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Erel Margalit

Israeli high-tech and social entrepreneur

Erel N. Margalit is an Israeli entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and former politician who has made significant contributions to Israel's technology and innovation ecosystem. Here are key details about his background and career:

Professional Career

Jerusalem Venture Partners (JVP)

Erel Margalit founded JVP, a leading venture capital firm, in 1993 and currently serves as its Executive Chairman.1 Under his leadership, JVP has:

  • Raised over $1.4 billion across nine funds
  • Invested in more than 140 companies
  • Orchestrated 42 IPOs and M&As, including notable exits like CyberArk and QlikTech

Margalit Startup City

Margalit is also the founder and Executive Chairman of Margalit Startup City, an initiative that creates centers of excellence combining technology and education in various regions of Israel.12

Political Career

  • Served as a Member of the Israeli Knesset (parliament) from 2013 to 2017
  • Represented the Labor Party
  • Member of the Security and Foreign Affairs Committee
  • Ranking member on the National Finance Committee
  • Led the Cybersecurity Taskforce

Entrepreneurial and Social Impact

  • Founded "Bakehila" and "Israel Initiative 2020", non-profit organizations focused on education and regional development
  • Established the Media Quarter in Jerusalem, fostering entrepreneurship in business, social, and cultural enterprises
  • Created the Margalit Startup City Community model, which has established innovation centers in various Israeli cities1

Recognition

  • Selected for the Forbes Midas list as a top non-American venture capitalist1
  • Chosen by Israel's business paper "The Marker" as the venture capitalist with the "golden touch"1

Education

  • Ph.D. from Columbia University in New York2
  • Studied at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem2

Erel Margalit is known for his visionary approach to combining business success with social impact, and his efforts to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in Israel and beyond.

Highlights

Aug 8 · linkedin

A message to the business community in Lebanon:

As the situation between Israel and Hezbollah is escalating, and our country is on hold, I'm calling the high-tech and business people in Lebanon to do whatever they can to prevent an all-out war.

Over the years, I have met many Lebanese people around the world and have so much respect for their entrepreneurship, thought leadership, and the way they conduct their businesses. I can only wish that soon will come a time when the same respect can exist between our countries.

For the past 10 months, our Northern border has been evacuated. Over 100,000 people have been out of their homes. Our vibrant and dynamic Climatech-Foodtech-Agtech Center in Kiryat Shemona has been evacuated as well, including more than 100 startups and entrepreneurs. But even though we have an attrition war, we do not have an all-out war.

Let us wake up and prevent Hezbollah from elevating the conflict into an all-out war between our two countries. Let’s talk people to people. People who want to be free, create, live and prosper in their respective countries. People that don’t want Iran to use their country as a terror state by proxies like Hezbollah, and to pull the entire region to a full-fledged war including the launch of missiles, rockets and drones, leaving us no choice but to enter a deadly war that will bring Lebanon down in a big way.

This is the time that people need to stand up and speak. To try to prevent such a war. To push both our countries to reach a diplomatic solution, to draw Hezbollah back beyond the Litani river as part of a negotiation. Speak up!

Let’s prevent a war now, so that in the future, we will be able to do things together - around agriculture, around food, around climate, around business.

Until then, let's do everything we can to stop another major war between us.

Margalit Startup City | JVP

#speakup

Mar 28 · linkedin

Kudos to Coro, our cyber portfolio company which today announced an amazing achievement of a $100 million fundraise, and a market valuation of $750 million.   We are so proud of you all: Guy Moskowitz, the CEO and Co-Founder, together with Dror Liwer, Carmel Domshlak, and Doron Milchtaich, and the entire team at Coro.   It is our privilege to take part in the company's fascinating journey that began in JVP's cyber center in Be'er Sheva, in close cooperation with my partner, Yoav Tzruya, who has been working with Coro since the first day we invested in the company, and along the way to turning Coro into a global category leader in the cyber market.   With its phenomenal growth in sales year-over-year, presence in many countries around the world, and a groundbreaking technological product for the mid-market that provides protection to SMEs - which about 70% of cyber attacks are aimed at - Coro is a proud example of the determination and power of Israeli high-tech at all times but especially in these particularly challenging days.   As founding investors of Coro, and as the company's largest shareholder, we intend to increase our holdings in the company and continue to work closely with the company's management to continue to strengthen Coro's position as a significant player in the global cyber market.   Yoav Tzruya, Coro , JVP, Guy Moskowitz, Dror Liwer, Carmel Domshlak, Doron Milchtaich.

Related Questions

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How did Erel Margalit's time in the Knesset influence his venture capital career?
What is the Margalit StartUp City Community initiative about?
How has JVP contributed to Israel's high-tech industry?
What are the key achievements of Erel Margalit in the tech sector?
Erel Margalit
Erel Margalit, photo 1
Erel Margalit, photo 2
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Location

Jerusalem, Israel