If You’re Raising in the U.S., Read This First...

Much of the work we do at LionRun is about translation.

We translate between two worlds that often talk past each other; the investor language and the founder language.

Founders talk product.
Investors think risk.
Founders explain how.
Investors want to know why.

Now add another layer: cultural translation.

For all founders entering into the US market and raising from U.S. VC’s, this one’s for you…

This month, we sat down with Guy Franklin, Founder & CEO of Israeli Mapped in NY, to talk about what actually moves the needle for Israeli founders in the U.S.

Guy built Israeli Mapped to create a community for Israeli founders in New York to integrate alongside the ecosystem.

Having worked with hundreds of Israeli founders expanding into the U.S., he has seen the pattern up close.

The gap isn’t talent. It’s understanding the subtle but critical differences between markets, and what actually drives traction with American investors and customers.

1. Go-To-Market Comes First

Israeli founders are often comfortable leading with technology, deep architecture, defensibility, and how it works.

But that’s not always what wins the room.

As Guy noted, for New York based investors it’s more important for them to see the sales and the go to market.

Investors want to understand one thing first:

Can you sell this?

And this goes beyond early traction or low hanging wins. Investors are looking for evidence of a repeatable, scalable revenue engine.

They want clarity on the what, meaning what problem you solve, for whom, and how that translates into revenue, before they are willing to dive into the how.

Once you lose them in the technical weeds, you risk losing them altogether.

Technology evolves. Products iterate. What investors are underwriting is the founder’s ability to consistently generate demand and convert it into growth.

If you are raising from U.S. investors, your deck should feel commercial first and technical second, framed around revenue logic before product logic.

2. If You Do Not Have Built In Credibility, You Must Build Signal

Some founders walk into a room with built in familiarity already working in their favor. A recognizable background, a known network, prior wins. That credibility travels ahead of them.

But most founders do not have that advantage.

So what happens when there is no automatic signal attached to your name?

At that point, investors are not leaning on pedigree. They are evaluating the person. Your judgment. Your clarity of thought. Your leadership. Because those are the variables that endure as the company evolves.

When there is no track record, you become the asset.

And if you are the asset, you cannot hide behind the product. The room is assessing whether you are the right person to lead through uncertainty, adapt as the market shifts, and build trust along the way.

That is where brand matters. Not as ego or visibility for its own sake, but as a deliberate signal of who you are, how you think, and why you are the right bet.

3. Brand Is Not Ego. It Is Risk Reduction.

In The States, Investing at the early stage runs on two forces: Trust
and FOMO.

Trust makes an investor comfortable backing you. FOMO makes them worry about missing you.

If no one knows who you are or what you are building, there is no urgency. And without urgency, there is no momentum.

Capital follows momentum.

In New York especially, your network becomes a proxy for credibility. Relationships compound. The more you put yourself out there, the more surface area you create for opportunity. Every event, thoughtful post, and coffee months before you are raising builds signal. And signal lowers perceived risk.

For first time founders, this matters even more. If investors cannot lean on your pedigree, they lean on your presence.

So if you are expanding into the U.S., start building the foundation before you need it. Create the sense that you are already in motion, that things are happening with or without them. When investors feel like the train is moving, they decide faster.

That shift alone can change valuation, speed, and leverage in your raise and your go to market.

 Client Spotlight: Liby Health

We had the privilege of working with Noa Mintz, the CEO and Founder of Liby Health.

Liby Health is building an AI-powered recovery platform that supports post-ICU patients and their care partners at home to address Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS), a condition affecting over half of ICU survivors.

Through guided check-ins, early risk detection, and adaptive, evidence-based coaching, Liby supports both patient and caregivers while reducing complications and avoidable hospital returns.

When we began working with Noa, the mission was clear, but the narrative needed sharpening. Together, we refined the positioning, clarified the dyadic model as a key differentiator, and built a cohesive, investor-ready story and collateral foundation.

If you are an investor, health system leader, or operator thinking about post-ICU care, connect with Noa on LinkedIn or send her an email at [email protected] to learn more about Liby Health.

P.S. Email replies are on! If there are any topics you'd like to explore or questions you have, feel free to reply to this email.

Until next time, we’ll be on the lookout!

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