TBD VC, a new venture capital firm founded by David Citron and Alan Buch, has announced the launch of a $35 million fund targeting pre-seed and seed-stage Israeli founders building deep tech startups. The fund aims to invest in about 20 companies, primarily in sectors such as enterprise AI, cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure, and software-enabled defense technology. With operations spanning Israel and the U.S., TBD is stepping into a perceived gap in early-stage funding, especially for technically driven startups, both locally and globally.
Fueling Early-Stage Innovation Amid Israel’s Tech Boom and Global Founder Momentum
The fund launch comes at a time when Israeli tech is making global headlines, with major exits like Wiz’s $32 billion acquisition by Google and Next Insurance’s $2.6 billion deal reinforcing the country’s reputation as a tech powerhouse.
However, TBD’s founders argue that despite these successes, the earliest stages of startup formation in Israel are still underserved. TBD plans to lead pre-seed rounds with checks around $1 million, and occasionally co-invest in seed rounds, maintaining a focus on technical depth and long-term value over hype.
TBD VC Rolls Out $35M Fund to Power Israel’s Next Wave of Deep Tech StartupsDavid Citron brings over a decade of VC experience, previously investing in Israeli startups for Rocket Internet. His portfolio includes several successful exits, such as CyberX (acquired by Microsoft) and Voca.ai (acquired by Snap).
Alan Buch, based in New York, complements the team with experience managing a $4 billion multi-family office and a unique background as a former professional racecar driver. Together, they aim to leverage their diverse expertise to support first-time founders and deeply technical entrepreneurs.
Empowering Global Founders with Deep Support and Strong Early-Stage Investment Discipline
TBD VC emphasizes a hands-on, operator-driven approach to early-stage investing. In addition to the founding partners, the firm boasts a global network of over 45 venture partners from companies like Netflix, Github, and Epic Games, who help portfolio companies navigate product development and go-to-market strategies. Citron and Buch believe the next generation of technical founders is global, and TBD is positioned to support them wherever they are, especially those with Israeli roots.
While acknowledging the challenges posed by the ongoing conflict in Gaza, Citron remains optimistic about the resilience and potential of Israel’s tech sector. TBD’s first fund—also $35 million—has already shown strong returns, with investments like Upwind.io and Pointfive.co. Although the new fund’s portfolio is still under wraps, the team is actively deploying capital and staying true to its mission: to be the first check for founders building meaningful, scalable, and defensible tech companies from the ground up.
