"Hamilton Lane has invested nearly $250 million in Israel since the start of the war"
This was said by Limor Beker, Head of Israel at Hamilton Lane, at the company’s annual Israel investor event. "This is the best time to invest in Israel and Israeli high-tech," she said. Since it began operating in the country 20 years ago, the investment giant has invested a total of $1.25 billion in Israel.
Hamilton Lane, a leading, global investment management firm, which has been operating in Israel for 20 years, has invested nearly $250 million in Israel since the start of the war, with a total investment volume of about $1.25 billion in Israel over the years. The investments have come in venture capital funds, private equity funds, advanced technology companies, unique Israeli startups and smart Israeli industry, as an expression of faith in the Israeli market.
These figures were revealed by Hamilton Lane’s Head of Israel, Limor Beker, at the company’s annual Israel investor event entitled “It’s Money Time for Private Markets” held Wednesday afternoon at Ma’arava at Kibutz Ga’ash.
According to Beker, Hamilton Lane has become the largest and leading company in the world for investments in the private markets with $958 billion under management and supervision.
In an open and candid conversation with Beker to close the program, Juan Delgado, Hamilton Lane's Co-CEO, was asked why “it’s money time for private markets” and answered simply, “because you have the opportunity, need and opportunity”. When asked if this is the end of the private market, he answered, “on the contrary”. He also asserted that “the secondary market is a great entry point into the market as a whole.”
When asked about Israel as a whole, Delgado said, “Israel has the talent, the intensity and the work ethic, and we at Hamilton Lane are privileged to be part of it and invest in it.”
During the event, the company's senior executives - Delgado, Mario Giannini, the company's executive co-chairman, Andrea Kramer, Hamilton's COO, Stephanie Davis, Co-Head of US Private Wealth, Zoe Nakash and Hagit Mozgar from Hamilton's Israeli office, Andrew Rich and Jessica Weiss from the Venture & Growth team - spoke about the company's growth strategy, key issues in an era of uncertainty in the private markets and, in general, the evergreen fund revolution in Israel, Hamilton Lane's activities in Israel and future projections.
The event was capped by an emotional performance by Nova festival survivor Yuval Raphael, who represented Israel in the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest, and sang “A New Day Will Rise”.
Hamilton Lane has been operating in Israel for 20 years. Beker said, "I am very proud of the depth of cooperation with the investors who believed in us and invested in us or through us when the world of private markets was new to the State of Israel, and today hold investments that are in line with corresponding leading entities to them in the world, also with entrepreneurs of groundbreaking Israeli companies in their field that we have invested in alongside the best funds in Israel whose managers are present with us."
"We are in the midst of a difficult and very painful period in Israel. Days in which Israel's economy is challenged," Beker said in her opening remarks. "In a period when people are avoiding coming to Israel, Hamilton Lane senior management chose - despite the situation and despite the uncertainty - to be here today once again and strengthen the deep connection with Israel, with our investors, with the Israeli companies and foundations, and of course with our local team in Israel. By the way, this is not the first time they have visited Israel since the start of the Gaza war, but they have come several times since the outbreak of the war in order to stand by us."
Hamilton Lane began its operations in Israel 20 years ago, in 2005 immediately after the Bachar Reform which was very significant for the Israeli economy mainly because it opened the institutional market in Israel for investments in the world for the first time, through a strategic change in the structure of the pension market, both in deposits to it and in ownership of the investing bodies while creating competition that has made the pension market today a leader in world-class investments. "We have created a significant infrastructure that is a great gateway for Israeli investors and, through them, the Israeli public, to be exposed to the best funds and good and unique deals that until then were not accessible to the Israeli market," she explained.
According to her, those active in the Israeli institutional market, the heads of the insurance and pension companies, are proof that this path has been successful, that the avenue of investment in the private markets has become over the years a profitable investment with significant returns.
Beker emphasized that Hamilton Lane has invested over a billion dollars in advanced technology companies, in unique Israeli startups, in smart Israeli industry. "We are big believers in Israeli entrepreneurs, in the ability of Israelis to create and innovate and lead the most advanced technological developments in the world, and therefore even these days, even under war, we continue to express confidence and invest in Israeli technology funds and companies."
"We at Hamilton Lane believe that the right time to invest in Israel, in industry and high-tech - is now. Precisely against the backdrop of the war, precisely now, precisely in moments of crisis, we have full faith in the Israeli economy," says Beker. "This is the time to invest in the private market, this is the time to invest in the young generation in Israel, who have risen from moments of crisis, and continue to produce, innovate and act," she concluded.
