UpWest
Venture capitalPre-SeedβSeed Β· 6 people tracked
Investment thesis
The firm invests in early-stage startups across multiple sectors including cybersecurity, DevOps, digital healthcare, and enterprise SaaS. They focus on pre-seed and seed stage companies where they can lead rounds and establish long-term partnerships. The investment strategy emphasizes teams committed to scaling in the US market, with deep operational experience in that region since the firm's founding.
Source: firm website, verified Jul 21, 2026.
Team Β· 6 people
from the firm's websiteA founding partner who moved to the US to pursue an MBA from Wharton, worked at Boston Consulting Group, and gained investor and acquirer perspective through roles at Yahoo!'s Corporate Development. His experience with the Israeli tech ecosystem inspired him to help Israeli founders access the US market.
A founding partner at UpWest, Shuly combines entrepreneurial and investment experience with deep networks in the Israeli-American tech ecosystem. She spent over a decade as Executive Director of the California Israel Chamber of Commerce, building collaboration between Israel and California tech communities.
Joined UpWest in 2017 as the fund's first permanent Israel-based team member. A New Yorker with Israeli-American heritage, Lia helps Israeli founders navigate the US market and has led investments in companies including CyCognito and Balance. She holds a degree from Duke University and previously worked in politics, regulatory tech, and finance.
Joined UpWest in August 2023 with diverse experience in sales, customer success, and product roles at Israeli startups. She holds a law degree and degree in psychology from Tel Aviv University, and previously worked in politics and communications in the Israeli government.
Head of Platform at UpWest with extensive experience supporting startups across various sectors. Previously led innovation and partnerships at Comcast Innovation Labs and managed startup incubation programs, focusing on operational excellence and founder growth.
Office Manager with over 11 years of office management experience in the startup sector. Most recently worked at Quova, an IP geolocation company that was acquired by Neustar and Golden Gate Capital.
What they invest in
from 9 of 48 portfolio companiesEnterprise Software Γ5AI & Machine Learning Γ3Cybersecurity Γ2Healthtech Γ2SaaS Γ2AgTech Γ1Biotech Γ1Data & Infrastructure Γ1
HQs:United StatesΓ4
Investments Β· 48 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBalance provides real-time credit intelligence, embedded financing, and autonomous accounts receivable solutions for B2B transactions. The company enables buyers and sellers to transact with flexibility and certainty in their business operations.
Enterprise SoftwareFintechSaaSSan Francisco, US
Canopy provides workflow automation and patient services software specifically designed for oncology practices. The platform connects and automates workflows across clinical and administrative operations.
HealthtechMedical Devices<UNKNOWN>
SentinelOne provides an AI-powered cybersecurity platform for enterprises that integrates endpoint protection, threat detection, and incident response capabilities. The company serves large enterprises, including many Fortune 500 organizations, to protect against cyber threats at scale.
AI & Machine LearningCybersecurityEnterprise Software
Tomer Weingarten(Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer)
HoneyBook is a team collaboration platform that helps service-based businesses manage clients, projects, and team workflows with built-in invoicing and payment processing. The software provides task assignment, access control, and AI-powered tools for small teams and freelancers.
Enterprise SoftwareFuture of WorkSaaS
InnerPlant develops living sensor technology that enables farmers to detect plant stress in real-time, allowing targeted application of treatments to reduce chemical use and increase crop yields. The company serves agricultural producers seeking data-driven solutions for sustainable crop management.
AgTechBiotechIoTCalifornia, US
Gary Schaefer(Chief Commercial Officer)ShelyRod
Peer5 provides a peer-to-peer content delivery network that augments traditional servers to distribute video streams to viewers, reducing server load and improving playback reliability for publishers of live and on-demand content.
Data & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareSan Francisco, US
Check Point provides unified security solutions for AI, infrastructure, data, and users across on-premises, cloud, and remote environments using hybrid mesh network architecture and zero trust principles.
Cybersecurity
Zone7 develops data and AI-powered products to optimize performance and durability for high-performance teams. The company serves organizations seeking to elevate team performance through data-driven insights and artificial intelligence.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareHealthtechHR TechSports Tech
Tal Brown(CEO & Co-Founder)Eyal Eliakim(CTO & Co-Founder)
Frequently asked questions
- What stage does UpWest invest at?
- UpWest invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed stages.
- What sectors does UpWest focus on?
- UpWest focuses on Cybersecurity, Developer Tools, Digital Health, Enterprise Software, SaaS.
- Does UpWest lead rounds?
- Yes, UpWest leads investment rounds.
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