Jon Medved, the founding CEO of OurCrowd and iconic trailblazer in the securities crowdfunding sector, has announced he will step down from his leadership role and migrate over to Chairman on the Israeli firm. Medved was recently diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gherig’s disease, a neurodegenerative disease of which there is no known cure.
Founded in 2013, OurCrowd emerged at the dawn of the JOBS Act which enabled online capital formation in the US. OurCrowd provided smaller, accredited investors access to top venture deals typically only available to very wealthy investors. Frequently, an OurCrowd investment was alongside the best known venture capital firms in the world. While many of these offerings were for early stage ventures based in Israel, OurCrowd took a global approach listing securities in firms from around the world while setting up partnerships and offices globally.
Israel has long been known as the “Innovation Nation” and Medved has become a leading champion of this important economic theme. Well known in Israel, Medved’s travels and advocacy of private securities investing garnered global recognition.
Today, OurCrowd reports over $2.6 billion in commitments including investments in more than 500 portfolio companies and 68 various funds available for imnvestors. OurCrowd boasts 73 exits, a key metric for platforms operating in this market, including firms like Lemonade, Kodiak Robotics, Beyond Meat and more. Other exit opportunities include mnay high profile acquisitions of portfolio firms.
Registered investors top 240,000 from 195 different countries. OurCrowd has long been crowned the top venture investor in Israel.
OurCrowd has announced that longtime executive Cali Chill has stepped in as Acting CEO & Chief OperatingOfficer. Chill previously served as Chief Investment Officer Chair of OurCrowd’s Investment Committee. Medved is expectd to dedicate his efforts toward strategic initiatives including OurCrowd’s ongoing expansion and collaborations with global firms.
Chill issued a statement on his new responsibilities calling it a privilege to be selected to lead the firm.
“Having led operations for several departments of our firm since 2019, I know the strength of our platform, our team, and our global community. I am deeply inspired by the vision, technology, and ambition Jon has embedded into the DNA of OurCrowd and I look forward to working closely with him, our leadership team and the entire company to fundamentally reshape a critical part of venture and alternative asset class investing – access by a much wider investor audience.”
Chill stated that by providing curated access to global venture and other opportunities, OurCrowd continues to bridge the gap between institutional sophistication and individual investor participation.”
Medved re-emphasized the company’s ongoing commitment to democratize venture investing for the masses.
“As the private market expands, OurCrowd must grow strategically to maintain our leadership in the sector. We will expand access to the most compelling companies and funds of our time while continuing to champion early-stage innovation. We will also leverage the artificial intelligence revolution to reach investors at much greater scale,” stated Medved. “Cali has been an integral part of OurCrowd’s leadership team for nearly seven years. His proven leadership and deep knowledge of our business make him exceptionally well qualified to assume the Acting CEO role and ensure continuity as we enter our next exciting phase of growth.”
