Can an Israeli private company raise money from investors without publishing a prospectus?
The exemption is built around offerees rather than shareholders, which is where founders most often go wrong. Sending a deck to 60 angels and closing with eight of them is an offer to 60 people, and the count runs on a rolling twelve-month basis across every round. Section 15B applies a parallel rule to sales of existing securities, so a secondary sale by a founder can breach the same limit. The Israel Securities Authority enforces through administrative proceedings and, in serious cases, criminal charges, and an unlawful offering can also expose the company to civil claims from the investors who bought in.
Foreign founders should build the count into the fundraising process rather than reconstruct it afterwards. A simple offeree log recording each name, date and category is standard practice and is among the first documents Israeli counsel asks for during due diligence on a later round. Where the target list is wider, the usual routes are a round limited to qualified investors under the First Addendum, an offering run through a licensed crowdfunding coordinator, or an offer to employees under the separate employee exemption. Getting this right also protects the cap table when the company later issues shares or prepares for an exit.
- Governing law: Sections 15, 15A and 15B, Securities Law 5728-1968, together with the First Addendum listing qualified investors
- Competent authority: Israel Securities Authority (Rashut Niyarot Erech)
- Offeree ceiling: 35 offerees in any rolling twelve-month period, counted across all rounds, excluding qualified investors under the First Addendum
- Qualified investor thresholds: index-linked figures updated periodically, with the individual liquid-asset test standing in the millions of shekels (2026); confirm the current Addendum figures before relying on them
- Record keeping: maintain a dated offeree log naming each person approached, the date of the approach and the exemption relied on
- Consequence of breach: administrative enforcement by the Israel Securities Authority, criminal exposure under the Securities Law, and civil claims by investors
From the full guide: Issuing Shares in an Israeli Private Company: A Complete Guide for Foreign Investors
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