Ofir Shahaf, co-founder of the investment fund eHealth Ventures, dies at 59: "A rare professional"
Shahaf, who passed away from cancer, was a co-founder of the medical technology investment fund and led it alongside Talaor Sachs. "He knew how to pinpoint what was truly important to avoid breakdowns," says his former partner in an interview with mako.
Ofir Shahaf, a co-founder of the investment fund eHealth Ventures, which specializes in medical startups, and former CEO of Hadasit Bio Holdings, a commercialization company established by Hadassah Hospital, has passed away from cancer at the age of 59. His funeral was held on Sunday at the cemetery at the Morasha junction in Ramat HaSharon, and the shiva is being held at the family home.
"Ofir was a partner in the establishment of eHealth Ventures, the incubator and fund that became a leading investor in Israel in the field of medical technology," the fund wrote in a tribute. He led the deal flow, managed investment transactions, and closely accompanied portfolio companies in processes of commercialization, growth, and follow-on funding rounds.
Talaor Sachs, who until recently was a managing partner at eHealth Ventures and who founded the fund with Shahaf in 2016, tells mako that the two examined about two thousand companies over the years and invested in 35. "We met when he hired my services as a consultant for a project when he was CEO of Hadasit. I approached him with the idea for the fund, and he joined immediately," says Sachs.
According to him, there were years when the fund was a leading investor in Israel in the field of medical technology: "In 2022-2023, we were very active. Ofir was responsible for business development and was a cardinal figure for dozens of companies — both in our portfolio and beyond. He handled international connections, capital raising, and served on boards of directors."
Before establishing the fund, Shahaf headed Hadasit Bio. Sachs says that Shahaf brought the company to a public offering on the stock exchange, which was truly exceptional at the time.
"Ofir brought a lot of experience and professionalism to the world of investments," says Sachs. "He was a lawyer by education, but dealt with investments. He was a rare professional who knew how to distinguish what is important from what is not. An investment agreement is a negotiation that can be very sensitive and difficult, and it is easy to reach a breakdown. He knew how to pinpoint what was truly important to avoid that. That was his special personal ability. He died young."
Among the fund's portfolio companies are EfA Technologies, which developed a mobile system for laboratory blood tests and is already operating commercially in Brazil and the UK; IdentifAI Genetics, which offers a non-invasive blood test for full genetic sequencing of the fetus as early as the sixth week of pregnancy and is approaching a product launch in the USA; and Dreamed, which uses artificial intelligence for continuous monitoring and improvement of treatment for diabetes patients, showing extensive commercial activity in the American market. In addition, the fund invested in QLOG, which performs automation of quality and control processes in hospitals; the company currently operates in all hospitals in Israel and is enjoying impressive expansion in the UK and Central Europe.
Shahaf, who fell ill about a year ago and left his work at the investment fund to fight the disease, is survived by his wife Yael and three children, all three of whom are soldiers in the IDF, with the eldest having fought as a reserve officer in the Iron Swords war, while the daughter is a regular service soldier. "We went through this whole period together," says Sachs.
