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UpWest Labs
UpWest funds, fast-tracks, and frontlines Israeli founders into the US market. It leads pre-seed and seed rounds, investing early, and focuses on US market...
Overview
UpWest funds, fast-tracks, and frontlines Israeli founders into the US market. It leads pre-seed and seed rounds, investing early, and focuses on US market scaling for Israeli startups. The firm has built a large portfolio of Israeli startups headquartered in the US and helps founders with customers, capital, and market entry.
General information
Firm type
Private Equity
Year founded
2012
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Palo Alto
Corporate office
Palo Alto, CA, United States
Additional offices
Tel Aviv, Israel
Principals
Shuly Galili
Co-Founder and Managing Partner
Gil Ben-Artzy
Co-Founder and Managing Partner
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at UpWest Labs?
Shuly Galili and Gil Ben-Artzy are the co-founding managing partners and sole decision-makers on all investments. The firm operates a flat partnership model without junior investing partners making independent commitments. All check-writing authority resides with the two founders.
How is UpWest's model different from other Israel-focused venture funds?
Most Israel-focused VCs invest from Tel Aviv or a US satellite office and leave founders in place. UpWest physically relocates founding teams to Palo Alto after investment and provides hands-on go-to-market rewiring — product positioning, sales motion design, and direct enterprise introductions — as a core part of the investment program. It functions as a bridge between Israeli R&D depth and US enterprise buyer behavior rather than a capital-only seed check.
Which sectors does UpWest Labs invest in?
UpWest concentrates on B2B enterprise software, with a particular focus on AI/ML applications, cybersecurity, digital health, fintech, and proptech. The firm avoids consumer internet, gaming, hardware-intensive companies, and semiconductor plays. Its mandate is narrowly defined around enterprise products that can be sold to US mid-market and large corporate buyers.
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