Limor Beker, head of the Israeli branch of Hamilton Lane, one of the largest global private market investing firms, told attendees at its annual Israel investor event on Wednesday evening that the firm has invested close to $250 million in Israeli funds and companies since the outset of the war. Overall, she added, over the past twenty years, Hamilton Lane has invested nearly $1.25 billion in Israel through venture capital funds, private equity funds, and advanced technology investments.

Beker announced that Hamilton Lane is completing a major move in Israel – bringing its Evergreen Funds to the country – which will allow private investors to gain access to investment opportunities with the firm that were previously available only to institutional investors.

Juan Delgado and Limor Beker at Hamilton Lane’s Annual Israel Investor Event (credit: TOMER FOLTYN)
Juan Delgado and Limor Beker at Hamilton Lane’s Annual Israel Investor Event (credit: TOMER FOLTYN)
“Private investors in Europe, the United States, Canada, and Australia enjoy high returns from investments in the private markets,” said Beker. “We are interested in providing the same opportunities for the Israeli private investor as well. I believe that access to private investments by private investors in Israel is essential, and I am proud to say that Hamilton is at the forefront of this revolution here in Israel and around the world. We at Hamilton Lane believe that the right time to invest in Israeli industry and high-tech is now.

“It is precisely against the backdrop of the war, precisely in moments of crisis, that we have full faith in the Israeli economy. This is the time to invest in the private market, and this is the time to invest in the younger generation in Israel, which has risen from moments of crisis and continues to produce, innovate, and operate. With close to $1.25 billion invested in Israel over the years, it is safe to say that our actions speak louder than words. We are here to stay.”

Beker welcomed the global Hamilton Lane leadership present at the conference, including Juan Delgado, co-CEO; Mario Giannini, executive co-chairman; Andrea Kramer, COO; and other team members from London, Zurich, and the United States. She paid tribute to the firm’s executive team for its support. “At a time when people and companies were refraining from coming to Israel,” shared Beker, “the leadership of Hamilton Lane, led by Juan Delgado and Mario Giannini, has arrived, strengthened, and continues to strengthen our deep ties with Israeli investors, entrepreneurs, companies and funds, and us – the Israeli team of Hamilton Lane.”

Since the war began, she noted, Delgado has visited Israel six times, and Hamilton Lane has sent senior members of its global leadership team to Israel every two months. “As an Israeli,” said Beker, “I am personally moved by your dedication to Israel, to our Israeli clients, Israeli investors, and our Israeli team.”

Hamilton Lane operates 22 offices worldwide, spanning North America, Europe, the Asia Pacific, and the Middle East, and allocates more than $30 billion annually to companies across various sectors and strategies.

Operating on a substantial scale in Israel

For 20 years, Hamilton Lane has been operating on a substantial scale in Israel, managing billions of dollars in institutional investments. Beker has directed the company’s Israel office since it first opened in 2005, when the Bachar Reforms, a set of financial reforms in Israel’s capital markets, named after Yossi Bachar, the then-director general of the Finance Ministry, introduced Israel’s markets to international private market investing.

The investor event also featured remarks from co-CEO Juan Delgado and COO Andrea Kramer, a discussion on private market portfolios with Mario Giannini, executive co-chairman, a panel discussion on Hamilton Lane’s evergreen fund, and a session with the firm’s global venture and equity team.

The program concluded with a musical performance and interview with singer Yuval Raphael, a survivor of the Nova Music Festival massacre, whose song “New Day Will Rise” won second place at Eurovision and won the popular vote.