Lerer Hippeau, a VC firm based in New York City that specializes in early-stage investments, announced the hiring of Ron Zori as Venture Partner—its first ever—for Fund IX. This $200 million fund, dedicated solely to early-stage startups, also celebrates 15 years of supporting early founders as their primary institutional partner.
Zori joins after a decade of operating and investing in tech companies across New York, Israel, and Europe. And he has backed over 35 companies, including Public (which he later joined to help grow from 1,000 to over 1 million users in less than 18 months), Voyantis, Blank Street, and OpenWeb. He led revenue efforts at Knotel, helping it grow from zero to $370 million in ARR, was among a16z’s first scouts, and began his career as a professional soccer player and a member of the IDF.
Lerer Hippeau will focus Fund IX on helping founders go from zero to one and remaining committed for the long term. Although best known for early consumer investments, the firm also invests broadly across enterprise and consumer sectors. The team consists of 20 specialists in investment and operations.
KEY QUOTES:
“We’ve known Ron for years – we’ve swapped deal flow, coinvested, and run in increasingly overlapping circles. Ron has the qualities that matter most to us: he intuitively knows what great talent looks like, he has a knack for quickly building trusting relationships, and he is a curious, passionate, high-motor person. He’s a self-starter with relevant experience as an operator at rapidly scaling tech companies and he has a robust and impressive angel portfolio. Founders we know and respect seek Ron out for advice and want him in their corner. At this inflection point in his own career, Ron considered starting his own fund – and he very well may do that in the future – but for now, we’re thrilled to have him join team LH and marry our networks for everyone’s benefit.”
Ben Lerer, Managing Partner
“I am proud to be joining Lerer Hippeau at such an exciting time in the firm’s history. A decade into investing (sometimes alongside LH) and operating in New York, I’m thrilled about what this partnership can offer the founders we get the opportunity to build with. LH’s unparalleled experience, platform, and connectivity in New York makes it the most powerful conduit for Israeli and European founders commercializing in the U.S. It will be the most aligned partner and platform for my network, in and out of New York.”
Ron Zori
“I’ve known Ron in many forms – first, when he angel invested in our platform and advised us in our earliest days; then, when he joined us full time to help lead our growth, unlocking some of the most pivotal deals and partnerships for us throughout the company’s journey. Lerer Hippeau’s a natural fit, and I’m excited for the founders that will get to partner with Ron and the Lerer Hippeau team.”
Leif Abraham, co-founder and co-CEO of Public
“Ron’s self-professed goal is to be a founder’s single most valuable partner, and he’s certainly been that to me, and to our team. In our first year and a half of partnership, Ron helped us 5x revenue and massively boost our talent and customer pipelines.”
Ido Wisenberg, CEO of Voyantis
“Ron has been an integral partner to our business since its earliest days. Ron unlocked some of our most meaningful relationships and has been there for us every step of the way.”
Nadav Shoval, founder and former CEO of OpenWeb, which he recently left to start a new business with a co-founder Zori introduced him to
