upwest labs accelerator logo

Upwest Labs Launched the Ycombinator for Israeli startups

As silicon valley veterans who are experienced working with startups Gil Ben Artzi, a former Yahoo exec, and Shuly Galili, founder of the CICC and organizer of the Israel web/mobile/cleantech tours, spotted the gap and launched Upwest Labs, a new accelerator for Israeli startups in Silicon Valley.

upwest labs accelerator logoIsraeli startups often build products targeting the American market. While many founders coming out of Israel have the entrepreneurial DNA, the physical distance from their customers, potential partners and backers as well as a cultural gap on how to do business in the US, often inhibits their startup’s growth in the early stages. Despite the fact that Israel boasts the highest number of startups per capita, there’s no Israeli incubator that solves the distance problem.

As silicon valley veterans who are experienced working with startups Gil Ben Artzi, a former Yahoo exec, and Shuly Galili, founder of the CICC and organizer of the Israel web/mobile/cleantech tours, spotted the gap and launched Upwest Labs, a new accelerator for Israeli startups in Silicon Valley. Similar to Ycombinator, the valley’s top incubator program, UpwestLabs consists of a 10-week period in which selected startups are provided with a physical work space, access to capital and corporations as well as ongoing coaching from a network of local mentors, many of whom are Israeli industry professionals based in the US. The program culminates in a “Demo Day” showcasing the products to potential Valley-based VCs and angels.  

Upwest Labs is a for-profit business. Startup teams of up 2-4 entrepreneurs that are selected to participate in the program are granted with some funding: $5K base + $5K per founder of up to $20,000 total. The funding can be used to cover their travel and living expenses while in the US. For that investment, Upwest Labs takes a small stake of equity in the business, similar to other incubator products.

Gil and Shuly are currently conducting interviews in Israel. They are looking for early stage startups with a product, who are fast learners and implementers but also humble and supportive. The idea is to build a community of alumni for the program, with a pay it forward culture of mutual help, which is already prevalent with Israeli startups.

If you’re an Israeli startup and interested to apply, follow the application form on the website and contact VC Cafe if you want an intro.

Follow me
Co Founder and Managing Partner at Remagine Ventures
Eze is managing partner of Remagine Ventures, a seed fund investing in ambitious founders at the intersection of tech, entertainment, gaming and commerce with a spotlight on Israel.

I'm a former general partner at google ventures, head of Google for Entrepreneurs in Europe and founding head of Campus London, Google's first physical hub for startups.

I'm also the founder of Techbikers, a non-profit bringing together the startup ecosystem on cycling challenges in support of Room to Read. Since inception in 2012 we've built 11 schools and 50 libraries in the developing world.
Eze Vidra
Follow me
Total
0
Shares
Previous Article
Safebit wallet logo

Bitcoin is Here to Stay and Safebit Wants to Be Its Wallet

Next Article

Siklu Raises $19 Million for Cheaper Wireless Bandwidth

Related Posts
How to make your company attractive for investors
Read More

10 Tips for Making your Startup More Attractive for Investors [Presentation]

How to make your startup attractive for investors? Raising money can be time consuming and proper preparation can save you time and money. Here are 10 tips to consider before you pitch to raise funding, originally presented at Launch48 in London.
Read More

7 Start-Up Competitions Help Entrepreneurs Get Off Ground

Do you have a tech start-up that you're trying to get off the ground? Check out these upcoming eventsaround the world. Hurry up - application deadlines are approaching!
Y combinator logo
Read More

Ycombinator’s top advice for founders

In a recent blog post, partners of Ycombinator distill the top advice for founders. In this short post I summarise the top nuggets with a simple common thread - focus on the things that will move your business forward and help you build a product that people want.
Total
0
Share