OurCrowd, one of the largest global securities crowdfunding platforms in operation, has issued a statement on the ongoing war in Israel. OurCrowd’s headquarters are based in Jerusalem, and many of its investments are in the tech firms within the hot Israeli startup scene.
In the weekly email distributed by OurCrowd – typically utilized to update on investment activity and the progress of portfolio companies, OurCrowd founder and CEO Jon Medved noted that some of their employees have been called up to serve in the army along with a good number of family members. Medved had this to say:
You have probably seen media reports of the murderous attack on Israeli citizens by Hamas terrorists from Gaza over the weekend. Israel is now in a state of war. We do not know how long this situation, and the fighting, will continue. To defend itself, the Israeli army has mobilized many of its reserve units, including some OurCrowd employees and their family members, who are uppermost in our thoughts. We hope for a swift resolution of this crisis with minimal casualties. Despite these difficult circumstances, OurCrowd is committed to continuing to operate and provide services to our investors, and support to our portfolio companies. Unfortunately, we have prior experience with these kinds of situations, and as in the past we will continue to serve our investors, entrepreneurs and partners from our many global offices. Many of you have kindly written to us since the terrible attacks on Israel began on Saturday morning, during the holy Jewish festival of Simchat Torah. Your thoughts, prayers and words of encouragement mean a great deal.
Within hours of the first attack, Israel’s extraordinary civil society swung into action, providing food, medical care, counseling and shelter for those in need.
OurCrowd included a list of humanitarian organizations that are accepting donations on behalf of the crisis.