Rashi, ICA, SIBF funds launch social impact start-up venture

The funds see impact investments as one of the most effective tools for promoting social leadership and another means of strengthening the resilience of Israeli society, and they are interested in jointly investing in groundbreaking Israeli impact ventures that advance these goals.

The partners in the project will invest up to $140,000 (per project) in groundbreaking Israeli impact projects that promote social leadership.

Accompanying the selected companies will be carried out by a team from SIBF and Go to Market to help the development of the product and its integration among the potential target audiences as well as assistance in subsequent fundraising rounds.

The threshold conditions and criteria for submitting an application to join this project are:

The company submitting the application for the grant must be registered in Israel; The main activities of the company must focus on at least one area of social impact; Current fundraising round includes additional investor; Potential for significant growth and development; The company must submit a business plan that will be examined in terms of significant business potential, investment potential and social impact; A company that received support from the Innovation Authority - an advantage; Existing primary POCs - an advantage; Registered patent - an advantage.

The emphasis is on young start-up companies that are in the SEED + phase of raising capital, promoting innovative technological solutions.

Or Ben Shoshan, partner and director of SIBF: "The collaboration with the Rashi Foundation and the ICA Foundation, one of the most important and influential foundations in Israel in the last two decades, is providing a wonderful opportunity to invest in Israel right now and thus strengthen the resilience of the Israeli ecosystem, which is the second most mature market in the world after Silicon Valley.

“Israeli technology has always been an important part of the global innovation front and despite all the challenges, we believe it will continue to bring wonderful entrepreneurship to the world."

The Rashi Foundation, one of the largest and most influential foundations in Israel, is celebrating 40 years of social action this year to promote equal opportunities from birth to employment, in the geographic and social periphery in the fields of education, employment and family together with the local authorities.

ICA is a philanthropic foundation founded by Baron Hirsch. The foundation promotes rural development in the Negev Galilee and the Arava by supporting agriculture, education, and the meeting of Arab and Jewish populations.

The venture capital fund SIBF specializes in investments in companies in four fields of activity: renewable energy, food-tech, health, and agrotech, and in technologies designed to optimize industrial enterprises while accompanying the companies up to advanced rounds.

So far, the fund has invested in 38 technology companies with investments worth between a few million dollars and $20 million in the company.