OurCrowd appoints Cali Chill as CEO after year as acting chief

OurCrowd has appointed Cali Chill as its permanent CEO, formalizing his role after serving as acting chief since mid-2025. The Jerusalem-based venture capital firm's board made the appointment permanent, following founder Jon Medved's step back from daily management for medical reasons. Chill, a seven-year veteran, previously held roles including general counsel and chief investment officer. The company has focused on stabilizing operations and integrating AI tools. This follows OurCrowd's announcement of a major exit: Visa's $2.4 billion acquisition of BioCatch, expected to close by end of Visa's fiscal Q2 2027.

OurCrowd, the Jerusalem-based venture capital firm, has formally appointed Cali Chill as its chief executive officer, ending his year-long tenure as acting CEO. The board of directors made the appointment permanent on Tuesday, following founder Jon Medved's decision to step back from day-to-day management for medical reasons in mid-2025. Chill, who joined the company seven years ago as general counsel, has held multiple senior roles, including chief legal officer, head of funds, and chief investment officer. In his new role, he will lead the company's efforts to stabilize operations, narrow its investment strategy toward fewer high-conviction deals, and integrate more AI tools into its investment processes. The announcement comes shortly after OurCrowd revealed one of its largest exits: Visa's agreement to acquire BioCatch, a fraud-prevention company, in a deal valued at $2.4 billion. OurCrowd was an early investor in BioCatch. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals and is expected to close by the end of Visa's fiscal second quarter of 2027. Board chairman Ben Plotkin expressed confidence in Chill's leadership, citing improved financial discipline and operational focus since Chill took over.