Alma VC Fund Raises $40M for Mental Health and Longevity Tech in Israel
Esther Barak Landes and Adi Ostri Matalon are raising $40 million for Alma, Israel's first non-philanthropic VC fund focused on mental health, brain health, and longevity.
A new venture capital fund, the first of its kind in the country that is not philanthropic, will invest in mental health, brain health, and longevity technologies. Calcalist has learned that Esther Barak Landes, daughter of former Supreme Court President Aharon Barak, and Adi Ostri Matalon are in the final stages of raising $40 million for the new fund, called Alma. It was also learned that the strategic partner of the fund will be Sheba Medical Center. The fundraising is being done mainly from Jewish donors in the USA, meaning it is private capital. The background for establishing the fund is the founders' involvement in rehabilitation and mental health following October 7, as well as the fact that many Israelis suffer from psychological phenomena previously unknown to medicine.
Investment Focus and Global Need
Since 2024, hundreds of startups have emerged in the country developing technologies in this field. The need is global: according to published research, one in four people will face a mental or cognitive problem during their lifetime, the two stated in presentations to investors. The fields where the fund's money will be invested include mental health, suicide prevention, addictions, the younger generation, digital therapeutics, brain health, dementia, and longevity.
Experienced Leadership
Matalon is a senior investment strategist with over 18 years of experience in finance, strategy, and venture building. She previously served in senior roles at Bank Leumi and Mizrahi-Tefahot Bank, was a partner at the J-Impact fund, and is a founding member of the Resilience and Health Innovation Center in Sderot. Barak Landes has over 25 years of experience leading venture capital funds and establishing startups. She was involved in significant exits including Playtika, Payoneer, Prolor, Orthospace, BioProtect, and Storewize. She is the CEO of the IMA fund and the founder and CEO of Nielsen Innovate.
