Jon Medved steps down from OurCrowd after ALS diagnosis

In October, Jon Medved, a venture capitalist, announced his retirement from OurCrowd, the firm he founded in 2013. Medved was forced to step down after being diagnosed with the debilitating disease of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS,) also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The diagnosis came suddenly. Medved had spent several weeks recovering in a hospital before tests confirmed he had the incurable condition, which he described as a horrible disease, the worst you can imagine.

Medved, who moved from California to Israel in his 20s, is widely regarded as a central figure in the country’s startup ecosystem. Under his leadership, OurCrowd invented crowdsourced venture capital, opening limited partnerships to any accredited investor (a financial status required for certain investments). The firm expanded its reach across North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

OurCrowd’s scale and impact include:

• A network of 240,000 accredited investor LPs across 195 countries.
• Backing for about 500 portfolio companies.
• About 74 exits, including the $525 million sale of infrastructure-planning startup Locusview to Itron.

Despite the conflict with Gaza, the Israeli startup ecosystem remains strong. In November, Medved noted that $800 million was invested in the Israeli venture ecosystem in one week. The country now has nearly 100 unicorns, with total venture investment for the year estimated between $15 billion and $16 billion.

Now, Medved is turning to the very technologies he spent years funding to manage his incurable condition. He is using an AI avatar—a digital twin (a photo/video realistic avatar)—to preserve his voice and mannerisms. The system was created by OurCrowd’s portfolio company D-ID, which partnered with voice AI startup ElevenLabs and other companies through the ALS-focused Scott-Morgan Foundation.

“It will preserve my voice when it goes,” said Jon Medved, a VC.

OurCrowd has made 60, 70 healthcare investments in companies that help people. These include OncoHost, which uses AI to help select immunotherapy treatments, as well as startups focused on genome sequencing and chronic condition management. Medved reflected on how facing one of these nasty diseases fundamentally changes a person’s perspective on health and technology. He plans to continue contributing to both OurCrowd and the wider startup ecosystem.

Why it matters

Medved’s departure marks a transition for a key figure in the Israeli startup ecosystem, highlighting how the health tech sector he helped fund is now directly impacting his own care.