. That rare mix of operator mindset and investor discipline is what sets him apart. Founders don’t just get capital—they get an early-stage ally who’s walked the walk, made the hires, and closed the deals.
• 🚀 Co-founded UpWest in 2012; 153 investments, 22 exits, 4 unicorns (SentinelOne, HoneyBook, Cyera, Laminar).
• 💼 Ran Corporate Development at Yahoo!, closing >$1 B in deals—operator empathy.
• 💸 Writes $750k–$1.5 M checks and usually leads Pre-Seed/Seed rounds.
• 🧠 Sits on boards (Cyera, Imubit, Panorays) and stays bi-weekly hands-on during the critical first year.
• 🧳 Built a 120-company alumni network that shortcuts U.S. hiring and customer intros.
One-liner: Gil Ben-Artzy is the Israeli founder’s on-ramp to Silicon Valley execution.
Gil Ben-Artzy’s Thesis — “Outliers Go Global Early”
Gil Ben-Artzy doesn’t just write checks—he pushes founders to go global before they think they’re ready. 🌍 His belief is simple but bold: the earlier Israeli startups anchor themselves in the U.S. market, the faster they scale and the stronger their competitive edge. Gil believes great Israeli startups win by planting U.S. roots before Series A.
Core pillars:
• 🛡️ Technical Edge First—deep, defensible IP in AI, cyber, data infra.
• ✈️ Global DNA From Day Zero—teams ready to relocate or fly monthly.
• 📈 Early PMF Signals—design partners > revenue at pre-seed.
• ⏱️ Hands-On GTM Coaching—his 4-month sprint compresses learning loops.
• 🤝 Community Power—120+ alumni trading playbooks and warm intros.
Takeaway: If you’re an Israeli B2B team eyeing the U.S. now—not “someday”—you’re squarely in Gil’s strike zone.
Angel Deal Terms at a Glance — Gil’s Sweet Spot
Gil writes substantive checks but keeps term sheets founder-friendly.
| Stage | Typical Check | Sectors Loved | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-Seed | $750k | Cybersecurity, DevOps, Data Infra | Israeli founders targeting U.S. |
| Seed | $1M–$1.5M | AI/ML SaaS, Future of Work, Digital Health | Same |
Takeaway: Expect a $1 M lead check on a SAFE or priced round plus a board seat and GTM sprint.
What Gil Ben-Artzy Looks For (Beyond the Hype)
Gil doesn’t care about the flashiest deck or the buzziest buzzwords. He’s laser-focused on signals that predict long-term success—especially your ability to win U.S. customers early. This is what separates the teams he backs from the ones that get a quick pass.
• 🤝 Complementary founding duo—deep tech + customer-obsessed hustler.
• 💡 “Secret insight” slide—why you see a market edge others miss.
• 📢 U.S. customer evidence—pilot quotes, even if unpaid, matter.
• 🧑🏫 Coachability—willingness to iterate weekly during the UpWest program.
• 🚀 10× ambition—solving for global category leadership, not Israeli exit.
Inside Gil Ben-Artzy’s Portfolio
UpWest bets prove the pattern works.
| Company | Sector | Round Led | Why It Fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cyera | Data Security | Seed | Israeli deep-tech + U.S. validation early 🔐 |
| SentinelOne | Cybersecurity | Seed | Global vision, GTM sprint led to IPO 🚀 |
| HoneyBook | Future of Work SaaS | Seed | B2B SaaS, relocated to SF for scale 💼 |
| Laminar | Cloud Data Protection | Seed | Dual Israeli-U.S. presence from day one ☁️ |
| Codefresh | DevOps | Seed | Tech founders coached into U.S. sales motion ⚙️ |
Takeaway: B2B Israeli roots + U.S. ambitions = pattern recognition for Gil.
Cold Outreach Playbook: Stand Out in Gil’s Inbox
Subject: “Israeli AI infra startup hitting 4 U.S. pilots—UpWest fit?”
• 📣 1-liner: We’re ex-IDF data engineers automating model governance.
• 📊 Traction: 4 design partners incl. Fortune 500, 3-month pilots underway.
• 🧭 Why now: GenAI infra gaps create $5 B greenfield; we solve compliance at source.
• 💰 Ask: $1 M seed lead + UpWest GTM program for U.S. expansion.
• 📎 Deck + ref: Warm intro via Panorays CTO attached.
Skip the fluff—Gil scans for team, unique insight, and early U.S. proof.
Life After the Wire: What Founders Actually Get
Getting a check is just the beginning—what comes next can define your U.S. trajectory. With Gil and UpWest, founders don’t just get capital; they get structure, access, and hands-on help to go from early traction to serious momentum. Here’s what that looks like in practice:
• 🧭 Twice-weekly strategy sessions during the 4-month accelerator to nail ICP, pitch narrative, and pricing.
• 🤝 Rapid-fire customer intros—UpWest has logged hundreds of CISO and VP Eng meetings for portfolio teams.
• 👥 Hiring bench—shared recruiter pool for first U.S. sales and marketing hires.
• 🎯 Follow-on prep—mock Series A pitches with NFX and Bessemer partners.
Anecdote (Dossier): UpWest’s high-touch cadence has propelled 22 exits; founders credit Gil’s board presence and U.S. network as “the multiplier” that closed downstream rounds.
Red Flags That Make Gil Ghost Your Round
Even with the right idea and market, certain missteps will shut the door before it opens. Gil is quick to pass when red flags appear—especially ones that signal low U.S. readiness or weak technical depth. Some misses are avoidable.
• 🚫 Solo founder with no technical co-lead.
• 🧩 Product = feature, not platform.
• 🌍 Revenue only in Israel; zero U.S. conversations.
• 🙉 Stubbornness toward feedback during diligence.
• 🏗️ Hardware-heavy or pure B2C plays.
• 📬 Pitch via cold LinkedIn DM without context.
Takeaway: If you ignore U.S. focus or lack tech depth, expect radio silence.
FAQ
❓ Do I need revenue to pitch?
No. Gil values early PMF signals like pilots over booked ARR.
❓ Will he follow on?
Yes, UpWest reserves for Series A and often co-invests with Insight or Bessemer.
❓ How fast is the process?
Diligence can wrap in weeks; being prepared with customer references accelerates it.
❓ Board seat mandatory?
For lead checks, expect Gil to take a seat or observer role to stay engaged.
Final Thoughts: Gil Ben-Artzy as Your Scale Co-Pilot
Gil Ben-Artzy isn’t spraying tiny angel checks; he’s betting big on a concentrated thesis—Israeli outliers that globalize fast 🌍. His $1 M average check, board engagement, and four-month GTM gauntlet have already birthed unicorns 🦄 and 22 exits 🚪. For you, that means a partner who will critique your deck Tuesday, join a customer call Thursday, and push you to hop on a red-eye Sunday ✈️.
So ask yourself: Are you ready to cross the ocean mentally and physically? 🌊 If the answer is an emphatic “yes,” line up a warm intro, polish that U.S. traction slide, and aim for Gil’s next 8-to-12 investments this year. The bridge is built—run across it 🏃♂️.
