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OurCrowd

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OurCrowd
NameOurCrowd
TypePrivate
IndustryVenture capital, Crowdfunding
Founded2013
FounderJon Medved
HeadquartersJerusalem, Israel; New York, USA
Key peopleJon Medved, Eric Kaine, Debbie Orovitz

OurCrowd OurCrowd is a global investment platform and venture capital firm that facilitates accredited investor participation in early-stage and growth-stage companies and venture funds. Founded in 2013, the firm operates across multiple jurisdictions and sectors, leveraging networks in technology hubs and financial centers to source deals, syndicate rounds, and provide post-investment support. OurCrowd has engaged with corporate partners, universities, and sovereign investment entities to build a diversified portfolio of startups and funds.

History

Founded in 2013 by Jon Medved after prior roles with Israel Seed Partners and Israel Venture Network, the firm emerged amid a surge of interest in equity crowdfunding and alternative finance platforms including AngelList, Kickstarter, Indiegogo, and Crowdcube. Early expansion connected the firm to ecosystems in Silicon Valley, Tel Aviv District, Boston, London, Singapore, and Toronto. Strategic partnerships and sponsorships involved institutions such as GE Ventures, Microsoft, Intel Capital, SoftBank, and academics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. Growth milestones included opening regional offices and launching thematic funds alongside collaborations with sovereign and corporate investors such as Temasek, Mubadala Investment Company, and BlackRock-aligned vehicles. The platform's development paralleled regulatory shifts influenced by statutes and agencies like the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Financial Conduct Authority, and Israeli authorities.

Business model and operations

The firm operates a hybrid model combining venture capital fund management, equity crowdfunding facilitation, and secondary market services, interacting with players such as Sequoia Capital, Benchmark, Andreessen Horowitz, Bessemer Venture Partners, and Accel Partners. Revenue streams include management fees, carried interest, and syndication fees, with operational functions such as due diligence, portfolio management, and corporate development support. The platform serves accredited investors, family offices, and institutional partners including Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Citigroup, UBS, and Morgan Stanley; it also collaborates with accelerators and incubators like Y Combinator, 500 Startups, and Techstars. Deal sourcing leverages networks spanning venture events such as TechCrunch Disrupt, Web Summit, and SXSW, and taps into research from labs at Stanford University, Harvard University, and UC Berkeley.

Investment portfolio and notable deals

OurCrowd's portfolio spans sectors including cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, fintech, digital health, and agritech, with investments alongside prominent backers such as SoftBank Vision Fund, Tiger Global Management, NEA, Kleiner Perkins, and Index Ventures. Notable participations and exits have involved companies that intersect with firms like Mobileye, Waze, Playtika, Vroom, and Outbrain as comparable peers or co-investors. The platform has led rounds and co-invested in startups linked to corporate partners such as GE Digital, Cisco Investments, Samsung NEXT, and Qualcomm Ventures. Portfolio companies have pursued public listings, mergers, or acquisitions involving entities such as Intel Corporation, Alphabet Inc., PayPal Holdings, Microsoft Corporation, and Amazon.com, Inc..

Operating across jurisdictions has required engagement with regulators and compliance frameworks including the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Financial Conduct Authority, Israeli Securities Authority, and multilateral standards influenced by Basel Committee on Banking Supervision dialogues. The platform's accreditation requirements and private placement structures were shaped by rules like the JOBS Act in the United States and prospectus exemptions in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Israel. Legal matters have involved relationships with law firms and compliance advisors experienced with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, Allen & Overy, Herzog Fox & Neeman, and regional counsel to address cross-border investment, tax structuring, and investor protection concerns.

Financial performance and fundraising

OurCrowd has raised capital through managed funds, special-purpose vehicles, and syndicates, attracting capital commitments from family offices, high-net-worth individuals, and institutional partners such as Blackstone, Carlyle Group, KKR, Brookfield Asset Management, and sovereign wealth funds. Fund vintages and thematic funds tracked performance relative to venture benchmarks from indexes like Cambridge Associates and PitchBook, with valuation events benchmarked against public comparables including NASDAQ Composite, S&P 500, and sector ETFs. Fundraising rounds involved collaboration with placement agents and investment banks such as Lazard, Evercore, and Rothschild & Co.

Criticism and controversies

The platform faced scrutiny typical of alternative investment marketplaces regarding liquidity, valuation transparency, fee structures, and investor suitability, topics often debated alongside peers like Seedrs, Crowdcube, and AngelList. Critiques cited by market commentators and analysts referenced due diligence standards, secondary market depth, and alignment of interests compared with traditional venture firms such as Benchmark and Sequoia Capital. Regulatory inquiries and investor disputes involved arbiters and forums including arbitration providers, civil courts, and watchdog groups, while trade press outlets and industry analysts at Forbes, Bloomberg News, The Wall Street Journal, and The Financial Times covered developments.

Corporate governance and leadership

Leadership has been led by founder Jon Medved with a senior management and advisory team featuring executives with backgrounds at institutional investors, technology firms, and academic institutions, connecting to networks such as Harvard Business School, Wharton School, Columbia Business School, and INSEAD. The board and investment committees include independent directors, venture partners, and strategic executives drawn from corporations like Intel, Microsoft, Google, Facebook, and Amazon, and from financial institutions including Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan Chase. Governance frameworks emphasize investment committee approvals, conflict-of-interest policies, and audit oversight consistent with practices promoted by organizations like the International Corporate Governance Network and standards used by public companies listed on exchanges such as the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ.

Category:Venture capital firms