At this year’s EUVC Summit, Shmuel Chafets (Target Global) stood on stage and chose honesty.
Despite knowing the cameras were rolling, he didn’t dodge complexity—he met it head-on.

His message?
Venture doesn’t exist in a vacuum.
And leadership is most real when things go off script.

Referencing the now well-known video intro, Shmuel didn’t shy away from acknowledging the past:

“It wasn’t that long ago that everything changed. Our relationship to Russia, to the global landscape—it was a full reset.”

Unlike the U.S., Europe had no longstanding sanction regime in place. So when the invasion of Ukraine happened, the rules changed overnight. Target Global had to adapt in real time.

That meant:

Bringing in strong advisors
Making painful but necessary decisions, including founders and partners stepping back
Restructuring the entire business to fit a new geopolitical reality

All while navigating intense public scrutiny.

“We acted with transparency. We made difficult choices. Not everyone appreciated it—but we understood the responsibility.”

Beyond the immediate crisis response, Shmuel shared hard-earned insights about fund design:

Stay diversified: Across LPs, geographies, and investments
Avoid political exposure: Don’t work with anyone with overt state affiliations
Build clean from the start: It’s not about reacting—it’s about preparing for unknown unknowns

These aren’t just risk management tactics. They’re survival strategies in a world that changes faster than most LP memos do.

Shmuel also opened up about the human cost of recent conflicts—this time, in Israel.

“Some of our portfolio companies had 40% of their teams in active duty in 2024.”

Even today, many Israeli startups are operating with ~15% of their teams deployed in reserve duty. That changes how you lead. How you build. And how you show up as an investor.

“In tech, we’re incredibly impacted by this. And we have to start talking about it more openly.”

This wasn’t a celebration speech. It was a reflection, a reckoning, and a request:

“If you’ve gone through something like this, talk about it. We need to learn from each other. We’re living in a new era—and we need new tools to navigate it.”

Thank you, Schmo, for showing what leadership looks like when the stakes are real.

A New Reality: From Russia to RestructuringLessons in LP Strategy & ResilienceTech Under Fire: When Founders Go to the FrontlinesThe Call to the Community: Talk. Share. Learn.

VC | E553 | EUVC Summit 2025 | From Crisis to Clarity: Leading Through the Fog with Shmuel Chafets

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