Israeli VC on Sand Hill road

Big Win for Israeli Career Families

Finally… after 4 years, Israeli court ruled the other day that working women will be allowed to recognize childcare costs as an expense, taking a tax deduction. The logic is quite simple.  According to the tax laws, expenses required in order to directly generate income, are recognized for tax purposes.  In my family (just like many others), we have a nanny.  There is no way on this planet that we would survive a 2–career family without this essential expense.  Either my husband or I would have to stay home to take care of the kids, and of course generate no income.  Hence the income-related expense.

Simple to me, not to the tax authorities… of course, they will appeal to the higher court.  Stay tuned.

(Note the image…Rosie the Riveter, Poster for Working Women During WWII)

Tags: childcare+tax+deduction, israeli+childcare, working+mothers

Israeli VC's are raising lots of money...

IVC Research Center published their numbers for 2007, and it looks like $1.1 billion was raised, 21% more than in 2006. You can read the Globes (English) or TheMarker (Hebrew) articles on the subject.

Seems like a lot of money is available for early stage Israeli start-ups - NOT! 

When you double click and realize where funds are designated, you will find that not much of that capital will be directed at early stage IT companies.  Of the 10 groups mentioned, only Pitango and Tamir Fishman will invest in early stage IT. Other funds raising money in 2007 include 4 healthcare-related groups (Pontifax, 7Health, Agate, and SCP Vitalife) , 2 on Cleantech (Israel Cleantech and AquAgro, and one each for mid-tech (Wanaka) and mid-stage (Aviv).

Although the headline definitely sounds good for the entrepreneurs...  Combine that with global economic concerns, etc., and the story gets more complicated.

My advice to entrepreneurs out there – now is the time to sharpen your pencil, review your budgets and make every $1 (weak as it may be) count.  Reduce spending to what you REALLY need to move your business forward.  Make sure your goals are properly defined and focus on meeting them.  When things get tough out there, the world is much less forgiving.  

Tags: ivc+research+center, pitango, tamir+fishman, pontifax, 7health, agate, scp+vitalife, israel+cleantech, aquagro, wanaka, aviv

Green marketing to the masses

We’re reaching a new stage in creating awareness… Al Gore is launching a $300M advertising campaign to put the pressure on US lawmakers to change current climate policy, supporting real limitations on greenhouse gases.  (More info found at grist.) Interestingly enough, all US presidential candidates have already said that they would address this (democrats more aggressively BTW).  After all, it is a “popular” issue these days.

Here in Israel, we’re lagging way behind on this front, not only from lawmakers, but from the masses.  Initiatives such as Tel-Aviv’s Earth Hour last Thursday, help create awareness, even if only partially adopted by businesses and individuals. Important, but not enough.

The most effective approach is to target kids. When they see their parent throwing away a plastic bottle or not installing energy efficient light bulbs, they ask questions.  Eventually they will become environmentally conscious adults, that is, if there’s still anything left by then…

Tags: eath+hour+tel+aviv, al+gore, global+warming