# Yoav Samet

> Yoav Samet is a General Partner at Almaz Capital, a Palo Alto-based venture firm backing disruptive deep tech and B2B software companies with a unique focus on Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Before joining Almaz, he spent 13 years at Cisco as VP of Corporate Development, where he led roughly 20 acquisitions totaling over $7 billion and managed a $1 billion investment portfolio. An Israeli native and veteran of IDF Unit 8200, Samet holds an MBA from Stanford GSB and MS/BS degrees in Computer Science from Hebrew University, and has built a career as a rare bridge between Silicon Valley, Israel, and the CEE/CIS technology ecosystem.

- **Role:** General Partner at Almaz Capital
- **Organizations:** Almaz Capital, StageOne Ventures, Pitango Venture Capital, Cisco Systems, Electronics for Imaging, Colordesk, American Friends of the Hebrew University
- **Nationality:** Israeli-American
- **Education:** MBA, Stanford Graduate School of Business, Master of Science, Computer Science, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Bachelor of Science, Computer Science, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
- **Known for:** Led approximately 20 company acquisitions valued at over $7 billion at Cisco Systems, Managed a $1 billion investment portfolio at Cisco, including 40+ direct investments and LP positions with 20+ VC funds globally, Helped portfolio company Acumatica (cloud ERP) achieve acquisition by EQT

## Career timeline

- **early career** — Served as officer in IDF Unit 8200, leading advanced communications-related technology projects
- **early career** — Earned BS and MS in Computer Science from Hebrew University of Jerusalem
- **mid career** — Served as Founding Head of Engineering and General Manager at Colordesk, an imaging software company
- **mid career** — Held engineering leadership positions at Electronics for Imaging (NASDAQ: EFII)
- **MBA** — Completed MBA at Stanford Graduate School of Business
- **Pitango era** — Joined Pitango Venture Capital as Principal; helped establish the firm's Silicon Valley presence
- **~2000-2013** — Joined Cisco Systems as VP of Corporate Development; led M&A and investments covering Europe, Israel, Canada, and Emerging Markets
- **~2013-2018** — Joined StageOne Ventures as Silicon Valley-based Managing/Venture Partner, leading U.S. operations for Israeli early-stage fund
- **~2018-present** — Joined Almaz Capital as General Partner, focusing on deep tech B2B software in CEE/CIS/global markets

## Achievements

- Led approximately 20 company acquisitions valued at over $7 billion at Cisco Systems
- Managed a $1 billion investment portfolio at Cisco, including 40+ direct investments and LP positions with 20+ VC funds globally
- Helped portfolio company Acumatica (cloud ERP) achieve acquisition by EQT
- Backed Yandex (NASDAQ: YNDX), Russia's largest internet company
- Backed Qik, which was acquired by Skype
- Backed Sensity Systems, acquired by Verizon Communications
- Established Silicon Valley presence for both Pitango Venture Capital and StageOne Ventures
- Veteran of IDF Unit 8200, Israel's elite intelligence technology division
- Executive Committee Member, American Friends of the Hebrew University (Pacific Northwest Division)

## Latest updates

- **2024** — Active as General Partner at Almaz Capital, focusing on AI/ML, cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure, and enterprise SaaS investments
- **2023** — Almaz Capital continuing support for Ukrainian startups amid ongoing conflict in the region

## Links

- Website: https://almazcapital.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/ysamet
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/yosamet
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ysamet

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/yoav-samet
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-17