Podcast
Invested by Aleph
Hosted by Michael Eisenberg · EN
How can values create value? Join Venture Capitalist and Author Michael Eisenberg as he speaks with global business leaders to explore the values and purpose behind their businesses, the impact of technology on humanity, and the humanity behind digitization. Michael Eisenberg is Co-Founder and General Partner of Aleph, an early-stage venture capital fund with $850M under management in Tel Aviv, Israel. Aleph is an early stage venture capital fund focused on partnering with great Israeli entrepreneurs to build large, meaningful companies and impactful global brands.
18episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Oren Zeev, Solo VC Managing $3B, on Why Code Is No Longer a Moat, Surviving Navan's Worst IPO of 2025, and the Dangerous 10x Growth Mindset
2w ago00:46:15Tap to summarizeOn this episode of Invested, Michael sits down with Oren Zeev, a one-man VC with $2.7 billion AUM. Over the last three decades, Oren has quietly built one of the most remarkable track records in venture capital, backing category-defining companies including Audible, Chegg, TripActions/Navan, Tipalti, Houzz, Riverside, and more. Operating without a traditional partnership or even an office, Oren runs Zeev Ventures largely from Café Venetia in Palo Alto — relying on speed, conviction, and founder relationships to make investments that others often miss. In this candid and wide-ranging conversation, Michael and Oren unpack the psychology of venture investing, why most partnerships create “negative feedback loops,” and why missing a great company is far worse than making a bad investment. Oren explains how he evaluates founders in a single meeting, what makes a company defensible in the age of AI, and why adaptability matters more than code. They also go deep on the incredible story of Navan: from an accidental street encounter that sparked the investment, to existential battles with Delta Airlines, COVID reducing revenue to nearly zero overnight, near cash collapse during hypergrowth, and surviving one of the worst IPO receptions of 2025. The conversation also explores: Why AI is both destroying and strengthening moats The mental model behind successful venture investing Why proprietary data matters more than ever Lessons from Chegg’s collapse in the ChatGPT era Founder-led companies vs. corporate “dinosaurs” Why venture capital is entering its greatest era Israeli founders, resilience, and building global companies The dangerous obsession with unsustainable hypergrowth Oren Zeev is the founder of Zeev Ventures, a solo venture capital firm managing billions in assets and backing some of the most important technology companies of the last two decades. Prior to founding Zeev Ventures, Oren was a General Partner at Apax Partners. He has been repeatedly recognized as one of the world’s top venture investors and is known for his concentrated, high-conviction investing style. If you want to understand venture capital, startup moats, AI disruption, founder psychology, and what it takes to build enduring category leaders, this episode is essential viewing. Please rate this episode 5 stars wherever you stream your podcasts! KEY TOPICS 00:00 – Intro 02:38 – Why Venture Partnerships Fail 04:42 – Missing 100x Companies Hurts More 07:00 – How Oren Decides in 24 Hours 10:04 – The Tiny Signal Behind Riverside 15:10 – Why AI Destroyed Chegg 18:27 – The New AI Moats 22:00 – Why Oren Is Bullish on Venture 25:04 – “Microsoft Will Kill It” Again 27:12 – The Accidental Navan Investment 31:08 – Delta Nearly Killed Navan 35:18 – COVID Sent Revenue to Zero 39:06 – Leadership Under Existential Pressure 44:18 – The Worst IPO of 2025 48:56 – Why Oren Still Believes Navan Wins 59:59 – The Dangerous “10x Growth” Obsession RESOURCES Follow Oren on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ozeev/ Subscribe to Invested: https://content.aleph.vc/invested Learn more about Aleph: aleph.vc Sign up for Aleph’s monthly email newsletter: https://newsletter.aleph.vc/ Subscribe to Aleph’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aleph-vc/ Follow Michael on Twitter: twitter.com/mikeeisenberg Follow Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mieisenberg/ Follow Aleph on Twitter: https://x.com/aleph?s=20 Follow Aleph on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aleph-vc/ Follow Aleph on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleph.vc/ CREDITS Executive Producer: Erica Marom Producer: Sofi Levak, Myron Shneider, Dalit Merenfeld Video and Editing: Nadav Elovic Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar Content and Editorial: Jackie Goldberg Design: Nimrod Sapir
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Elad Raz, Co-Founder and CEO at NextSilicon, on Outperforming Nvidia on Efficiency, the Architecture No One Thought Possible, and What Happens When the Memory Bottleneck Breaks
4w ago01:00:13Tap to summarizeOn this episode of Invested, Michael Eisenberg sits down with Elad Raz, Founder and CEO of NextSilicon, for a deep dive into the future of compute - and why the AI revolution may be bottlenecked by the very chips powering it. In this technical and provocative conversation, Michael and Elad unpack what it actually means to “reinvent compute,” why today’s dominant architectures from Nvidia, Google, and Amazon may be fundamentally limited, and how NextSilicon is taking a radically different approach—one that replaces traditional CPUs and GPUs with a dynamically reconfigurable chip architecture. Drawing on Elad’s background in elite Unit 8200 and decades of experience in high-performance computing, he explains why most AI chips are solving for the present—not the future—and why the real breakthroughs may come from entirely new paradigms like dataflow computing. He also shares bold claims about performance, including running workloads up to 10x faster at a fraction of the power, and discusses NextSilicon’s role in building next-generation supercomputers for U.S. national labs. They discuss: - Why the world is entering the “age of compute” - What Nvidia—and the rest of the industry—may be getting wrong - The real bottleneck in AI: memory vs compute - Why faster AI often means dramatically higher cost - The difference between training, prefill, and inference architectures - Why future AI models may look nothing like transformers - The economics of chips, data centers, and trillion-parameter models - How NextSilicon’s architecture could reshape both HPC and AI Elad Raz is the Founder and CEO of NextSilicon, a deep-tech company redefining high-performance computing and AI infrastructure. A graduate of the IDF’s elite Unit 8200, Elad brings more than 20 years of experience in technology, entrepreneurship, and executive leadership. Before founding NextSilicon, he founded Integrity Project, which was acquired by Mellanox Technologies in 2014. Elad resides in Ramat Gan, Israel, with his wife and three sons. If you want to understand where AI infrastructure is really heading—and why the next wave may not belong to today’s incumbents—this episode is essential viewing. Please rate this episode 5 stars wherever you stream your podcasts! KEY TOPICS 00:00 - Intro - “10x Faster, Quarter the Power” 00:35 - Secret Supercomputer in U.S. Labs 03:27 - “Reinventing Compute” vs Nvidia 05:27 - Why the World Needs Infinite Compute 08:23 - Throwing Away CPUs and GPUs 11:25 - 30x–100x Chip Throughput Explained 12:47 - “What Jensen Missed” 13:00 - Why Dataflow Failed—Until Now 17:23 - Top 500 Supercomputer Reveal Tease 25:22 - Why Faster AI Gets More Expensive 30:33 - “AI Chips Are the Dumbest Idea” 33:49 - Why Transformers Won’t Last 34:02 - “Fastest Compute on Earth” Claim 38:36 - NextSilicon Is NOT a Feature 58:03 - Compute Replaces Food and Energy RESOURCES Follow Elad on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eladraz/ Learn more about NextSilicon: https://www.nextsilicon.com/ Subscribe to Invested: https://content.aleph.vc/invested Learn more about Aleph: aleph.vc Sign up for Aleph’s monthly email newsletter: https://newsletter.aleph.vc/ Subscribe to Aleph’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aleph-vc/ Follow Michael on Twitter: twitter.com/mikeeisenberg Follow Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mieisenberg/ Follow Aleph on Twitter: https://x.com/aleph?s=20 Follow Aleph on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aleph-vc/ Follow Aleph on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleph.vc/ CREDITS Executive Producer: Erica Marom Producer: Sofi Levak, Myron Shneider, Dalit Merenfeld Video and Editing: Nadav Elovic Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar Content and Editorial: Jackie Goldberg Design: Nimrod Sapir
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Amir Fischer, Teen Venture Capitalist, on Raising $2M, Cold-Emailing Billionaires, and Why His Generation May Have the Most Agency Ever
Apr 1500:58:59Tap to summarizeOn this episode of Invested, Michael Eisenberg sits down with Amir Fischer, a 16-year-old investor, podcaster, and emerging venture capitalist who is building an entirely new investing thesis: teenagers backing teenagers. In this sharp and unconventional conversation, Amir explains how he started investing in public markets at age 10, built a $15,000-a-month ad agency at 14, cold-emailed 3,000 financial titans to launch his podcast, and raised a $2 million venture fund - legally set up in his mother’s name - to back the most exceptional teenage founders in the world. Michael and Amir explore what makes this generation different: growing up with the internet, adapting early to AI, and developing leverage far earlier than previous generations ever could. They also debate whether school is still the best use of time for ambitious young builders, why maturity matters more than intelligence, and how short-form content and algorithms are creating a “Great Bifurcation” between high-agency and low-agency people. They discuss: Why teenagers may be the most overlooked investment category in the world How Amir landed guests like Steve Cohen through relentless persistence Why some of the most talented teens are already working in crypto, AI, and trading The dangers of algorithm-driven short-form content How access to information is reshaping ambition, learning, and opportunity Where elite teenage founders actually come from Why Amir sees himself as a “kingmaker” for his generation Amir also reflects on identity, conviction, and the fear of mediocrity - and why young people should use their age as an advantage, not a limitation. Amir Fischer is the founder of Noar Ventures, a venture fund focused on investing in exceptional teenage founders, and the host of Generating Alpha, where he has interviewed some of the most prominent investors in the world. If you want to understand where the next generation of founders, investors, and capital allocators is coming from, this episode is essential viewing. Please rate this episode 5 stars wherever you stream your podcasts! KEY TOPICS 00:00 - Intro 01:55 - Why Invest Only in Teenagers 03:22 - Maturity Matters More Than Intelligence 06:16 - The Teen Who Made $100M 07:15 - Dylan Field Said Drop Out 08:01 - Is School a Waste of Time? 09:43 - Use Your Age as a Weapon 11:33 - Teen Talent Stories Are Insane 16:00 - Started Investing at Age 10 17:56 - Built a $15K/Month Agency 19:30 - Cold Emailed 3,000 Billionaires 20:25 - How Persistence Landed Steve Cohen 24:02 - YouTube, AI, and High Agency 26:36 - The Great Bifurcation Is Coming 28:03 - Why Short-Form Content Is Dangerous 30:57 - Why Teen Founders Should Choose Amir 35:06 - Sometimes the Best Advice Is None 36:16 - Biggest Mistake: Moving Too Fast 41:20 - Why He Wants to Be Kingmaker 44:12 - Why More Jews Must Speak Up 46:47 - What Happens When Amir Ages Out 47:11 - Why This Generation Is Different 51:00 - What Being 16 Still Can’t Do 52:24 - Where He Finds Exceptional Teenagers 55:01 - The Secret Teen Networks Online 56:58 - Core Value: Be Genuine RESOURCES Follow Amir on X: https://x.com/AmirF15336 Subscribe to Generating Alpha Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@generatingalphapodcast Subscribe to Invested: https://content.aleph.vc/invested Learn more about Aleph: aleph.vc Sign up for Aleph’s monthly email newsletter: https://newsletter.aleph.vc/ Subscribe to Aleph’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aleph-vc/ Follow Michael on Twitter: twitter.com/mikeeisenberg Follow Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mieisenberg/ Follow Aleph on Twitter: https://x.com/aleph?s=20 Follow Aleph on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aleph-vc/ Follow Aleph on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleph.vc/ CREDITS Executive Producer: Erica Marom Producer: Sofi Levak, Myron Shneider, Dalit Merenfeld Video and Editing: Nadav Elovic Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar Content and Editorial: Jackie Goldberg Design: Nimrod Sapir
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Dr. Eli David, Top AI Researcher and Entrepreneur, on Free Speech, Woke AI, and Why We’re so Much Smarter Than Elephants
Mar 3000:57:15Tap to summarizeOn this episode of Invested, Michael Eisenberg sits down with Dr. Eli David, a leading AI researcher, entrepreneur, and one of the most outspoken voices in tech today. In this wide-ranging conversation, Michael and Eli explore the intersection of artificial intelligence, free speech, geopolitics, and the future of global power. From building and selling AI startups to amassing nearly a million followers on X through unapologetically unfiltered opinions, Eli shares why controversy, not consensus, drives both innovation and influence. They dive deep into the current state of AI - why today’s models are fundamentally inefficient, how “woke” training and RLHF shape model behavior, and why Eli believes the future of AI will come from radically different architectures and massive efficiency gains. The discussion expands into the global AI race, where energy - not algorithms - may determine whether the US or China wins. Beyond technology, the conversation turns sharply into politics and society: censorship vs. free speech, the role of social media as the modern town square, the implications of October 7th on global narratives, and why Eli believes the West is at a critical inflection point. They discuss: How Eli grew from AI researcher to viral X personality Why unfiltered speech outperforms polished narratives The hidden biases inside AI models and training systems Why current AI is powerful - but deeply inefficient China vs. the US in the race for AI dominance Free speech, censorship, and the future of online platforms Israel’s role in the global AI ecosystem and talent war Why startups and controversy share the same DNA Dr. Eli David is a leading AI researcher and entrepreneur who has founded several successful AI-based companies. In 2025, the State of Israel selected Dr. David as a national Torch Lighter at the 77th Independence Day ceremony - one of the country's highest civilian honors - in recognition of his pioneering contributions to AI. If you want to understand where AI is really heading - and why the biggest debates around it are no longer technical but ideological - this is an essential and unfiltered conversation. Please rate this episode 5 stars wherever you stream your podcasts! KEY TOPICS 00:00 - Intro 01:30 - From Unknown Founder to X Influencer 02:30 - October 7 Broke My Career - Then Blew It Up 03:30 - Posting War Footage Got Me Cancelled 04:30 - Why Macron Became My Favorite Target 05:30 - AI Humor Still “Too Soft” 06:30 - AI Is Rigged by “Woke” Trainers 08:00 - RLHF = Forced Political Bias 09:30 - Truth-Seeking AI Should Offend You 10:30 - Free Speech Has No Moral Authority 12:30 - Censorship Is Pure Power Struggle 14:00 - “Don’t Like It? Leave the Platform” 16:30 - No One Took Neural Nets Seriously 20:00 - AI Is Powerful - but Fundamentally Stupid 24:30 - China Winning AI Through Energy 28:30 - Experts Kill Innovation – Outsiders Win 33:00 - My Team is Smarter Than I Am 36:30 - Startups Require Delusion and Arrogance 41:30 - Iran Is the Real Global Threat 47:30 - AI Will Destroy SaaS… Eventually 51:00 - Israel Risks Losing AI Talent RESOURCES Follow Eli on X: https://x.com/DrEliDavid Subscribe to Invested: https://content.aleph.vc/invested Learn more about Aleph: aleph.vc Sign up for Aleph’s monthly email newsletter: https://newsletter.aleph.vc/ Subscribe to Aleph’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aleph-vc/ Follow Michael on Twitter: twitter.com/mikeeisenberg Follow Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mieisenberg/ Follow Aleph on Twitter: https://x.com/aleph?s=20 Follow Aleph on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aleph-vc/ Follow Aleph on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleph.vc/ CREDITS Executive Producer: Erica Marom Producer: Sofi Levak, Dalit Merenfeld, Myron Shneider Video and Editing: Nadav Elovic Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar Content and Editorial: Jackie Goldberg Design: Nimrod Sapir
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Ami Daniel, Co-Founder and CEO of Windward, on Global Supply Chain Disruptions, How Much Ransom Costs to Cross the Strait of Hormuz, Global Navies’ Capabilities, and How Long This Whole Thing Will Last
Mar 2300:48:53Tap to summarizeOn this episode of Invested, Michael Eisenberg sits down with Ami Daniel, co-founder and CEO of Windward, for a deep dive into one of the most important global trade chokepoints: the Straits of Hormuz. In this urgent conversation, Michael and Ami unpack how the closure and disruption of the Straits of Hormuz could affect the global economy, oil prices, LNG and LPG exports, container shipping, fertilizers, steel, food supply chains, and the future of maritime security. Drawing on Ami’s expertise in maritime AI and naval strategy, he explores why the Strait of Hormuz is far more than an oil story, and why its disruption impacts nearly every country, industry, and consumer in the world. They discuss: Why the Straits of Hormuz matter to global trade How Iran’s actions could reshape shipping routes, energy markets, and maritime logistics The role of naval power, mines, drones, and maritime chokepoints The ripple effects on Europe, Asia, developing markets, and the wider global economy Why this crisis could have lasting implications for inflation, supply chains, and geopolitical stability Ami Daniel is the Co-founder & CEO of Windward, a leading Maritime AI company transforming global trade through predictive intelligence and big data analytics. As a former naval officer, he brings deep maritime expertise and a passion for AI-driven risk management, compliance, and operational optimization. Under his leadership, Windward has pioneered AI solutions for governments, financial institutions, and commercial entities. His insights on maritime AI, sanctions, and supply chain resilience have been featured in major publications, including The New York Times, The Economist, and Financial Times. If you want to understand the intersection of geopolitics, maritime trade, oil markets, shipping intelligence, and global risk, this episode is essential viewing. Please rate this episode 5 stars wherever you stream your podcasts! KEY TOPICS 00:00 - Intro 02:22 - “Not Just Oil” – Everything Is Hit 05:29 - Why Nobody Stopped Iran Earlier 07:40 - Mines, Drones, and Maritime Warfare 09:10 - Can Anyone Actually Reopen Hormuz? 09:20 - $500M Cargo Trips Becoming Normal 10:15 - Suicide Boats vs Global Trade 12:03 - Fuel Shortages Spreading Globally 12:50 - Modern Piracy: Iran’s Cash Playbook 14:30 - Hundreds of Ships Trapped in Gulf 15:40 - “Everything Is Stuck” – Global Supply Shock 19:38 - Why Oil Can’t Be Replaced 21:40 - US Quietly Allows Sanctioned Oil Trade 30:20 - 80% of Iranian Oil Goes to China 41:35 - One Mine Can Shut Global Trade Again RESOURCES Follow Ami Daniel on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amidaniel/ Learn more about Windward: https://windward.ai/ More from Windward research: Iran War at Sea: How the Conflict Is Disrupting Global Trade and Energy Strait of Hormuz Shipping Falls After Insurance Pullback Bulk Carriers Find New Route Out of Hormuz Strait Subscribe to Invested: https://content.aleph.vc/invested Learn more about Aleph: aleph.vc Sign up for Aleph’s monthly email newsletter: https://newsletter.aleph.vc/ Subscribe to Aleph’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aleph-vc/ Follow Michael on Twitter: twitter.com/mikeeisenberg Follow Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mieisenberg/ Follow Aleph on Twitter: https://x.com/aleph?s=20 Follow Aleph on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aleph-vc/ Follow Aleph on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleph.vc/ CREDITS Executive Producer: Erica Marom Producer: Sofi Levak, Dalit Merenfeld, Myron Shneider Video and Editing: Nadav Elovic Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar Content and Editorial: Jackie Goldberg Design: Nimrod Sapir
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Agency Under Fire: Israel’s Resilience, Innovation, and the Future of Techno-Geopolitics | An Invested Special Episode
Mar 900:11:03Tap to summarizeIn this special solo episode, Michael Eisenberg shares reflections from Israel during wartime. Speaking from Tel Aviv shortly after a siren sends residents to shelters, Michael offers a firsthand perspective on how Israelis are living, working, and building amid ongoing rocket attacks and regional conflict. At the center of the story is Israel's remarkable ability to produce agency at scale – and the cultural forces that drive Israelis to act, innovate, and support one another even in moments of crisis. Michael also steps back to discuss the bigger picture. As global conflict intensifies and geopolitics increasingly intertwines with technology, he argues that resilience, sovereignty, and technological capability will define the next era. From defense technology and artificial intelligence-enabled coordination to the continued momentum of Israel's startup ecosystem, this episode examines how war accelerates innovation and reshapes global investment and power. Part reflection, part analysis, this episode offers a window into the mindset of a nation under pressure — and why Michael believes Israel's culture of resilience, entrepreneurship, and initiative will play an outsized role in the technological and geopolitical landscape of the coming decade. Please rate this episode 5 stars wherever you stream your podcasts!
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Zach Greenberger & Eran Shir on Nexar’s Dominating the AV Market, Real-World Data Moats & the Playbook for Building an Agentic Company
Feb 1801:06:15Tap to summarizeOn this episode of Invested, Michael sits down with Eran Shir and Zach Greenberger of Nexar. Eran Shir is the Co-Founder, CPO & Chairman at Nexar. He is a serial entrepreneur and investor. Previously, he served as Entrepreneur in Residence at Aleph, focusing on IoT, big data, cryptocurrencies, and network-driven market disruption. Before that, Eran led Yahoo's global Creative Innovation Center following the acquisition of Dapper, a dynamic advertising startup that he co-founded. He began his career as a physicist specializing in complex systems and networks, later founding the DIMES Internet research project and co-founding the machine learning company Cogniview. Zach Greenberger is the CEO of Nexar, leading the company’s mission to build AI for the physical world using real-world driving data. Under his leadership, Nexar powers one of the largest connected vehicle networks, generating hundreds of millions of miles of data each month to advance mapping, mobility, and road safety. Prior to Nexar, Zach served as Chief Business Officer at Lyft and held leadership roles at Tesla, focusing on strategic partnerships and new growth initiatives. Nexar provides a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) network that prevents road collisions and enables autonomous mobility. They do this through a global, connected, and intelligent network of mobile cameras on the road that use data to deliver valuable insights, so Nexar can ultimately build transformative products in vehicle autonomy and safety. Nexar's technology is being used by the public sector, autonomous vehicle makers, OEMs, fleets, and insurance companies. Please rate this episode 5 stars wherever you stream your podcasts! KEY TOPICS 00:00 - Intro 02:10 - Uber Is 10 Years Too Late 05:20 - Fancy AV Fleets Were a Mistake 06:03 - Nexar Got Paid to Collect 1.2 Billion Miles of Data 07:39 - Nexar Dominates Waymo in Data Collection 09:19 - Google Burns $50 Per Mile 09:38 - Tesla and Nexar: the Only Market Players 12:48 - 100,000 Uber Drivers Already Use Nexar 16:40 - LLMs Won’t Solve the Real World 19:25 - Synthetic Data is Not Enough 21:55 - Rare Edge Cases Caught on Camera 24:09 - NVIDIA Needed Our Data 33:27 - Inside an “Agentic” Organization 40:51 - We Pay Employees to Use AI 52:44 - Nexar’s World Model Outperforms ADAS 01:05:27 - Leading a Cross-Global Team RESOURCES Follow Zach on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-greenberger-a3a3444a/ Follow Eran on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eranshir/ Learn more about Nexar: https://www.nexar-ai.com/ Subscribe to Invested: https://content.aleph.vc/invested Learn more about Aleph: aleph.vc Sign up for Aleph’s monthly email newsletter: https://newsletter.aleph.vc/ Subscribe to Aleph's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aleph-vc/ Follow Michael on Twitter: twitter.com/mikeeisenberg Follow Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mieisenberg/ Follow Aleph on Twitter: https://x.com/aleph?s=20 Follow Aleph on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aleph-vc/ Follow Aleph on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleph.vc/ CREDITS Executive Producer: Erica Marom Producer: Sofi Levak, Myron Shneider, Dalit Merenfeld Video and Editing: Nadav Elovic Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar Content and Editorial: Kira Goldring, Jackie Goldberg Design: Rony Karadi
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SpotitEarly CEO Shlomi Madar on How Their Dogs Can Sniff Early-Stage Cancer, Why Dogs + AI is a Critical Combination, and Whether Cancer Screening Should be Regulated
Feb 401:02:36Tap to summarizeOn this episode of Invested, Michael sits down with Dr. Shlomi Madar, the CEO of SpotitEarly. Madar is a PhD-trained molecular biologist with more than 15 years of leadership experience spanning oncology, diagnostics, and healthcare business development. At SpotitEarly, he leads the company’s U.S. buildout, overseeing strategic partnerships, clinical collaborations, and fundraising. He has held multiple leadership roles at the intersection of product strategy, commercialization, and clinical execution in high-stakes healthcare settings, across several biotech and digital health companies. Please rate this episode 5 stars wherever you stream your podcasts! KEY TOPICS 00:00 - Intro 02:50 - Theranos vs. Dogs: Why This Is Real 04:56 - Three Minutes to Detect Cancer 06:41 - Why Beagles Beat Other Dogs 09:02 - AI Watches Dogs’ Every Move 13:01 - Dogs + AI Break 90% Accuracy 13:43 - Blood Tests Miss Early Cancer Detection 16:26 - Stage One Cancer = 90% Survival 17:26 - Why Grail Fails at Early Detection 18:55 - Early Cancer Smells Stronger 22:26 - Selling Cancer Tests Direct-to-Consumer 27:22 - $250 a Year to Save Your Life 29:33 - Different Dogs for Different Cancers 30:10 - “This One’s for Ty” 42:22 - AI Can’t Replace Biological Sensors 46:00 - Dogs Smelled Disease 100 Years Ago 48:55 - You Can’t Buy a Cancer Test 50:46 - Message to RFK: Save Lives, Save Money 53:00 - Missile Strike Hit Cancer Labs 55:44 - Saving Lives vs Building Profits RESOURCES Follow Shlomi on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shlomimadar/ Learn more about SpotitEarly: https://www.spotitearly.com/ Subscribe to Invested here: https://content.aleph.vc/invested Learn more about Aleph: aleph.vc Sign up for Aleph’s monthly email newsletter: https://newsletter.aleph.vc/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aleph-vc/ Follow Michael on Twitter: twitter.com/mikeeisenberg Follow Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mieisenberg/ Follow Aleph on Twitter: https://x.com/aleph?s=20 Follow Aleph on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aleph-vc/ Follow Aleph on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleph.vc/ CREDITS Executive Producer: Erica Marom Producer: Sofi Levak, Myron Shneider, Dalit Merenfeld Video and Editing: Ron Baranov, Nadav Elovic Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar Content and Editorial: Kira Goldring Design: Rony Karadi
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Lightspark Co-Founder David Marcus on Bitcoin Hitting 7 Figures, Lessons from Building and Losing Libra (Diem), Why College is Cancer & Fighting for Existential Values
Jan 2101:09:24Tap to summarizeOn this episode of Invested, Michael sits down with David Marcus, the CEO and co-founder of Lightspark. Most recently, he led all payments and crypto efforts on Meta/Facebook. In 2018, David started Diem (fka Libra). He joined Meta in 2014 to lead Messenger, which he took from under 200M monthly users to over 1.5B. Previously, he was PayPal’s President. A lifelong entrepreneur, David launched two companies in Europe and then founded mobile payments company Zong in Silicon Valley, which was acquired by PayPal in 2011. Please rate this episode 5 stars wherever you stream your podcasts! KEY TOPICS 00:00 - Intro 01:54 - Dropping Out of College 05:07 - Elite Colleges Are Radicalizing Students 07:45 - AI Makes College Mostly Obsolete 15:30 - Libra Threatened the Global Financial Order 17:36 - Janet Yellen Personally Killed Libra 18:55 - Why Centralized Crypto Always Fails 19:40 - Bitcoin Is the Only Neutral Money 23:38 - Bitcoin Can’t Work - Until Lightning 26:05 - Bitcoin Replaces SWIFT and Banks 30:11 - Stablecoins Are Corporate Control Tools 33:45 - Bitcoin Enables Real De-Dollarization 36:10 - Most Financial Crime Isn’t Crypto 41:30 - Bitcoin Is the Ultimate Bar Mitzvah Gift 43:10 - Bitcoin Will Hit Seven Figures 44:05 - US Education Is a National Security Threat 47:35 - Parents Are Letting Kids Be Radicalized 54:20 - Mark Zuckerberg Backed Libra Until End 56:10 - Why Governments Fear Neutral Money 57:30 - Politics Destroyed My Faith in DC 59:10 - Israel, Iran, and Regime Change Hopes 01:03:45 - Europe’s Point of No Return RESOURCES Follow David on X: https://x.com/davidmarcus Learn more about Lightspark: https://www.lightspark.com/ Subscribe to Invested here: https://content.aleph.vc/invested Learn more about Aleph: aleph.vc Sign up for Aleph’s monthly email newsletter: https://newsletter.aleph.vc/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aleph-vc/ Follow Michael on Twitter: twitter.com/mikeeisenberg Follow Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mieisenberg/ Follow Aleph on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikeeisenberg Follow Aleph on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aleph-vc/ Follow Aleph on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleph.vc/ CREDITS Executive Producer: Erica Marom Producer: Sofi Levak, Myron Shneider, Dalit Merenfeld Video and Editing: Ron Baranov, Nadav Elovic Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar Content and Editorial: Kira Goldring Design: Rony Karadi
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Special Episode: A Lookback on Some of the Strongest Business Leaders of 2025
Jan 1400:22:08Tap to summarizeOn this special episode of Invested, Michael Eisenberg curates the most compelling conversations and sharpest ideas from across our 2025 episodes. From Gavin Baker’s contrarian argument that climate change is already economically solved, to Nas Daily’s declaration that followers - and organic reach - are effectively dead, this episode captures the ideas that sparked the most debate, reflection, and conviction. We revisit investing legends through Sender Cohen’s comparison of George Soros and Stan Druckenmiller, explore post-acquisition realities inside Big Tech with Noam Bardin’s unfiltered reflections on Google, and unpack how companies like Fiverr and Wix reinvent perception and scale by building boldly for their next ten million users. Please rate this episode 5 stars wherever you stream your podcasts! KEY TOPICS 00:00 - Intro 00:46 – Gavin Baker: Why Global Warming Is a Solved Problem 03:54 – Sender Cohen on George Soros vs. Stan Druckenmiller 06:52 – Nas Daily: “Followers Are Dead” 07:45 – Noam Bardin’s Letter After Leaving Google 11:11 – Gali Arnon: the Genius Strategy for Growing Fiverr 13:01 – Micha Kaufman: Companies Don’t Owe You Career Growth 17:19 – Omri Casspi: Life After the NBA 19:07 – Adam Fisher: Sacrificing a Million Users for the Next 10 Million RESOURCES Subscribe to Invested here: https://content.aleph.vc/invested Learn more about Aleph: aleph.vc Sign up for Aleph’s monthly email newsletter: https://newsletter.aleph.vc/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aleph-vc/ Follow Michael on Twitter: twitter.com/mikeeisenberg Follow Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mieisenberg/ Follow Aleph on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikeeisenberg Follow Aleph on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aleph-vc/ Follow Aleph on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleph.vc/ CREDITS Executive Producer: Erica Marom Producer: Sofi Levak, Myron Shneider, Dalit Merenfeld Video and Editing: Ron Baranov, Nadav Elovic Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar Content and Editorial: Kira Goldring Design: Rony Karadi
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