Startups have raised $2.3 billion in the first four months of 2019, well on course to beat the record $6.4 billion raised by startups in 2018.
Israeli startups raised nearly $750 million during April, according to press releases issued by companies that have completed financing rounds. This is a particularly impressive amount considering that the country shut down for the Passover holiday in the second half of April. The figure may be more as some companies prefer not to publicize the investments they have received. After raising $1.55 billion in the first quarter of the year, according to IVC, Israeli startups have now raised $2.3 billion in the first four months of 2019.
This figure is well on course to beat last year's record startup fund raising, when according to IVC-ZAG, Israeli startups raised $6.4 billion, up from $5.24 billion in 2017.
As usual, most of the money raised last month, was in large financing rounds by a small number of companies. Nearly $600 million was raised by just nine companies.
In April, online insurance company Lemonade led with a whopping $300 million financing round. Security platform Armis raised $65 million and cybersecurity company Aqua Sec raised $62 million. Chip helath company Proteantecs raised $35 million, IoT security company VDOO raised $32 million, digital health company AIDoc raised $27 million, events cloud company Bizzabo raised $27 million, fintech company Pagaya raised $25 million and media reader engagement platform Spot.IM raised $25 million.