Gili Raanan

The most important thing in my view is the adversity and the ability to overcome it. For me, this is the greatest signal, the best signal for a terrific founder. Take, for instance, Fireblocks founder and CEO Michael Schoenloch. Let's start with the company so you understand the context. But Fireblocks is the leading crypto asset custody service for enterprise.

The most important thing in my view is the adversity and the ability to overcome it. For me, this is the greatest signal, the best signal for a terrific founder. Take, for instance, Fireblocks founder and CEO Michael Schoenloch. Let's start with the company so you understand the context. But Fireblocks is the leading crypto asset custody service for enterprise.

It's valued at around $8 billion, thousands of customers, including BNY Mellon and BNB Paribas and ABN AMRO. Five Blocks was my first investment in CyberStarts in 2018, June 2018. We invested $3 million, and that was the seed for Five Blocks. It's an $8 billion company today. And Michael's personal story is that he immigrated to Israel from the former Soviet Union as a child.

It's valued at around $8 billion, thousands of customers, including BNY Mellon and BNB Paribas and ABN AMRO. Five Blocks was my first investment in CyberStarts in 2018, June 2018. We invested $3 million, and that was the seed for Five Blocks. It's an $8 billion company today. And Michael's personal story is that he immigrated to Israel from the former Soviet Union as a child.

He grew up without a father raised by a single mother. And he learned early on in his life to navigate through uncertainty. moving to a new country, learning a new language, learning how to deal with things and push through challenges. I loved it. I thought that's the most important thing.

He grew up without a father raised by a single mother. And he learned early on in his life to navigate through uncertainty. moving to a new country, learning a new language, learning how to deal with things and push through challenges. I loved it. I thought that's the most important thing.

Michael is a friend, is a brilliant guy, but I'm sure that there are people out there with higher IQ, but that's not what's important. When we started the company, just a few months after the first investment, we got into the first crypto winter. Six out of the 10 first design partners of Michael went bankrupt. So how do you deal with that? That's a major blow to your plan.

Michael is a friend, is a brilliant guy, but I'm sure that there are people out there with higher IQ, but that's not what's important. When we started the company, just a few months after the first investment, we got into the first crypto winter. Six out of the 10 first design partners of Michael went bankrupt. So how do you deal with that? That's a major blow to your plan.

Design partners are so important to build a solution. And you have to simply rethink about the entire plan, about the focus and who the customers are. I think that his childhood experience, the roughness in him, the life experience that you'd face challenges and you'll manage to overcome them, that's what kept him moving forward. and overcoming those challenges and building an amazing business.

Design partners are so important to build a solution. And you have to simply rethink about the entire plan, about the focus and who the customers are. I think that his childhood experience, the roughness in him, the life experience that you'd face challenges and you'll manage to overcome them, that's what kept him moving forward. and overcoming those challenges and building an amazing business.

It's part of what I need. It always goes there. But I learned that what's important in a story is not the what, it's the why. It's not about... what you did. It's about why you did, why you choose to do that, why you pick job A and not job B, why you pick that partner in life, not another partner. It's always about the why. So it's not just about a unique, heartbreaking lifestyle.

It's part of what I need. It always goes there. But I learned that what's important in a story is not the what, it's the why. It's not about... what you did. It's about why you did, why you choose to do that, why you pick job A and not job B, why you pick that partner in life, not another partner. It's always about the why. So it's not just about a unique, heartbreaking lifestyle.

It's spending time with an individual and understanding the way they make decisions, the way they analyze the situation, what drives them, what really makes them tick. And it's not so much about what they did and what. accomplishments they managed to achieve, et cetera. It's always nice to know that, but that's not what's important.

It's spending time with an individual and understanding the way they make decisions, the way they analyze the situation, what drives them, what really makes them tick. And it's not so much about what they did and what. accomplishments they managed to achieve, et cetera. It's always nice to know that, but that's not what's important.

I think that in order to tell the full story of the Sunrise, I have to go back to 1997 and my first startup experience. By that time, I just finished a decade of service at the Israeli NSA in 8200. Tell you more about it in a few minutes. And by the way, the 8200 formation years for myself and got to work with Briad set of people.

I think that in order to tell the full story of the Sunrise, I have to go back to 1997 and my first startup experience. By that time, I just finished a decade of service at the Israeli NSA in 8200. Tell you more about it in a few minutes. And by the way, the 8200 formation years for myself and got to work with Briad set of people.

And in many ways, those were the years where the cybersecurity market in Israel was created. I worked with folks like Shlomo Kremer, who is the founder of Checkpoint and Cato Networks today. And Gil Schwed, the Checkpoint CEO and founder, was just two years older than I am and We heard many stories about him. The officer that was sitting next to my office was Nir Tzuk from Palo Alto Networks.

And in many ways, those were the years where the cybersecurity market in Israel was created. I worked with folks like Shlomo Kremer, who is the founder of Checkpoint and Cato Networks today. And Gil Schwed, the Checkpoint CEO and founder, was just two years older than I am and We heard many stories about him. The officer that was sitting next to my office was Nir Tzuk from Palo Alto Networks.

So those were formation days. And I left the service and started a company. And we raised money from Sequoia Capital. So that was the first time I encountered into Sequoia Capital. Pierre Lamont was on my board. We didn't have a clear idea what we want to build.

So those were formation days. And I left the service and started a company. And we raised money from Sequoia Capital. So that was the first time I encountered into Sequoia Capital. Pierre Lamont was on my board. We didn't have a clear idea what we want to build.