Venture firm Lerer Hippeau announces Ron Zori as its new Venture Partner.
Ron Zori, a seasoned tech investor and operator with over a decade of experience across New York, Israel, and Europe, has joined Lerer Hippeau as Venture Partner for Fund IX. This appointment aligns with the firm's focus on supporting early-stage startups, leveraging Zori's extensive background to help founders scale their businesses.
Zori's career path began as a professional soccer player and a member of the IDF. He later transitioned into tech, where he gained experience operating and investing in various companies. Notable positions include leading revenue efforts at Knotel, contributing significantly to its growth to $370 million in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR). He was also among a16z’s first scouts.
As an angel investor and operator, Zori has backed over 35 companies, including Public, Voyantis, Blank Street, OpenWeb, and Knotel. His contributions to these companies have been significant. For instance, he played a pivotal role in Voyantis, helping the company increase its revenue five times and boost its talent and customer pipelines. At Public, he was instrumental in growing the user base from 1,000 to over 1 million in less than 18 months.
Zori's appointment at Lerer Hippeau follows the recognition he has received from founders. Ido Wisenberg, CEO of Voyantis, considers Zori an integral partner to their business, having helped unlock some of their most meaningful relationships. Leif Abraham, co-founder and co-CEO of Public, has stated that Zori has been instrumental in helping them 5x their revenue and significantly boost their talent and customer pipelines. Nadav Shoval, founder and former CEO of OpenWeb, has credited Zori for introducing him to a co-founder, leading to the start of a new business.
Lerer Hippeau, a VC firm based in New York City, has hired Zori as Venture Partner for Fund IX. This $200 million fund is dedicated solely to early-stage startups. The firm invests broadly across enterprise and consumer sectors, with a focus on helping founders go from zero to one and remaining committed for the long term.
The Lerer Hippeau team consists of 20 specialists in investment and operations. Zori's self-professed goal is to be a founder's single most valuable partner. He has been involved in helping unlock pivotal deals and partnerships for companies throughout their journeys. Fund IX marks Lerer Hippeau's 15th year of supporting early founders as their primary institutional partner.
Ron Zori considers Lerer Hippeau the most powerful conduit for Israeli and European founders commercializing in the U.S. He is now looking forward to using his expertise to help the next generation of tech startups thrive.
Technology plays a significant role in Ron Zori's background as a tech investor, given his experience with various companies and notable positions such as among a16z’s first scouts. In his new position at Lerer Hippeau as Venture Partner for Fund IX, Zori will apply his expertise to help early-stage startups secure financing and invest in technology to scale their businesses.
