FAQs

We’re looking to work with Israel-led, pre-seed start-ups from all industries that want to grow their company in the US market. We invest in first-time teams that operate in non-traditional markets, and help them find their first customers, hires and investors. Fusion is often the first check, with incorporation, and earlier than anyone else.

Our companies operate in big markets that are usually underserved by the Israeli VC market. We love vertical SaaS and consumer, and have backed teams across the board in a variety of industries: Enterprise Software, Gaming, Wellness, Education, Insurance, Clean Energy, Future of Work, Real Estate & Mobility to name a few.

Founders can APPLY HERE for a $150,000 investment as part of the Fusion Accelerator program. We review applications on a rolling basis. Over 1,200 companies apply every year, competing for less than 20 slots in the Fusion program. Our screening process is entirely virtual & remote. All founders receive feedback and know their status through every step.

We run a quick investment process. We invest $150,000 in each company that is accepted to go through our accelerator program.  It takes us up to 3 weeks from the first meeting to decide whether we'll make an offer (send a Term Sheet). 

We don't like to waste founders' time. Our screening process is entirely virtual & remote. All founders receive feedback and know their status through every step. We look forward to reviewing it and we appreciate your time & effort in our process.

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Yes.

Yes, as long as one of the founders has technical capabilities.

No. We don’t ask for business plans and/or budgets. We make our decisions based on the application form and our personal meetings with you.

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Preferably yes. It helps us get a sense of how you pitch, think and value your start-up.

We keep your info confidential - only our advisors and investment team will have access to it. Nevertheless, we do not sign an NDA agreement (almost no VC or accelerator would do so with an early-stage start-up).

We produce twice a year a 10-week intensive bootcamp in Tel Aviv, Silicon Valley, New York and Los Angeles. You’ll learn from industry veterans in 150+ valuable classes.

You'll participate in 150+ sessions presented by serial founders, investors, and mentors to set your company on a strong foundation. You’ll be introduced to potential advisors, investors, and customers. You’ll engage with the market and crystallize your story.

We believe that to scale quickly and most effectively, founders need to “engage” with their market as soon as possible. It is the fastest and most efficient way to gain valuable feedback, and create relationships with potential customers, partners and investors.

‍We invite our founders (typically the CEO) to participate in our structured curriculum. The accelerator sessions and professional workshops take place in-person and remote over zoom. We produce bootcamp days in Tel Aviv and a roadshow in the US.

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We invest $150,000 in exchange for 7.5%. The investment is structured as a convertible note (SAFE), based on Silicon Valley industry standards.

We'll wire you $150,000 as soon as you’re accepted to our accelerator. Simple as that. If you haven't incorporated your business yet, we'll help you do it. The capital comes from our investors: top-tier VCs and 70+ serial founders, all committed to helping the next generation of founders succeed.

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All Fusion portfolio companies enjoy free programs & perks from AWS, Azure, GCP, Hubspot, Notion, Brex, Stripe and many more. We work with the best legal & financial service providers in Israel as partners.

Our benefits are valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Sure. We backed Israeli start-ups that have raised initial capital from private investors & VCs and/or have been “on the road” for a while.

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No. We offer the same terms for all participating companies.

Many of our startups have already raised capital at a higher valuation, and they don’t come to Fusion for the money – they do it because they are interested in scaling their business in the US and be part of our leading pre-seed platform.

We work closely with you to build your advisory, hire talent, get customers and find your North Star. The program is just the beginning of a journey: As strategic partners and stakeholders, we help our portfolio companies raise their next round, facilitating dozens of intros to angels and VCs in Israel and the US. We often do this with portfolio companies years after they’ve graduated from our accelerator.

Nearly all Israeli founders focus their ambitions on the US market from day-one. And for good reason – the overwhelming majority of Israeli exits are in cooperation with American entities:

• 80% of acquisitions of Israeli tech companies are by US corporations.
• More than 70 Israeli unicorns were listed on NASDAQ/NYSE over the last two years.

Fusion is on a mission to empower the innovative Israeli tech sector with the contacts and know-how it needs to scale in the United States. We provide a bridge between early-stage Israeli startups and the US market.

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We encourage all of our portfolio companies to set up a Delaware C-Corp as soon as possible. If you intend to grow your business in the US, you will eventually do it. Many investors in the US (including VCs & Angels) will never invest in Israeli LTDs because of tax & legal issues. It's not pre-condition to set up a US company to participate in Fusion.

During our US roadshow & accelerator program, a tourist visa should be enough.

While we don’t get directly involved with visas, we do:

1.Connect you with founders and alumni that have relocated to the US who will be happy to give you advice.

2.Introduce you to experienced immigration lawyers & partners to set up your US operation.

Israeli citizens require a visa to enter the US – we recommend scheduling an appointment with the US Embassy to get a B1/B2 visa, if you don’t have one already. EU passport holders should be eligible for the ESTA Visa Waiver program.

‍PLEASE NOTE: The purpose of your trip is to attend business-related meetings and activities that advance your company, such as meetings with prospective investors and clients.

Portfolio companies use Fusion’s office as a business address for their US operations. Address: 730 Arizona Ave, Suite 206, Santa Monica, CA 90401 | Fusion

No. We focus all our efforts in giving value to the Fusion portfolio companies. We’re not “finders” and won’t accept other compensation offers.

Applying to the program would be the best way to engage with us. We review applications on a rolling basis. Over 1,200 companies apply every year, competing for less than 20 slots in the Fusion program. Our screening process is entirely virtual & remote. All founders receive feedback and know their status through every step.

It’s never too early to apply, and our partners meet with every founder that is relevant to Fusion. Unfortunately, we can’t meet for coffee with every start-up that wants our general advice.

If you have a different question and/or a special inquiry (that we didn’t cover in our FAQ), feel free to drop us a line at guy@fusion-vc.com. We appreciate accuracy combined with relevancy. Please communicate relevant information for your request and make a clear and concrete ask.

When we refer start-up founders to investors, it means we are recommending them – hence, we know them well and preferably have worked with them. If we don’t know you well, we can’t recommend you.

We are not “finders” - we don’t make intros for commissions and/or other compensation offers.

If you’re looking for investors, your best alternative is to find people within your network (or sometimes, beyond it) who are involved within the tech industry and know you well, and ask them for their assistance.