Protego Ventures closes debut $125 million fund for Israeli defense tech
Protego Ventures has closed its debut $125 million fund dedicated to investing in Israeli defense technology startups. The firm aims to support companies addressing critical security needs, following a record year for defense tech investment.
Why it matters
The rise of specialized defense VC firms highlights the increasing integration of private capital and advanced technology into national security strategies.
Defense and venture capital used to rarely overlap, but that’s no longer the case. Defense tech VC dealmaking set a record in Q1 2026 , and new VC firms have emerged around the world to invest solely in defense startups.
One of these is two-year-old Protego Ventures , which presents itself as the first and largest dedicated defense tech VC in Israel. Led notably by two women, Lital Leshem and Lee Moser, it has just completed the final close of its debut fund with $125 million in capital commitments, TechCrunch learned exclusively.
This fund size is enabling Protego to invest between $5 million and $50 million per company, with a focus on startups “addressing the critical defense and security needs of Israel and the global community,” according to its website.
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