Cybersecurity · VC Firm · Active
Team8
Team8 is a Tel Aviv-based company builder and venture fund founded 2014 by Nadav Zafrir (ex-8200 IDF unit commander), with ~$1B+ AUM across cybersecurity, fintech and deep tech.
Investment thesis
Team8 is a Tel Aviv-based company builder and venture fund founded 2014 by Nadav Zafrir (ex-8200 IDF unit commander), with ~$1B+ AUM across cybersecurity, fintech and deep tech. Invests Seed through growth with significant co-building involvement. Cheques $1-15M.
Quantum bet: Classiq Technologies (Tel Aviv quantum algorithm compiler), a Team8-incubated company since founding (2020) alongside IN Venture and Entrée Capital. Classiq reached $110M Series C (May 2025) and Nov 2025 strategic round with AMD, Qualcomm and IonQ.
Value-add: Israeli cybersecurity ecosystem access; ADM Michael Rogers (USN ret., former NSA director) as operating partner — relevant for Classiq's national-security and defense algorithm applications.
Not a quantum specialist — Classiq is a foundational Team8 company-build rather than a portfolio add. Relevant as incumbent Israeli quantum software cap-table member.
Anti-thesis
The patterns that trigger a fast no with this fund.
- Cybersecurity-studio model means quantum bets are filtered through a 'does this sell to CISOs in 18 months' lens, which biases toward PQC migration tooling and away from foundational hardware where Israel has little fab infrastructure
- Heavy reliance on co-founding alongside corporate CISO partners (Barclays, Microsoft, Citi) creates pressure to commercialize before NIST standards and customer procurement cycles mature, risking premature GTM on PQC startups
- No public thesis on quantum sensing, networking, or compute: the firm treats quantum primarily as a cyber-risk vector rather than a platform opportunity, narrowing deal flow
- Studio model concentrates ownership and board control, which deters quantum founders coming out of academia (Technion, Hebrew U) who want clean cap tables and scientific autonomy
Notable quantum portfolio
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