I’ve seen so many brilliant founders with game-changing ideas hit a wall. They build an incredible product, something that could genuinely change an industry, but then they stumble. Why? Because building a product and building a company are two totally different beasts. You can have the best tech in the world, but if you don’t know how to sell it, market it, or hire the right people, you’re dead in the water. It’s a frustration I hear about all the time.
That’s why I’ve always been fascinated by venture funds that do more than just write checks. I’m talking about the ones that roll up their sleeves and get in the trenches with you. And at the top of that list is Team8.
Team8 isn’t your typical VC. They call themselves a “venture-creation” fund or a “foundry,” which is a fancy way of saying they are a startup supercharger. They don’t just give you cash; they give you a special forces team of about 100 in-house experts to help you win. And now, they’ve just added two absolute heavyweights to their leadership, signaling a massive double-down on their core mission in cybersecurity and AI.
This is huge.
⚙️ Meet the New Shot-Callers
To understand why this is such a big deal, you have to look at who they brought on. It’s not just about titles; it’s about the insane experience these two bring to the table for every single company in Team8’s portfolio.
Ori Barzilay: The Investment Brain with Field Experience
First up, Ori Barzilay got promoted to Partner. In the VC world, being a Partner means you’re one of the key people deciding where the money goes. You’re making the big bets.
But Ori isn’t just some finance guy who lives in spreadsheets. His background is a founder’s dream. He started his career as a tech-operational intelligence officer in an elite Israeli military unit. Think about that for a second. This is someone who has been at the bleeding edge of technology in high-stakes environments. He understands deep tech, cyber, and ops from the inside out.
He then did a stint at Pitango, one of Israel’s largest and most respected VC firms, and even worked in product management. This guy has seen it all: the military-grade tech, the big-money VC deals, and the day-to-day grind of actually building a product. He gets it. His involvement in recent wins, like the developer experience company Port (which has already raised a cool $58 million), proves he knows how to spot and nurture a winner.
For a startup, having a Partner like Ori means you’re talking to someone who speaks your language and understands your struggles on a fundamental level.
Matthew Schoenfeld: The Go-To-Market Guru
This is the hire that made me sit up straight. Team8 brought in Matthew Schoenfeld as an Operating Partner. Let me translate that for you: his entire job is to help startups sell their stuff and grow like crazy.
And his resume is just ridiculous. He has over two decades of experience leading sales and commercial ops at some of the biggest names in cybersecurity. We’re talking about places like:
-
- FireEye: A legendary name in cyber threat intelligence.
-
- Absolute Software: A leader in endpoint security.
-
- Fortra: A massive portfolio of security and automation solutions.
On top of that, he’s worked with the iconic Silicon Valley fund Greylock Partners. This isn’t a guy who read a book about building a sales engine; this is a guy who has built multiple nine-figure sales engines from the ground up. He knows the playbook because he wrote it.
Bringing him in as an Operating Partner means every startup in the Team8 family now has direct access to one of the best go-to-market minds in the security industry. It’s like getting a cheat code for sales.
✨ Why This Model is a Game-Changer
So, what does this all mean? It reinforces Team8’s core thesis: the “venture foundry” model is the future, especially for deep tech.
Traditional VCs write a check, maybe make a few intros, and then check in every quarter. Team8 builds a village around you. With these new hires, that village just became a fortress.
Here’s what a startup gets from Team8:
📌 The Idea & The Capital: The seed of an idea, often co-developed with Team8’s research team, and the funding to pursue it from investors like Ori who get the tech.
📌 The Go-To-Market Machine: A world-class sales strategy and execution plan handed to you by a master like Matthew Schoenfeld.
📌 The Instant Expert Team: Access to that 100-person army of in-house specialists in hiring, marketing, product, AI strategy, and more. No more guessing how to write a job description for a VP of Sales; they’ll help you find and vet them.
📌 An Unfair Advantage: In a tough market, this holistic support system is the ultimate unfair advantage. It drastically reduces the risk of failure from common, non-product-related mistakes.
Even in a challenging global climate, with venture funding slowing down and geopolitical turmoil, Team8 is hitting the accelerator. They’ve made investments in 11 new companies in the last six months alone and now manage over $1 billion. That’s not a sign of fear; that’s a sign of pure confidence in their model.
✍️ What This Means For You
This news isn’t just some industry inside baseball. It has real-world implications.
If you’re a founder…
And you’re building something in cybersecurity, AI, or enterprise infrastructure, Team8 needs to be on your radar. Pitching them isn’t just about getting a check. It’s about pitching for a strategic co-founder with a built-in support system. You’re not just getting money; you’re getting a launchpad.
If you’re a tech professional…
Keep a very close eye on Team8’s portfolio companies. These startups are being groomed for success with an intensity that few others receive. They are getting the best advice on tech, product, and sales from day one. These will be the companies to watch, join, and partner with in the coming years.
If you’re an investor or just a tech enthusiast…
This is a powerful signal about where the market is heading. The era of easy money and “growth at all costs” is over. The future belongs to disciplined, efficient growth, where operational excellence is just as important as technical innovation. Team8’s model, supercharged by leaders like Ori and Matthew, is built for exactly this reality.
I’m incredibly excited to see the next wave of companies that emerge from this powerhouse. With this leadership team, they aren’t just funding startups; they’re forging future market leaders. It’s going to be awesome to watch.
-
- Team8 recently closed $500 million in new funds, elevating its total assets under management to over $1 billion. This capital is earmarked to build and invest in over 30 new startups.
-
- The firm operates a unique dual model, functioning as both a Venture-Creation studio and a Venture-Capital investor. This allows Team8 to not only fund promising companies but also to build new ones from scratch to solve complex industry problems.
-
-
Team8 co-founder Liran Grinberg notes that while AI expands the attack surface for cyber threats, it simultaneously enables new, powerful defensive solutions that were previously impossible, creating a significant market opportunity for innovation.
-
-
- With a global footprint that includes offices in Tel Aviv, New York, and London, Team8 strategically connects Israeli innovation with major international markets, supporting its portfolio companies in their go-to-market and expansion efforts.