Key Takeaways
- • Naftaly Gluskin appointed as Principal at Vine Ventures, expanding the firm's investment team focused on early-stage opportunities in infrastructure, cybersecurity, AI, data, and defense sectors within Israel.
- • Gluskin brings venture capital experience from Essentia VC, where he led investments in portfolio companies including Classiq, Ramon.Space, and Seemplicity, alongside prior roles in strategy and operations at Philips Israel and Summit-AI.
- • Appointment follows recent hires of Adam Valkin (formerly Managing Director at General Catalyst, now Partner leading New York, Boston, and Israel investments) and Idan Tendler (formerly Senior Vice President at Palo Alto Networks; co-founder of Bridgecrew and Fortscale, both acquired), signaling Vine Ventures' strategic build-out of deal and sector expertise.
- • Gluskin co-founded the 28 Community, a private network of Israeli combat-unit veterans in technology whose members have collectively raised tens of millions of dollars with multiple successful exits, and serves as Vice-Chairman of the VC Club, a nonprofit investor development organization across six university campuses.
- • Gluskin is a graduate of Reichman University with honors in Business and Entrepreneurship (Finance major) and served in the IDF's elite Duvdevan unit, bringing both institutional pedigree and deep roots in Israel's defense and technology communities.
Summary
Vine Ventures has strengthened its Israeli investment operations with the appointment of Naftaly Gluskin as Principal, marking the third significant hire to the firm's leadership team in recent months. Gluskin's role focuses on early-stage investments across infrastructure, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data, and defense—sectors aligned with Israel's established technology and security strengths.
Gluskin transitions to Vine from Essentia VC, where he served as an Investor responsible for sourcing and managing early-growth stage investments. At Essentia, he led deals in portfolio companies including Classiq (quantum computing), Ramon.Space (satellite technology), and Seemplicity (cybersecurity), demonstrating sector expertise relevant to Vine's investment thesis. Prior to venture capital, Gluskin accumulated operational and strategic experience through roles at Philips Israel, the Aviram Award Competition, and Summit-AI, providing a foundation in business development and corporate operations that complements his investment acumen.
Beyond his professional credentials, Gluskin has built significant networks within Israel's entrepreneurial ecosystem. He co-founded the 28 Community, a private network that connects elite combat-unit veterans across Israel's technology sector; members have collectively raised tens of millions of dollars with several portfolio companies executing successful exits. He also co-founded and serves as Vice-Chairman of the VC Club, a nonprofit organization operating across six university campuses with a mandate to develop the next generation of investors and entrepreneurs. These initiatives underscore his commitment to building Israel's venture capital infrastructure and talent pipeline.
Gluskin's appointment arrives as Vine Ventures expands its investment leadership. Partner Adam Valkin, formerly a Managing Director at General Catalyst, leads the firm's investment activities across New York, Boston, and Israel. Idan Tendler, previously Senior Vice President at Palo Alto Networks and co-founder of two acquired companies—Bridgecrew (acquired by Palo Alto Networks in 2021) and Fortscale (acquired by RSA Security)—focuses investment efforts on cybersecurity and infrastructure. Collectively, these hires position Vine to execute a more distributed, sector-specialized investment strategy with boots on the ground across multiple geographies and technical domains.
Gluskin transitions to Vine from Essentia VC, where he served as an Investor responsible for sourcing and managing early-growth stage investments. At Essentia, he led deals in portfolio companies including Classiq (quantum computing), Ramon.Space (satellite technology), and Seemplicity (cybersecurity), demonstrating sector expertise relevant to Vine's investment thesis. Prior to venture capital, Gluskin accumulated operational and strategic experience through roles at Philips Israel, the Aviram Award Competition, and Summit-AI, providing a foundation in business development and corporate operations that complements his investment acumen.
Beyond his professional credentials, Gluskin has built significant networks within Israel's entrepreneurial ecosystem. He co-founded the 28 Community, a private network that connects elite combat-unit veterans across Israel's technology sector; members have collectively raised tens of millions of dollars with several portfolio companies executing successful exits. He also co-founded and serves as Vice-Chairman of the VC Club, a nonprofit organization operating across six university campuses with a mandate to develop the next generation of investors and entrepreneurs. These initiatives underscore his commitment to building Israel's venture capital infrastructure and talent pipeline.
Gluskin's appointment arrives as Vine Ventures expands its investment leadership. Partner Adam Valkin, formerly a Managing Director at General Catalyst, leads the firm's investment activities across New York, Boston, and Israel. Idan Tendler, previously Senior Vice President at Palo Alto Networks and co-founder of two acquired companies—Bridgecrew (acquired by Palo Alto Networks in 2021) and Fortscale (acquired by RSA Security)—focuses investment efforts on cybersecurity and infrastructure. Collectively, these hires position Vine to execute a more distributed, sector-specialized investment strategy with boots on the ground across multiple geographies and technical domains.
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