OurCrowd founder Jon Medved steps aside
Jon Medved, one of the most prominent figures in Israel’s venture capital scene and the founder of investment platform OurCrowd, has announced his immediate retirement after being diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The move marks a sudden shift for a longtime champion of Israel’s “Startup Nation” narrative and a venture investor who helped broaden access to private tech investing through a crowdsourced model.
In comments given in what he suggested could be his final interview, Medved said the diagnosis followed weeks of uncertainty and hospitalization. “This has come rather sudden,” he said, describing symptoms that first appeared in his voice rather than in his limbs, which can happen in some ALS cases. ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative condition that attacks motor neurons, gradually taking away muscle control and eventually affecting basic functions such as speaking, eating, and breathing. There is no cure, though therapies can help manage symptoms and slow progression for some patients.
From California to Israel’s venture vanguard
Medved is widely regarded as one of the architects of Israel’s modern startup ecosystem. After moving from California to Israel in his 20s, he founded and sold multiple technology companies before focusing on investing. In 2013, he launched OurCrowd, which positioned itself as a pioneer in crowdsourced venture capital—opening a limited partnership-style venture investing structure to accredited investors who historically would have been excluded from many VC funds.
While Israel is home to numerous established venture firms and hosts local operations of global players, Medved’s approach stood out for its scale and accessibility. The company says it has built a network of roughly 240,000 accredited investors across 195 countries, drawing participants from Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and North America. Many of these backers, Medved has argued, are professionals such as doctors and lawyers as well as individual investors seeking exposure to venture-style returns.
OurCrowd portfolio, exits, and global reach
Over the years, OurCrowd has invested in a broad slate of companies, including well-known names such as Anthropic, Beyond Meat, and Lemonade. Medved has described the firm as a “significant player” with approximately 500 portfolio companies and about 74 exits.
One of the most recent exits cited was the sale of infrastructure planning startup Locusview for $525 million to Itron. The deal underscored the firm’s continued activity even as global venture markets have experienced periods of tighter funding conditions.
Israel’s tech resilience amid conflict
Medved’s departure comes at a time when Israel remains under intense international scrutiny due to the war in Gaza and the broader humanitarian crisis affecting Palestinians. The conflict has weighed on daily life and elevated geopolitical risk, yet Israel’s technology sector has continued to attract capital and produce companies across strategic categories including cybersecurity, defense tech, AI, semiconductors, enterprise software, food tech, and health tech.
Medved pointed to continued investment momentum, citing a period in which roughly $800 million was invested in Israel’s venture ecosystem within a single week. He also estimated that $15 billion to $16 billion has been invested in venture deals in the country over the year, and noted that Israel now counts nearly 100 unicorns—private companies valued at $1 billion or more.
When health tech becomes personal
For Medved, the diagnosis has transformed his relationship with a sector he has long funded. He said that technologies developed by startups he backed—particularly in health tech and AI—are now expected to play a direct role in preserving his quality of life.
Among the most striking examples is a realistic AI avatar, or digital twin, created to preserve his voice, facial expressions, and mannerisms. The system was developed through a collaboration involving D-ID—an OurCrowd AI portfolio company known for agents and avatars—working with voice AI firm ElevenLabs and other partners through the ALS-focused Scott-Morgan Foundation. Medved described seeing the technology used in a Zoom conversation with another ALS patient who relied on the avatar to communicate.
“So this stuff has become very, very personal to me,” Medved said, emphasizing that the technology could help preserve his voice as the disease progresses.
Healthcare investments he expects to rely on
Medved also pointed to other healthcare-focused investments in the OurCrowd portfolio, describing a wide range of tools that can support patients navigating serious illness. He cited OncoHost, which uses AI to help determine which immunotherapy treatments may be effective for a given patient, as well as companies involved in next-generation genomic sequencing and chronic condition management.
He said the experience has changed his perspective on health and the role of technology in care. For a longtime investor who helped fund dozens of healthcare startups, the shift from backing innovation to depending on it has been profound.
Not “going quietly”
Although Medved has stepped down from leading OurCrowd and indicated he may reduce his public profile, he stressed he still intends to contribute to the firm and Israel’s broader startup ecosystem. “I’m far from over,” he said, adding that he does not plan to “go off quietly into this good night.”
His exit from day-to-day leadership closes a major chapter for a venture capitalist who helped popularize a new investing model and amplified Israel’s startup story to a global audience. It also highlights a more intimate reality: the same technologies that investors often discuss in terms of markets and returns can become essential tools for dignity, communication, and care when illness strikes.
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