Social Responsibility

GizaVC believes that the high-tech industry has a responsibility to give back to the community. In 2001, GizaVC, along with other Israeli venture capital funds, established Tmura – the Israel Public Service Venture Fund. Tmura is a non-profit organization that seeks to increase the involvement of the high-tech community in philanthropic activity in Israel, with a focus on giving aid to education and other youth activities. GizaVC Chairman Zeev Holtzman, who helped co-found the organization, serves as a Tmura director. 

The high-tech industry has been a tremendous catalyst in Israel’s economic development. However, the gains from Israeli high-tech have not been well distributed to society as a whole, and in recent years Israel’s socio-economic gap has continued to widen. Tmura attempts to help bridge this gap.

Tmura has a simple model: Early stage technology companies provide Tmura with stock options. Upon a liquidity event, Tmura exercises the options and then sells the shares, donating the proceeds to qualifying charities.

GizaVC is actively involved in supporting ORT, a technological-scientific educational network for high school and college students. GizaVC’s involvement is geared towards encouraging the next generation of technology entrepreneurs and designed to reach promising students regardless of socio-economic constraints.

GizaVC created a three-month course with lecturers and consultants covering subjects such as marketing and finance. The course is aimed at providing a business foundation for ORT students who wish to pursue a career in high-technology entrepreneurship.