Rotem Lurie was an investor at YL Ventures, watching founders fresh out of the army raise money, and going home asking her husband why they thought they could do it and she couldn't. He told her to move to the other side of the table. Seven months later, she co-founded Venice Security, now backed by Index, Vine, and IVP.
In this episode: the investor who asked if she was afraid of losing herself; what Merav Bahat told her about competing "as one of the boys"; getting an Index term sheet the week of October 7th while her husband was called to reserve duty; why she brought her husband to her Series A road show; being a "bad negotiator" and why that's fine; and where identity is going once AI agents carry your permissions.
Rotem Lurie is co-founder and CEO of Venice Security. Follow Founder StorieZ for more conversations with the founders and investors shaping Israeli cyber.
00:00 Cold open
00:45 "Are you afraid of losing yourself?"
03:20 From people-pleaser to trusting her gut
08:30 The voice that says "push harder"
10:40 Not one of the boys — what Merav told her
12:00 Her mother, Talpiot, and seeing yourself in the room
14:30 The Israeli dream and why competition thins out
16:10 What she's sacrificed (and cornhole)
18:10 Or Yehuda, the mayor's check, and a chase that never ends
21:00 "I'm gonna show them" — who is them?
23:20 The people who believed first: parents, 8200, Assaf Rappaport, Dor Knafo
28:10 Being a woman founder as an unfair advantage
31:20 Her co-founder and her husband
35:00 Seed round: the Index term sheet and October 7th
38:00 Series A with IVP: "Oh my God, Cack, yay"
40:00 The days you want to quit
43:30 Know your strengths: "I'm a bad negotiator"
45:00 Why she left VC: "move to the other side of the table"
48:20 Meeting her co-founder (scouts, Holon, and face blindness)
52:00 How co-founders fight and make up
55:00 What Venice is building: ephemeral access for humans and agents
58:20 Where identity is going — the Taylor Swift example
1:01:20 Fake it till you make it, proudly delusional
1:03:10 Her real dream
1:04:30 Final message: dream big and just believe
Founder StorieZ is hosted by Ephraim Yarmak, Founder of TGVG Capital.