Shows
The EndgameChen Manzur (Goldfarb): The 10 Crack Commandments of M&A | 010Chen Manzur, partner at Goldfarb, Gross, Seligman, is one of Israel’s leading M&A attorneys going on 18 years, hundreds of deals, and billions closed. Chen takes us into the minds of major Tier-1 North American acquirers on deals to acquire Israeli companies, many of whom he has represented. We get into what founders today need to know to not get left behind in a maturing market. This episode is in Hebrew with English-only subtitles.Inside:How Tier-1 strategic acquirers see Israeli companiesHow not to get crushed by the serial acquirer's M&A machine Why Delaware won’t alwa...2025-07-2756 min
The EndgameJune 2025 Deal Room | Recap of Israeli Tech M&A [English]10 minutes on 10 exits in June 2025 (~$500M in deal volume, plus one $3B mega-deal). A quick chat looking back at the most notable moments in the last month's popping tech M&A scene in Israel. We cover a bunch of fintech deals like Xero x Melio, Tipalti x Statement, two deals by Cyera, a second acquisition by Wix of Base44, and an immigrant-owned Israeli acquirer of popular B2C app Yango Deli. With hosts Sophia Tupolev-Luz and Zeevi Michel.Subscribe to executive summaries for foundersFollow us on LinkedInAbout:...2025-07-1310 min
The EndgameYaron Weizenbluth (PwC): Why It’s Not All Transactional | 009Everyone knows his work — he literally writes the annual Exits Report at PwC — but few know what he actually does for founders and deals, behind the scenes. Meet Yaron Weizenbluth, Partner & Head of Assurance at PwC Israel, who has quietly advised, audited, and signed off on hundreds of tech transactions and IPOs over the past two decades.In this episode, hear about fatal founder mistakes, the power of informal relationship building in the advisory world, navigating the tension between what’s best for the founder vs. what’s best for the company. 2025-07-061h 07
The EndgameMay 2025 Deal Room | Recap of Israeli Tech M&A [English]12 minutes on 12 exits in May 2025 (at least $365M disclosed in M&A). Mostly strategics making moves, one blockbuster IPO and one unexpected move in the capital markets. A quick chat on the month's tech M&A.With hosts Sophia Tupolev-Luz and Zeevi Michel.Subscribe to executive summaries for foundersFollow us on LinkedInAbout:Israel’s tech M&A show delivers unfiltered conversations with key players from the startup lifecycle. This is a podcast for startups about the path to mergers and acquisitions—and their...2025-06-0812 min
The EndgameThe Deal Room | Recap of Israeli Tech M&A in H1 2025 [in English]23 deals in 2025 so far. Startups snapping up others. PE... Still Bueller? A quick chat on this year's deal making so far, trash talking about the first half's deals in Israel tech M&A.Navigate the episode:(00:00) Show intro(00:29) Recap of Recent Deals(01:28) Types of Acquisitions and Buyers(06:21) Undisclosed Deal Sizes and Their Implications(10:47) Current Deal Volume and Market Momentum(14:10) Breakdown of Acquirers in 2025 including Startups(16:32) Private Equity's Role in the MarketWith hosts Sophia Tupolev-Luz and...2025-05-1219 min
The EndgameAmit Pilowsky (Key1 Capital) on High Finance, High-Wire M&A | 008He's the ultimate guy in finance. Hear from the VC that once launched Goldman Sachs in Israel, doing 17 years of M&A there as an investment banker: Amit Pilowsky then low-key started a tier-1 growth fund (Key1 Capital), backing the likes of SuperPlay (a $700M exit). Today, he's also got a hot new defense fund, Ace Capital Partners. If you’re an Israeli startup founder, you want to hear what Amit has to say on how to get acquired with grace. Plus, the window for startups to become acquirers now, and his take on pri...2025-04-211h 03
The EndgameModi Rosen (Magma) on 30 Exits & Raising Giants | 007He’s been in venture longer than some founders have been alive: The OG, Modi Rosen, of Magma, with 30 exits in his portfolio, including as the very first investor in Waze. Modi tells founders he won’t always be nice, but he’ll always be fair.(Hebrew w/English-only subtitles)English TranscriptAbout:Israel’s tech M&A show with Sophia Tupolev Luz and Zeevi Michel delivers unfiltered conversations with key players from the startup lifecycle. This is a podcast for startups about the path to mergers and acquisition...2025-03-181h 09
The EndgameTarget Acquired: Michael Calev on Secrets of Corporate Development. | 006(Hebrew w/English-only subtitles)This is the role founders know the least about - but has the most influence on your deal. Learn how these elusive executives at acquirers find your company, evaluate you, and make or break your deal. So: what makes a company rise to the top of an acquirer’s list?Michael Calev, a corp dev exec and former investment banker, takes us through strategic fit —how well you align with an acquirer’s growth objectives, tech roadmap, and long-term market positioning. That means appearing on their radar early, knowing what th...2025-02-2359 min
The EndgameYour Company is the Product: Shay Michel (Merlin Ventures) on Cyber, AI, M&A | 005Change is a constant, but in M&A, the target company is always going to be the product. AI is already influencing the pace, valuation, and strategies in mergers and acquisitions, and we keep looking at the core of deal dynamics. So: why do cybersecurity companies command seemingly illogical valuations at such low revenues?The answer lies in implied value - what an acquirer believes they will be able to do with you - and what your contribution margin is going to be. That means how you impact their sales, R&D efforts, and ability...2025-01-3152 min
The EndgameThe Heart of the Deal: Founders & Truth Dynamics. | 004The deal dynamics founders rarely talk about—how internal motivations, external messaging, and decision-making shape their startup’s endgame.👇 This episode is in Hebrew, with English subtitles. In this episode, Sophia Tupolev-Luz and Zeevi Michel tackle taboo topics, from the unspoken truths founders face to the challenges of aligning employees and investors during a transaction. We explore what founders often overlook when building a company and preparing for the endgame.In this episode, we cover: Why M&A is a taboo subject in accelerators and entrepreneurship programs. The three types o...2024-12-2955 min
The EndgameClaims. Consequences. Mistakes. Misconduct. Josh Begner (WTW) | 003English episode: From mistakes to misconduct, we get the data on where M&A transactions go south after closing - and why it hurts so bad for both buyers and sellers. Insurance, of course, is there to help clean up the mess. But as a founder, how do you prevent those terrible mistakes in the first place?Taking us into the world of breaches and risk is THE guy who brought M&A insurance to Israel 5 years ago, Josh Begner of WTW, (NASDAQ: WTW).In our latest episode, we came for the tea...2024-11-3054 min
The EndgameSkeletons. The Razor’s Edge. Deal Breakers. Sim Koevary (Meitar) | 002M&A attorney Sim Koevary (Meitar | Law Offices) takes us into the ring on deals that've gone spectacularly right—and disastrously wrong. From the hidden skeletons that implode transactions to the razor-thin boundaries of the playing field, Sim breaks down the unwritten rules founders need to play by. Hosts Sophie and Zeevi chart the fragile balance of power in M&A, and how founders can leverage their legal partners to maximize shareholder value - and minimize fallout.Some of the topics this episode covers: What really makes acquirers walk away...2024-10-2158 min
The EndgameMurders & Acquisitions. Shadow Players. Competing Interests. | 001Behind the headlines of the high-stakes mergers and acquisitions game in Israel's tech sector. Triangulating the competing interests of the buy-side, sell-side, and shareholders (including investors). In this pilot, meet co-hosts Sophie and Zeevi while they're plotting the show and its guests: the key players who make or break deals, often working in the shadows. Israel’s tech M&A show delivers founders unfiltered conversations w/ stakeholders from the entire ecosystem & startup lifecycle.** This episode is in English+Hebrew, with English-only subtitles. Take our poll to tell us what language yo...2024-09-0741 min