Her grandfather was one of the founders of the Air Force, she is responsible for companies of huge value

At the age of 3 Lior Simon jumped into the deep water, and not as an image. “I jumped into the pool in the fortress of the house,” she says. “The first time it worked at half power, the second time a little more and the third time I was already swimming.” Looking back, she says, this was the beginning of a pattern: entering when there is uncertainty, learning as you go and believing that the gaps will close along the way.

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Simon was born in the center of the country and grew up between Israel and the USA, following the work of her father, an entrepreneur and high-tech man who made most of his career in the worlds of product marketing. Her mother also worked in high-tech, and later converted to coaching.

“The message at home was: do what you like, the main thing is that you get up in the morning for something that makes you feel good, and that’s where the drive will come from.”

As a child she describes herself as a tom boy, full of energy and self-confidence, with a great love for sports. She has been snowboarding since the age of 9 and played volleyball in high school. The transitions between countries did create gaps, especially for a competitive girl, but according to her they also sharpened her ability to pursue a pace that others are already at and to believe that she will catch up.

A major source of inspiration for her was her grandfather, Harold “Smoky” Simon, a South African pilot and one of the founders of the Israeli Air Force, who came here during the War of Independence. Beside him was grandmother Miriam, who also volunteered for the Air Force. “They believed in a goal and a huge vision when there were no planes here yet. From them I drew the belief that you can create something even when there is almost nothing to hold on to.”

She began her professional path almost by accident. After her military service and during her studies, she worked at the Sequoia venture capital fund in an administrative position. “I was amazed by the world of entrepreneurship. I was curious, maybe a little annoying, and I asked the partners a lot of questions at the end of the day.”

This curiosity gradually turned into an opportunity. Simon became the “entrance gate” to the foundation, meeting almost every company that entered the door, and according to her received there “an MBA not bad for life itself”. She was promoted to the investment team, accompanied companies in very early stages, and later established a global fund operation in Israel that focused on fintech.

Then, in 2020, she joined the entrepreneur Gili Ra’anan in establishing Cyberstarts, the cyber fund in which she currently operates. “But nothing was simple or trivial,” she says.

The entrance to Cyberstarts happened at the beginning of the corona, and at the same time she learned that she was pregnant with her third child. Because of the accompanying health problems, the first two years were mostly spent in hospitals. All this while there were two other small children at home.

“In retrospect, it was inertia. You deal with what comes when it comes. I had endless support from my husband and family and a lot of optimism that I drew from my grandparents.”

Today she sits on the board of eight companies, including Cyera, Oasis, Vega, Blockaid and Gambit, which reach an aggregate value of approximately 12 billion dollars. Apart from that, it is involved in the portfolio of more than 31 companies.

What does your work day look like?
“I don’t have a standard day. It is derived from what the entrepreneurs need, their most difficult challenges and what should bother them even if they haven’t thought about it yet.”

Simon says that her approach to investments relies less on pure technological depth and more on an understanding of people, market and dynamics. “I was always good at reading the room or the court. The soft sides are just as important: the connection between the entrepreneurs, the energy they demonstrate, the ability to build relationships. Even in the most technological world, deals are built between people.”

Looking a decade ahead, she sees herself continuing to work with people of extraordinary potential and building meaningful things. “A large part of this will be around entrepreneurship and start-ups, but not only. The goal is to be involved in work that has a bigger impact than me.”