UpWest

UpWest A Silicon Valley seed fund investing in Israel's best entrepreneurs. UpWest is a Silicon Valley Seed Fund.

08/12/2026

AI agents are moving from experimentation into the enterprise — and with that comes a new security challenge: what happens when AI can actually act?

In our latest episode of Runtime, Shuly Galili sits down with Michael Bargury, Co-founder & CTO of Zenity, to unpack what can go wrong when AI agents operate inside organizations — and what it takes to secure them.

Michael shares the story behind Zenity’s pivotal shift to building the category of AI agent security — a decision driven by customer behavior, deep conviction, and a willingness to move before the market had a name for what was happening.

We talk about why identity alone isn't enough when AI can act with intent, how seemingly harmless AI interactions can create unexpected security risks, and what CISOs should be thinking about as agents become part of the enterprise. Michael also shares his advice for founders building cybersecurity companies today.

A conversation about where AI security is headed — and what it will take to stay ahead of it.

🎧 Full episode in the first comment.

UpWest | Shuly Galili | Gil Ben-Artzy | POLDHU

08/03/2026

In 2018, digital health was booming -- but not in oncology.

When Lavi Kwiatkowsky proposed caring for cancer patients between visits, almost everyone pushed back. Investors didn't believe patients would engage. Even many oncologists were skeptical.

Today, Canopy supports roughly 10% of U.S. oncology patients and providers.

In Episode 2 of Runtime, Lavi shares the contrarian conviction that became the foundation of the company.

Full episode in the first comment.

07/29/2026

Before there is product-market fit, there is founder conviction.

When Lavi Kwiatkowsky started Canopy, almost everyone told him the same thing:

Cancer patients are too sick to engage.
Oncologists won't change their workflows.
Remote patient monitoring may work for diabetes or obesity -- but not oncology.

Lavi believed they were all wrong.

That conviction came after hundreds of conversations with oncology care teams -- and from a deeply personal experience after spending months in and out of the hospital himself at 23, where he watched heroic care teams struggle against systemic inefficiencies.

He built anyway.

Today, Canopy is the leader in enterprise AI for oncology, supporting hundreds of sites across the U.S. that treat a million cancer patients, proving that one of the industry's biggest assumptions was wrong.

We were fortunate to back Lavi as Canopy's first investor. Watching that conviction turn into meaningful impact for patients has been an incredible journey.

On Episode 2 of Runtime, Gil Ben-Artzy sits down with Lavi to discuss the conviction that started Canopy, why he launched before there was a business model, and what it takes to build in one of healthcare's toughest markets.

🎙️ Full episode in the first comment.

07/25/2026

From our first episode of Runtime a new podcast by UpWest. Noam Maital Founder and CEO of Darwin AI sits down with Shuly Galili Founding Partner of UpWest. Link 🔗 for full episode in our bio.

07/19/2026

We moved to our new office in Tel Aviv. Our sign finally went up!! Excellent vibe curtesy of our team and the people at Darwin AI.

07/15/2026

What if startup growth is no longer measured by headcount?

As AI takes on more of the work, the best founders are rethinking what it means to build a company and what skills matter.

In this clip, Noam Maital, co-founder and CEO of Darwin AI, shares how AI is changing the way startups hire, grow, and define success.

🎙️ From the first episode of our newly launched podcast Runtime with UpWest founding partner Shuly Galili.

👇 Listen the full episode on the various platforms. 🔗 Links in the comments below.

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