2025 Startup Recruiting in Israel: Q&A with Blumberg Capital’s Sharona Mizrahi

We spoke with Sharona Mizrahi, Blumberg Capital’s HR & recruiting specialist, to understand how Israeli startups are navigating recruiting in 2025.

Sharona assists Blumberg Capital portfolio companies with resource planning, recruiting and retaining talent. Prior to joining Blumberg Capital, Sharona was the head of HR for Israel Defense Force’s (IDF) Unit 8200 and special operations units of the intelligence corps.

What trends are you seeing in how Israeli startups are approaching hiring in 2025, especially at the Seed and Series A stages?

We’re seeing a fundamental shift in early-stage hiring from opportunistic recruiting to deliberate, structured team-building. Founders are increasingly treating hiring as a strategic process, not just an operational task.

There’s a growing realization that the first 10 hires don’t just execute, they shape the company’s DNA.

This is especially true in today’s rapidly evolving tech environment, where AI, synthetic intelligence, and cyber technologies are rewriting the rules every quarter. In that reality, cognitive abilities like abstraction, adaptability, and problem-solving under ambiguity are often more valuable than past experience alone.

Startups are now investing in methodologies that assess deep learning capacity, intellectual curiosity, and mental agility because those are the people who don’t just walk the path; they invent it.

We’re also seeing rising demand for top-tier senior R&D talent, especially with unique experience in AI and cyber but founders are no longer asking, “Who has done this before?” They’re asking, “Who can reimagine this for the mission ahead?”

For founders coming out of units like 8200, what’s the biggest adjustment when it comes to building a team, recruiting, and managing in the private sector?

The biggest shift is moving from a world where elite systems already exist to one where you have to build the system from scratch. In 8200, you’re surrounded by talent that’s been pre-selected, filtered, and immersed in a culture of excellence.

In a startup, you define what excellence even looks like.

That means learning to evaluate people not by their resume, but by their potential, how they think, how they learn, how they adapt, and how they collaborate under pressure.

In terms of leadership, the challenge is even deeper: you’re no longer managing through rank or hierarchy. You’re building trust without formal authority, leading through clarity, vulnerability, and a shared vision.

Startup leadership isn’t about commanding, it’s about enrolling people into a mission that doesn’t exist yet.

What advice do you have for Israeli startups competing for top tech talent while staying disciplined with early-stage budgets?

Top-tier talent in 2025 isn’t just chasing salary, it’s chasing meaning. These are people who want to grow, to own, and to create something that matters.

So, my advice: don’t just offer a job offer a story.

1. Tell them why now, why this, and why them.
2. Give them ownership. Show them how they can shape the product, the team, and even the culture.
3. Make it clear: this isn’t about joining your company, it’s about becoming a co-creator of something bold.

When founders can communicate that vision with authenticity and back it up with real investment in their team’s personal and professional growth, they attract the best people, even without the highest budget.

In the end, elite talent doesn’t choose the company with the biggest paycheck; they choose the company that helps them become the strongest version of themselves.

For more on startup HR and recruiting, check out other insights and advice from Sharona here.