Investors Event Summary
More than 100 founders took part in DatA-IL’s From Pitch to Partnership event this month (February). Renana Ashkenazi from Grove Ventures, Amit Shechter from Fusion, Bar Kozlovsky from XT Ventures, and Noga Lakritz from Team8 joined us for an opening investors’ panel. Afterwards, they met in roundtable sessions with small groups of early-stage AI founders, answering every question with honesty, patience, and professionalism.
Hundreds of billions of dollars continue to flow into AI companies worldwide. But behind the impressive numbers lies an important detail: investors are lining up to back large, established companies, while hesitating when it comes to new startups. At the same time, founders must find ways to stand out in a field where technology is advancing rapidly, and everyone seems to claim similar capabilities.
Here are some key insights, tips, and recurring questions from the event:
The Path
The venture capital model charts a specific course for your startup—one that typically requires an exit down the road. But that path isn’t necessarily right for you or your product.
Examine what fits your goals, what’s happening in the market, and what investors expect. Then decide accordingly. In some cases, building a company based on a more “traditional” model—focused on profitability and sustainable growth—may be the better answer.
The Data
The AI revolution has removed certain barriers but created new ones as well.
Today, it’s easier to access technologies and infrastructure, solve tasks using agents and chatbots, and build lean companies. But to truly stand out, you must demonstrate deep domain expertise, bring unique data to the table, and show a thorough understanding of the problem and the market.
More than ever, investors want to know how you trained your model. The data question has become critical. Proprietary, high-quality data can create a real competitive advantage—and it’s something you must emphasize.
Competition, in this context, isn’t necessarily a threat. It can be proof that a real need exists. The real question becomes: why is your team uniquely positioned to win in the long run?
The Customers
Your choice of early customers can sometimes impact future fundraising, especially for Israeli companies that start with local clients but later seek investment from foreign funds.
Investors will evaluate whether your product fits a global market. They’ll look at regulatory considerations, sector familiarity, scalability, and competition. A common concern is that the product was built for highly specific local requirements and may not adapt well to markets with different needs.
If your goal is to build a global company, you must understand these differences and design your product accordingly.
The Fund
The fund you choose, and especially the partner who will sit on your board, will be with you for years. Make sure there’s real alignment.
What are their expectations? Is there trust and strong communication? Do they truly understand your domain and have the ability to help?
The right investor can accelerate your company and product, help you secure future funding, and support you through growth. The wrong fit may make it harder to move forward or lead to hesitation in follow-on rounds.
The Problem
Venture capital funds look for business viability and a path to profitability relatively early on. A great idea or product isn’t enough. You need to show who will pay, why they’ll pay, what the business model is, and how you generate revenue within a reasonable timeframe.
If you’ve built a startup that solves a problem AI can already solve (or soon will), you may face a serious challenge.
Even if you’re building at the application layer, aim to create a product that becomes embedded in team workflows and is difficult to replace. Think about the model of monday.com as an example.
The Answer
Sometimes a rejection is about fit or timing. “No” doesn’t necessarily mean “never”—it often means “not right now.”
Founders should come back with real progress: new data, sharper market positioning, proof of demand. Show determination and the ability to open doors, even if it doesn’t work the first time.
In other cases, it’s simply not the right fit with a specific fund, but another fund may be excited to work with you, especially if you operate in a niche that requires deep specialization.
Listen carefully to feedback that can move you forward—but don’t give up.
