The Mind the Tech London 2025 conference by Calcalist and Bank Leumi returns to London to bring together, for the seventh year, the Israeli venture capital, innovation, and high-tech sectors, alongside industry and investment professionals from the UK and around the world, for two days (Sept. 15–16) of in-depth discussions, high-quality personal meetings, and exceptional business opportunities.
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From left: Hannah Seal (Index Ventures), Harry Stebbings (20VC), Catherine Lenson (Phoenix Court), Sia Houchangnia (Seedcamp)
The event serves as a bridge between Israeli entrepreneurs and key figures in the global venture capital industry, with the participation of prominent investors representing some of the world’s leading funds. These senior investors will hold meetings with Israeli entrepreneurs and founders, aiming to further establish the status of Israeli high-tech within global investment circles. Conference participants will be exposed to the next technological breakthroughs, receive direct access to key decision-makers in venture capital, and take an active part in discussions on how innovation affects the economy and society.
This year, the conference will focus on understanding the key processes shaping the high-tech world, offering a view into the future of innovation, investment, and global collaborations amid economic and political challenges. The conference will examine the resilience of the Israeli high-tech industry, its continued ability to lead innovation, and its success in attracting international investment, while also addressing local and global market challenges. The goal is to highlight how innovation serves as a vital engine for economic resilience, shapes industries, and lays the foundation for the future.
Among the main topics, discussions will include the UK’s path to becoming a leading European destination for innovation despite economic challenges. Local ideas and their global impact will also be examined, focusing on how small sparks of innovation can ignite significant change. The conference will emphasize the Israel–UK partnership as a central axis for the future and address cross-border collaborations in a technology-driven, borderless world. Another topic will explore the distinction between “disruption” and “evolution” in artificial intelligence, fintech, and other fields, seeking paths that connect technological buzz with business reality. Finally, in-depth discussions will address the future generation of venture capital and how investors build ecosystems, support the industry, and influence its trajectory. The conference will also focus on AI’s impact on traditional industries and digital banking, and on how smart technology is transforming content consumption.
The Mind the Tech London 2025 conference will open on Monday evening with an invite-only networking event. The conference itself begins on Tuesday, September 16, with Galia David, the mother of kidnapped Evyatar David, who will share with Israeli and international participants the efforts of families to secure the release of their loved ones. Evyatar David, now 24, was kidnapped to the Gaza Strip from the Nova Festival with his friend Guy Gilboa-Dalal on October 7, 2023, and has been held captive by Hamas for nearly two years.
The morning plenary discussions will be opened by Yoel Esteron, founder and publisher of Calcalist, and Hanan Friedman, CEO of Bank Leumi, who will present the broader economic picture and the importance of innovation in building national and economic resilience. According to Esteron, “Calcalist continues to lead Israeli high-tech delegations to key business centers around the world, even during dark days of war, this is our Zionist mission.”
According to Friedman, “Against all odds, we continue to see the Israeli tech industry moving forward. This is inspiring and reflects investors’ confidence in the companies and their growth potential, as well as recognition of the superiority of Israeli technology. We arrive in London at a time when the AI revolution is accelerating across nearly every field. I believe anyone who cannot integrate AI technologies intelligently will lose relevance. This will be one of the prominent topics at the upcoming conference.”
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From top left: Chris North, Hannah Seal, Hanan Friedman, Maya Eisen Zafrir, Gajan Rajanathan, Matt Robinson
Cross-industry gathering of thought leaders
The impressive list of speakers and attendees for 2025 includes thought leaders, investors, and executives from various industries who will present groundbreaking insights. Among them is Harry Stebbings, founder of 20VC. Stebbings is a prominent British entrepreneur and investor and host of the popular podcast “The Twenty Minute VC,” featuring world-renowned technology leaders such as Sam Altman, Marc Benioff, Marc Andreessen, Reid Hoffman, and Adam Mosseri. In 2020, Stebbings launched the 20VC Fund, a venture capital fund that has raised over $600 million for early-stage investments in Europe and North America. He currently manages hundreds of millions of dollars within the fund and focuses on investments in young technology companies in Europe and the U.S. Stebbings is known for his extraordinary ability to build extensive networks and make the venture capital world accessible, and he is considered a leading and influential figure, particularly among the younger generation.
The impact of AI on the consumer economy and commerce will be discussed by Chris North, Managing Partner at L Catterton, and Michael Reitblatt, Co-Founder and CEO of Forter. North is a veteran technology and consumer executive with over two decades of leadership experience at major global companies, including previous roles as President and CEO of Shutterfly and CEO of Amazon UK. At L Catterton, he helps manage assets worth over $35 billion, supporting some of the world’s most iconic consumer brands. He combines operational experience with investment acumen, and The Guardian has called him “one of the most powerful figures in British retail,” while the Evening Standard included him in its 2011 list of the 1,000 most influential people in London.
One of the speakers will be Yaron Inger, Co-Founder and CTO of Lightricks, an AI-powered unicorn revolutionizing visual content creation with generative AI tools. These tools enable millions of creators and brands to produce high-quality, professional media instantly and at scale.
Guy Podjarny, founder and CEO of Tessl and founder of Snyk, will share insights on leading an AI revolution, not just an evolution. Podjarny is a serial entrepreneur and thought leader, having founded Snyk, a developer-focused security company once valued at over $7 billion. Last year, he launched Tessl, a London-based AI development platform that raised $125 million in its Series A, redefining software development from code-centric to spec-centric programming.
On the medical side, the conference will host Prof. Noa Eliakim-Raz, head of the department receiving returning hostages at Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson. With a background in infectious diseases and emergency care, she oversees one of Israel’s most sensitive missions, supporting recovery and reintegration during a time of national trauma.
A central panel will discuss venture capital investments amid political and economic volatility and how investors drive ecosystem changes. Moderated by Yarden Rozanski of Calcalist, it will feature senior executives from leading venture capital funds: Matt Robinson, Partner at Accel; Sia Houchangnia, Partner at Seedcamp; Shelly Hod Moyal, Founding Partner at iAngels; and Gajan Rajanathan, Partner at Highland Europe.
Accel is renowned for early-stage investments in giants like Facebook, Spotify, Slack, Atlassian, and Miro. With decades of experience and billions under management, Accel supports ambitious entrepreneurs at the seed, early, and growth stages, particularly in software and infrastructure. Robinson himself brings extensive experience as an angel investor and entrepreneur and focuses on investing in cloud, SaaS, fintech, and payments.
Sia Houchangnia is a partner at Seedcamp, one of Europe’s leading seed funds, having backed over 350 startups, including Revolut, UiPath, TransferWise, and Hopin. With over $250 million in assets under management and a new £78 million fifth fund, Seedcamp focuses on early-stage software investments and supports Europe’s boldest entrepreneurs. Houchangnia specializes in early-stage startup investments.
Shelly Hod Moyal, founding partner at iAngels, supports dozens of early-stage startups and is considered a leading voice in global venture capital. She will also serve as a judge on the upcoming season of “The Sharks,” the Israeli version of America’s Shark Tank.
Gajan Rajanathan is a partner at Highland Europe, a growth-stage VC fund backing category-leading companies across Europe. Highland’s portfolio includes Wolt, WeTransfer, Contentsquare, and Zwift. The fund focuses on scaling fast-growing European startups in software, commerce, and consumer technology. Rajanathan works closely with entrepreneurs to help them scale globally and build sustainable businesses. Before joining Highland Europe in 2017, he was Vice President at Qatalyst Partners in New York and part of the M&A team at Credit Suisse. He also serves on boards of several startups, including cybersecurity company SoSafe.
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Speakers at Mind the Tech London 2025 conference
The showcase of Israeli innovation
One of the highlights will be the Dream Team Showcase, featuring 12 of the most promising Israeli startups selected from hundreds of candidates. The segment will be opened by Maya Eisen Zafrir, CEO of LeumiTech, who heads Bank Leumi’s high-tech banking arm and serves on the Dream Team Leadership Board. Live pitch presentations will be moderated by Hilla Ovil-Brenner, founder of Yazamiyot and Showcase IL. Additional Leadership Board members participating in this session include Yair Snir, Managing Partner at Dell Technologies Capital; Eze Vidra, Founder and Partner at Remagine Ventures; Sarit Piron, Managing Partner at Team8; and Yodfat Harel Buchris, Managing Partner at Blumberg Capital.
This will be followed by a discussion with Hannah Seal, Partner at Index Ventures, and Bar Winkler, Co-Founder and CEO of Wonderful, about Wiz’s success and Index Ventures’ investment in Israeli innovation. Seal represents Index Ventures, which led Wiz’s first investment and remains a driving force in the Israeli innovation ecosystem.
The selected startups underwent a rigorous selection process in collaboration with Showcase IL, including a screening phase at Gornitzky GNY law firm and a Bootcamp workshop at SNC. The workshop featured lectures, panels, and sessions led by senior figures from high-tech, finance, investment, marketing, and law, covering topics such as the British investment market, raising capital, pitching in English, and working with the media. The Bootcamp and selection process were supported by the Leadership Board, industry executives and experts guiding startups in preparation for investor meetings in London. Team members include Attorney Yuval Horn, Head of Technology and Life Sciences at Gornitzky GNY, who advised entrepreneurs on legal and managerial matters, including permits, licenses, intellectual property, market adaptation, and responsible use of AI tools.
The team also includes Michael Dell’s early-stage venture capital fund, which has backed companies such as VAST Data, Zscaler, JFrog, and Redis. Snir noted that in the past two years, Israel has seen a decline in investor visits and a slowdown in local investments, making the ability of young companies to reach foreign investors independently critical.
Ecosystem 360: In-depth Discussions and Networking
The second part of the conference day will feature a series of roundtables bringing together policymakers, entrepreneurs, investors, and leading corporations. A roundtable on “Go-to-Market in the UK & Europe” will be led by LeumiTech. Panelists include Roy Azoulay, Co-Founder and COO, Cynomi; Dvir Hoffman, CEO, CommBox; Noam Mills, Co-Founder and CEO, Panax; and Orat Benyamini, Co-Founder and COO, REKKI.
Another roundtable, “The VC Club: Where Capital Meets Vision,” will be led by the UK-Israel Tech Hub and moderated by Haim Shani, founder and general partner at Israel Growth Partners and chairman of the UK-Israel Tech Hub. Participants include Catherine Lenson, COO at Phoenix Court; Roee Furman, Managing Director of Doral Energy; Melissa Klinger, Partner at DIG Ventures; and Nick Hancock, Principal at One Peak.
A special event initiated by Yazamiyot, “Tea & Champagne Time,” will focus on female entrepreneurs and investors sharing their journeys. Opening remarks will be given by Noa Tamir, CEO of Calcalist; Hilla Ovil-Brenner, Founder of Yazamiyot and Showcase IL; Michal Freeman-Shor, Head of Primary Markets – Israel, London Stock Exchange Group; and Debbie Shapiro, Country Director, Business and Trade at the British Embassy in Israel.
The panel “Women Making a Difference in AI and Delta Tech,” moderated by Candice Krieger of The Jewish News, will include Ella Goldner Levy, Co-Founder of Zinc VC; Ornit Shinar, Co-Founder of Entrepreneurship and Partner at RAIN; Noa Havazelet, Head of Google Accelerator, EMEA; and Meryem Arik, Co-Founder and CEO of Doubleword. The winner of the entrepreneurship competition, URIna, will also be presented at this event.
Other Israeli participants include Avi Balashnikov, Chairman of the Export Institute, which will bring a delegation of selected Israeli entrepreneurs to meet international investors; Nadav Tamam, Business Regions Manager, Israel and the Middle East, Airwallex; Dr. Michael Bahar, Head of the Rehabilitation Department, Beilinson Hospital; and Miri Gelbort, Deputy CEO, Director of the Clal IT Division.