TEL AVIV, Israel--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Forbes Israel listed Moshe Hogeg, founder and managing partner at Singulariteam (www.singulariteam.com), as one of the most well connected entrepreneurs in the Startup Nation. Forbes Israel held the ‘Big Networking Project’ to feature the top networkers within the Startup Nation. Gil Karie, Forbes writer, interviewed Moshe Hogeg to discuss how he made it to the top “with no suits and no fake smiles.” (http://www.forbes.co.il/news/new.aspx?0r9VQ=EGKGI&Preview=1)
Here are some excerpts from the interview:
“In Moshe Hogeg’s case, things look completely different. He was born and raised in Be’er-Sheva, far away from Israel’s tech scene. During his military service, Moshe served as an officer in the Oketz combat unit, and although he sees his military service as an important part of who he is today, it wasn’t his key into the Israeli networking scene. It wasn’t thanks to university either, as he never attended. Yet, Hogeg (34) was able to make his way and become one of the most influential and successful entrepreneurs in Israel: founding Singulariteam investment fund, leading a long list of successful business ventures, and becoming one of the most well-connected people in the Israeli ecosystem. All of those led to Hogeg collaborating with some of the most famous names in the world.”
“Those days, Mobli (founded by Hogeg) was a huge success all over South-America and particularly in Brazil,” says Hogeg. “These countries are obsessed with video content and we were the first to offer them that service. We were a major player in the global industry, and our product caught the attention of leading companies and corporations.” However, when Carlos Slim’s representatives reached out, Moshe Hogeg wasn’t too excited about it - he even refused to meet with them. “I’ve learned that bankers are simply not the go-to people when it comes to investing in startups. A startup needs investors who will go against all odds, while bankers are looking for the lowest possible risk. It’s a paradox, these entities can’t work together, and I knew that meeting with the representatives would probably result with them not being interested in moving forward. So, I politely told them that there’s only one person I would be willing to meet - and that’s Carlos Slim.”
“The list of Mobli’s high-end investors and the company’s overwhelming success has led to a stream of more investors asking to join. However, Hogeg and the executive team of Mobli have rejected them consistently. There was only one investor that was welcomed aboard - Vic Lee, one of the founders of the Chinese tech giant, Tencent. Lee brought not only his incomparable experience of turning a company into a global brand, he also exposed Hogeg to a wide set of connections in China.”
“Hard work is what Hogeg is most proud of, ‘If people work 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, and I work 9:00 AM - 1:00 AM, I’m able to get more work done than they do. I didn’t go to college, but I never stop learning. Every day, I spend hours in front of the computer and I go through research and articles, thinking about how I can implement them in my work. I don’t think I’m the smartest or the most talented man, but I can’t think of anyone else who works harder than me.”
“Moshe’s hard work also comes through in his position as the Chairman of Singulariteam fund, which among its portfolio companies are great success stories like Yo and StoreDot (which is developing an advanced chemical technology for a safe and sustainable fast charging solution). Hogeg refuses to settle for simply streaming the cash into his portfolio companies, as he’s closely involved with each one of them, and makes sure to share his knowledge and influence in business planning, product design, and user experience. ‘In Israel, there’s a small number of investment funds that are providing their entrepreneurs added value,’ he claims. ‘I believe that an investor has to contribute his experience, to consult, to provide guidance, to open up the ‘locked doors’, and of course, to utilize his connections for the benefit of the portfolio companies.’”
About Moshe Hogeg:
Managing Partner & Chairman,
Singulariteam VC
Founder and CEO, Mobli
Co-Founder, Yo
Serial technology entrepreneur, considered by many to be one of the most fruitful entrepreneurs in Israel, and a leading influencer in social network-oriented startups. Co-founder of Singulariteam, where he monitors and manages investments and facilitate new investments. Moshe is also the Founder of Mobli Media Inc., Slant, and Yo.