# Protego

Protego is a Venture Capital based in Israel.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Venture Capital
- **Headquarters:** Israel
- **Region:** Middle East
- **Address:** Israel
- **Founded:** 2024
- **Assets under management:** $150M (per the firm)
- **Website:** www.protego.vc
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/protegosol
- **Wikidata:** Q54936309

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

Protego Ventures is a $150 million defense fund based in Israel, dedicated to addressing the critical defense and security needs of Israel and the global community. It invests in early-growth companies driving innovation in critical areas of defense technology, including sensors, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and machine learning, drones, and UAVs. The firm supports innovative companies and seeks meaningful returns for investors while contributing to advancements in defense and security.

## Sectors

- Defense Technology
- AI/ML
- Sensors
- Drones
- UAVs
- Cybersecurity

## People

- Lital Leshem — Co-Founder & Managing Partner
- Lee Moser — Co-Founder & General Partner
- Brig. General (Res.) Dr. Ziv Avtalion — CTO
- Maj. General (Res.) Tal Kelman — Head of Strategy and Defense
- Mandy Rotner — Financial Advisor
- Perri Finkelstein — Head of Business Development & Value Creation
- Danielle Zettel — Investor Relations
- Paz Lazar — Chief of Staff

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at Protego?

Co-Founder and Managing Partner Lital Leshem and Co-Founder and General Partner Lee Moser share investment decision authority. Leshem is a former IDF Major (Res.) in military intelligence who co-founded Carbyne, sold for $625 million in 2025. Moser previously served as Chief of Staff to Ambassador Michael Oren, helped expand BlackRock's presence in Israel, and concurrently runs AnD Ventures. The team is reinforced by CTO Brig. General (Res.) Dr. Ziv Avtalion, who oversees technological due diligence.

### How does Protego source proprietary deal flow?

Protego sources through a network maintained by active military reservists and senior defense officials embedded in the firm. Its general partners and advisors operate across Israel, the United States, and allied nations, accessing companies that have undergone live-field validation. The firm describes this as privileged access to defense priorities, with an information pipeline that refreshes through ongoing operational service and advisory relationships with entities such as the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

### Does Protego participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?

Protego makes direct investments in early-growth defense technology companies. The firm presents as a single-fund vehicle without disclosed fund-of-fund activity or SPV structures, deploying its $150M targeted vehicle into operating companies across its designated sub-sectors.

### What investment stages does Protego target?

The firm states it invests in early-growth-stage companies. While it does not publish strict check-size brackets, the portfolio confirms positions in companies such as XTEND and Prisma Photonics at stages where commercial contracts and battlefield validation are already present.

### Which sectors does Protego explicitly avoid?

Protego does not publish a formal exclusion list. However, its stated mandate — sensors, AI/ML, drones, UAVs, and cyber-adjacent defense — signals non-participation in consumer, enterprise SaaS, fintech, or life sciences. Its advisory board and team expertise are entirely military, intelligence, and defense-policy oriented.

## Related profiles

- [Protégé Ventures](https://altss.com/profile/prot-g-ventures)
- [Protein Capital](https://altss.com/profile/protein-capital)

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Last updated: 2026-08-11T15:07:49.000Z

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