CTalk
Protego: "The prime time is deep tech, defense tech, and dual use"
Protego Ventures’ Lital Leshem explains why Israeli defense tech is drawing record interest from foreign investors and where she sees the next breakthrough.
Lital Leshem - Summer Cocktail by Fusion VC 2026
(Video: Orel Cohen )
“Today the prime time is deep tech, defense tech, and dual use,” said Lital Leshem, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Protego Ventures, an Israeli venture firm specializing in the defense and deep tech sector. According to Leshem, despite fears of geopolitics deterring foreign investors from Israel's high tech ecosystem, the country continues to draw significant interest in particular thanks to its battle-tested defence innovations. "Those are our capabilities that are not developed in Silicon Valley in the lab. It's not theoretical. They're all visible," she explained. As a case in point, Leshem noted that Protego is set to reach $130 million in commitments, 99% of which come from foreign investors, predominantly from the US.
Leshem spoke with CTech’s Amy Shapiro during the Summer Cocktail Event in Tel Aviv hosted by Fusion VC, which brought together some of the biggest and best venture investors in Israel.
Looking ahead, Lital believes the next revolution will be in quantum, which she predicts is “right around the corner.” Further, she noted that “Israel is considered to be a leader in the space,” adding that “this is where we're keeping our eyes open.”
You can watch the full conversation in the video above.
