Recipients of “gifted trees” receive special materials related to Israel, entrepreneurship, technology & investing – along with regular updates on portfolio companies and fund performance.
By creating this unique, democratized, mission-driven, educational ecosystem of investing in Israel, Blue Tree not only plants seeds that enable the country’s start-ups to take root and grow, it helps foster a deeper & wider connection with the Jewish State.
Israeli high-tech raises more venture capital per capita than any other market in the world.
Israel has more companies listed on NASDAQ than all other countries except the United States & China.
In 2021, Israel had its highest ever number of unicorns – over 40 private companies valued at over $1 billion – and saw a record 75-plus companies initiate IPOs (initial public offerings).
Israel ranks first among the 38 member countries of the OECD for the percentage of GDP spent on research and development.
Last year, capital investment in Israeli start-ups reached a record $27 billion.
Israeli VC funds have substantially outperformed markets such as the S&P 500 or NASDAQ. (See here for example.)
Until Blue Tree, it was impossible for the average citizen to invest in Israeli venture capital.
Israel is widely misunderstood and unfairly criticized among certain segments of the American & European populations. In response, Blue Tree provides access to real-world, inspirational contributions that Israeli companies are making.
In terms of deal-flow, Blue Tree’s extensive contacts in Israel, both with entrepreneurs and other VC firms, provide us with unique access to investment opportunities, especially early-stage. Blue Tree invests its own capital alongside its clients’.
Blue Tree is currently accepting investments for its inaugural Aleph Grove Fund.
A former attorney, Stuart is a Yale graduate with an MBA who’s served as Founding Head of The Emery/Weiner School in Houston – one of the most successful & largest per capita schools of its kind in the country. Stuart’s presided over multiple capital campaigns and helped raised nearly $100 million. In addition, for the past two decades, Stuart’s been teaching about & leading trips to Israel – and dreaming about working with his dear friend from Hebrew University, Todd Kesselman. The recipient of several different honors, including the Cogswell Award, the Maverick Award, the Yavneh Award, and the Thad Hutcheson and Locke Purnell Moot Court and Mock Trial Competitions, Stuart’s proudest achievements are his three wonderful & kind children.
With more than 20 years of experience as an investor and investment banker, Todd has spent the past several in Israel focusing on high tech venture capital – first with Pico Partners, and now with Fresh Funds. At both firms, he’s played a leading role in all aspects of investment decisions and operations. In addition to serving on several boards, he is a trusted advisor to many founders. Prior to PICO, Todd co-founded Precision Capital. Before that, he was an investment banker at Deutsche Bank Securities and a high yield analyst at Nomura Securities. Although he doesn’t like to admit it, Todd practiced corporate law for five years with a focus on structuring and negotiating acquisitions and strategic partnerships. Todd earned a J.D. from Columbia Law School and a B.A. in Economics from Binghamton University.
Whether you’re an institutional or individual investor — or a start-up founder in Israel looking for funding — we’d love to hear from you.
