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Glilot Capital Partners
Glilot Capital Partners: Kobi Samboursky and Arik Kleinstein's Herzliya-based seed fund institutionalizing Israeli cybersecurity and AI/ML ventures since...
Glilot Capital Partners
Glilot Capital Partners was founded in 2011 by Kobi Samboursky and Arik Kleinstein, two alumni of Israel's elite intelligence technology units, to build a dedicated seed-stage vehicle for the country's national advantage in cybersecurity and enterprise software. The firm is headquartered in Herzliya, in the heart of Israel's technology corridor, and focuses almost entirely on founding-stage capital for Israeli entrepreneurs. The firm runs a concentrated early-stage strategy anchored in cybersecurity, AI/ML, and enterprise infrastructure software. Glilot structures its engagement through a series of tailored programs: G-Seed for ideation and pre-seed capital, Mach5 as a product-market-fit accelerator, and G+ for scaling rounds. Portfolio companies confirmed from public record include LightCyber (acquired by Palo Alto Networks in 2017), Protego Labs (acquired by Check Point), and InsurTech platform BioCatch. The geographic focus is Israel, with co-investors and follow-on GPs drawn from the US venture ecosystem. Glilot operates with a team anchored by its two founding managing partners and partner Nofar Schnider. The firm has launched successive funds since 2011, though it keeps specific fundraising totals and current assets under management undisclosed. The firm supplements its direct venture mandates with G-Club, a network for technology founders that blends wealth management with community-building — a structure that informally extends its sourcing pipeline. In recent years, the firm has continued writing seed checks into security-focused startups, participating in rounds for companies like Atmosec in 2023 (per CTech, 2023). The firm's structural differentiator is its embedded accelerator model — Mach5 does not operate as a separate entity but as an integrated funnel under the same management company, giving Glilot the ability to commit capital before a company formally raises a priced round. This design, combined with a narrow sector mandate, produces a sourcing engine that is unusually tight for a firm of its size.
General information
Firm type
Private Equity
Year founded
2011
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
Middle East
Country
Israel
City
Herzliya
Corporate office
Herzliya, Israel
Principals
Kobi Samboursky
Founder & Managing Partner
Arik Kleinstein
Founder & Managing Partner
Nofar Schnider
Partner
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Glilot Capital Partners?
Founding managing partners Kobi Samboursky and Arik Kleinstein lead the investment committee. Both came out of Israeli elite intelligence units before founding Glilot in 2011. Partner Nofar Schnider rounds out the senior team. Day-to-day sourcing and diligence is centralized within the partnership, with no external investment committee members.
How does Glilot source proprietary deal flow?
The firm's Mach5 accelerator program serves as the primary proprietary sourcing channel, giving Glilot access to companies before they reach a priced seed round. The founding partners' networks across Israeli military intelligence alumni provide additional deal flow. G-Club, the firm's community for technology founders, further extends the top-of-funnel pipeline.
Is Glilot structured as a family office or a traditional venture firm?
Glilot Capital Partners is structured as a traditional venture capital firm managing commingled funds raised from external limited partners, not a family office. The firm runs successive early-stage venture funds, though it keeps fund sizes and LP identities undisclosed. There is no single-family wealth source backing the firm.
What investment stages does Glilot typically target?
Glilot focuses almost exclusively on seed and early-stage rounds, often as the first institutional check. Through its G-Seed program, the firm can commit capital at the ideation stage. Mach5 targets companies seeking product-market fit. G+ is reserved for follow-on scaling rounds within the existing portfolio.
Which sectors does Glilot explicitly avoid?
Glilot has not published an explicit exclusion list, but its portfolio and stated mandate show a deliberate avoidance of consumer internet, hardware-heavy deep tech, and traditional industrial businesses. The firm is concentrated in enterprise software, cybersecurity, AI/ML, and adjacent enterprise infrastructure — and rarely, if ever, deviates from these domains.
Does Glilot participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
Glilot deploys capital exclusively through direct startup investments and its internal acceleration programs. There is no indication the firm acts as a limited partner in other venture funds or operates a fund-of-funds allocation.
What is Glilot's known posture on co-investments alongside external GPs?
Glilot regularly co-invests alongside US-based venture firms in later rounds of its portfolio companies, though the firm typically leads or co-leads the Israeli seed rounds. The firm's concentrated sector focus makes it a natural co-investor for US funds seeking Israel-based cybersecurity exposure, though Glilot does not operate a formal co-investor club.
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