Protego Ventures
Protego Ventures is Israel's first defense-exclusive VC fund, founded in 2024, investing in early-growth defense technology companies across sensors, AI/ML, and autonomous systems including drones and UAS.
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Protego Ventures is Israel's first venture capital fund solely dedicated to defense technology, founded by Lital Leshem and Lee Moser. The fund secured $70 million in investment commitments within just two weeks and is targeting $200 million, exceeding its original $150 million target due to high demand from U.S. institutional investors.
The fund has already invested $5 million in drone company Xtend and is evaluating dozens of other defense tech startups. Leshem co-founded Carbyne (emergency response systems, $140M raised) and previously collaborated with Erik Prince. Moser is a founding partner at AnD Ventures and former Chief of Staff to Michael Oren at the Israeli Embassy in Washington.
While Protego is an investment fund rather than a product company, its formation signals the institutional maturation of Israel's defense tech ecosystem and it serves as a key dealflow indicator for the sector.
Dual-Use Assessment
Defense-focused VC fund investing across dual-use defense technology categories including sensors, AI, and autonomous systems.
Key Technologies
- Defense technology investment thesis
- Sensors and detection systems
- AI/ML for defense applications
- Autonomous systems and drones
- Defense electronics and communications
Use Cases & Applications
- Early-growth defense technology investment
- Defense startup ecosystem development
- Cross-border defense technology commercialization
- U.S.-Israel defense tech bridge investment
- Portfolio company defense market acceleration
Strategic Value to U.S.-Israel Alliance
First Israeli defense-exclusive VC fund signals institutional confidence in the sector and provides a pipeline for identifying promising defense startups.
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