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Pitango

Pitango VC, established in 1993, is Israel’s largest and longest standing venture capital fund with over US$3 billion under management as of 2025, with a recent vintage in 2020 of US$750M making it the largest venture group in Israel.[1]

Headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel (Sarona) Pitango has raised 14 venture funds, invested in more than 300 companies and accomplished over 90 companies becoming publicly traded in NASDAQ and NYSE or acquired by strategic players such as Google, Apple, IBM, Cisco. Investors are institutional and strategic investors from the US, Europe, Japan, and SouthEast Asia and have included Time Warner, Citigroup, Eastman Kodak, Deutsche Bank and HarbourVest Partners.[2]

Pitango VC invests through three dedicated funds, Pitango First (early-stage investments),[3] Pitango HealthTech (HealthTech investments),[4] and Pitango Growth (growth investments).[5]

Notable successful investments made by the firm include Via Transportation, DriveNets, AppsFlyer, Forescout, and Varonis.

Domains of investment

Pitango invests in a wide range of technology and innovation-driven sectors. These include deep technology fields such as generative artificial intelligence (AI),[6] quantum computing,[7] and cybersecurity,[8] as well as infrastructure-focused areas like cloud computing, DevOps,[9] and enterprise infrastructure. Pitango is also active in financial technology (FinTech) and TransitTech, reflecting its interest in modernizing financial services and urban mobility solutions. In the healthcare sector,[10] Pitango supports ventures in digital health, medical devices, and biotechnology. Additionally, the firm invests in companies operating in sales and marketing technologies, as well as retail and eCommerce platforms.

History

The fund was founded as Polaris Venture Capital in 1993 by Rami Kalish. In 1996, Kalish was joined by Chemi Peres, son of former Israeli president Shimon Peres, to create Polaris Fund II, which raised more than $100 million. Polaris II invested in 35 high-tech companies.[11]

In 2001, Polaris Venture Capital changed its name to Pitango Venture Capital to avoid confusion with Boston-based Polaris Venture Partners.[12] Although the Boston firm was founded in 1996, which was after Pitango was founded, the Israeli firm decided to change its name. Pitango takes its name from the semi-wild Surinam Cherry that grows in Israel.

Since then, the company has grown to include 14 partners, a value-add team, an operations and support team, and venture partners.

Notable companies

Notable exits and IPOs

External links

References

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  2. Ruthie Blum. Chemi Peres: 'Startups are not for pessimists' ISRAEL21c, 2013-10-08, retrieved 2025-07-10^
  3. "Anytime we're threatened, we become more Israeli" ctech, 2024-03-26, retrieved 2025-07-10^
  4. Pitango HealthTech II announces first closing of $175m fund Globes, 2023-06-09, retrieved 2025-07-10^
  5. Guardians of innovation: The rise of Israel's civilian defense-tech ctech, 2024-04-23, retrieved 2025-07-10^
  6. Calibrate bigger: Rapidly adapting to a paradigm shift in tech investment ctech, 2025-05-28, retrieved 2025-07-10^
  7. Photonic quantum computer co Quantum Source raises $50m Globes, 2024-10-09, retrieved 2025-07-10^
  8. Pitango sells Forescout shares for $46m Globes, 2019-02-18, retrieved 2025-07-10^
  9. Cloud observability co Logz.io raises $23m Globes, 2020-11-24, retrieved 2025-07-10^
  10. Israeli co Restore Medical raises $23m Globes, 2025-07-07, retrieved 2025-07-10^
  11. Polaris Sets Up $15 Mln General Managers Fund - Globes en.globes.co.il, 2000-05-22, retrieved 2025-07-10^
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  19. Shoshanna Solomon, Jonathan Ferziger, Andrew J. Barden, Claudia Maedler. Apple Said to Acquire Israel's Anobit Technologies for About $390 Million Bloomberg, January 12, 2012, retrieved February 5, 2012^
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  29. Archived copy retrieved 2016-09-13^
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