Omri Casspi, the Israeli former NBA player known for his journeyman career, has successfully transitioned into venture capital, building Swish Ventures into a firm managing about $800 million in assets. Launched in 2024 after absorbing his initial fund Sheva, Swish has an impressive portfolio with eight unicorns among its 20 companies, focused on areas like AI infrastructure and cybersecurity. Recently, Swish raised a $250 million fund from notable backers including Sequoia Capital and major U.S. pension funds, expanding its investment capacity.

Casspi’s move into venture capital was influenced by his one season with the Golden State Warriors in 2017-18, where he mingled with Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and fellow NBA stars who were building investment portfolios and backing startups. This exposure helped him see parallels between competitive sports and entrepreneurship, fueling his passion for supporting “spiky” founders—those with unique advantages and a strong, competitive mentality. His hands-on style includes hosting startup founders at Warriors games and connecting them with top industry executives, making use of his sports network.

The success stories in Swish’s portfolio highlight Casspi’s sharp investment eye. Early investments include Cognition AI, a cutting-edge startup focused on AI coding agents, which has grown rapidly to a valuation nearing $47 billion. Other notable unicorns include Upwind Security, valued at $1.5 billion in 2022 and now approaching a $3.8 billion valuation, and Eon, a cloud-backup startup valued at $4 billion. Casspi’s first investment, Upwind Security, was seeded through connections made at Warriors games, showcasing how his athletic and business worlds intertwine.

Partner Ori Streichman, a young Israeli with a background in chess and military intelligence, joined Casspi in leading Swish Ventures, driving a strategic focus on early-stage companies primarily in Israel and the U.S. Their investment approach remains founder-centric, aiming to fund about a dozen startups per new fund with larger investments averaging $20 million each. Casspi foresees a $100 billion company emerging from Tel Aviv’s vibrant tech ecosystem, underlining Swish Ventures’ continuing role in backing future trailblazers.