
Lioncrest Ventures Debuts $100M Multi-Strategy Platform for its Equity and Credit Funds
PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Lioncrest Ventures, a new purpose-built venture, today announced its debut and initial raise of $30 million toward its $100 million multi-strategy platform spanning both equity and credit funds.
With its dual-fund platform, Lioncrest Ventures represents a next-generation venture model, built for alignment and long-term partnership with founders building what's next.
Founded by Leib Bolel, a venture investor with over a decade of experience scaling companies, both as a Partner at Grayhawk Capital and formerly as CEO of the Arizona Israel Technology Alliance, Lioncrest was created to solve a core challenge facing many founders: the need for capital that aligns with their business models and growth timelines.
'Our mandate is simple: to provide the right capital to the right companies,' said Leib Bolel, Managing Partner at Lioncrest Ventures. 'For some companies, equity is the rocket fuel that drives breakout success. For others, private credit is a better aligned path to scale. Lioncrest is built to deliver both, with discipline, speed, and conviction.'
The Lioncrest equity fund invests in early growth-stage software companies solving complex challenges in highly regulated industries. Key verticals include Cybersecurity, FinTech, Digital Health, LegalTech, Supply Chain & Logistics, and Government/Defense. These sectors demand innovation that meet rigorous standards for compliance, security, and scalability, areas where Lioncrest brings deep sector knowledge and operational insight.
The firm's credit strategy is led by Managing Partner Ryan Edwards through the Lioncrest-Prospeq Fund, which provides structured financing to high-performing technology companies seeking growth capital without the need for an institutional sponsor. A private credit veteran with over 20 years of experience, including 13 years as Managing Director at Silicon Valley Bank, and later as founder of Prospeq, Edwards brings deep expertise in venture debt and capital structuring.
'The Lioncrest-Prospeq Fund provides founders with capital, enabling them to fund strategic growth and increase valuation,' said Ryan Edwards, Managing Partner and Head of the Prospeq Fund. 'By offering credit, we can support more companies in more ways, without forcing a one-size-fits-all solution.'
Backed by a diverse network of limited partners, including family offices, founders, and strategic operators. Lioncrest is actively deploying capital from both funds. The firm maintains a primary focus on U.S. investments, while also accessing high-quality deal flow from Israeli-founded companies, reflecting Bolel's leadership and investment experience across both ecosystems.
With its dual-fund platform, Lioncrest Ventures represents a next-generation venture model, built for alignment and long-term partnership with founders building what's next.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


CNBC
5 hours ago
- CNBC
Oil to open higher as U.S. strikes on Iran boost supply risk premium
Oil is likely to rise by $3 to $5 per barrel when trading resumes on Sunday evening after the U.S. attacked Iran at the weekend, market analysts said, with gains expected to accelerate only if Iran retaliates hard and causes a major oil supply disruption. U.S. President Donald Trump said he had "obliterated" Iran's main nuclear sites in strikes overnight, joining an Israeli assault in an escalation of conflict in the Middle East as Tehran vowed to defend itself. Iran is OPEC's third-largest crude producer. Global oil benchmark Brent crude could gain $3 to $5 per barrel when markets open, SEB analyst Ole Hvalbye said in a note. Brent settled at $77.01 a barrel on Friday and U.S. crude oil at $73.84 a barrel. "An oil price jump is expected," said Jorge Leon, head of geopolitical analysis at Rystad and a former OPEC official. "Even in the absence of immediate retaliation, markets are likely to price in a higher geopolitical risk premium." Crude had settled down on Friday after the U.S. imposed fresh Iran-related sanctions, including on two entities based in Hong Kong, and counter-terrorism-related sanctions, according to a notice posted to the U.S. Treasury Department website. Brent has risen 11% while WTI has gained around 10% since the conflict began on June 13 with Israel targeting Iran's nuclear sites and Iranian missiles hitting buildings in Tel Aviv. Currently stable supply conditions and the availability of spare production capacity among other OPEC members have limited oil's gains. Risk premiums have typically faded when no supply disruptions occurred, said Giovanni Staunovo, analyst at UBS. "The direction of oil prices from here will depend on whether there are supply disruptions — which would likely result in higher prices — or if there is a de-escalation in the conflict, resulting in a fading risk premium," he said. A senior Iranian lawmaker on June 19 said that the country could shut the Strait of Hormuz as a way of hitting back against its enemies, though a second member of parliament said this would only happen if Tehran's vital interests were endangered. About a fifth of the world's total oil consumption passes through the strait. SEB said that any closure of the strait or spillover into other regional producers would "significantly lift" oil prices, but said they saw this scenario as a tail risk rather than a base case given China's reliance on Gulf crude. Ajay Parmar, oil and energy transition analytics director at consultancy ICIS, said it was unlikely Iran would be able to enforce a blockage of the strait for too long. "Most of Iran's oil exports to China pass through this strait and Trump is unlikely to tolerate the inevitable subsequent oil price spike for too long — the diplomatic pressure from the world's two largest economies would also be significant," he said.

Miami Herald
8 hours ago
- Miami Herald
It sounds sick, but Iran hostilities may be good for stocks
So, President Trump ordered B-2 bombers to drop bunker-busting bombs on three Iranian nuclear facilities late Saturday. He pronounced the result "a spectacular success," with Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities "completely and totally obliterated." There will be lots of media coverage Sunday and beyond on whether the operation worked and whether the United States will be dragged into a third war in the Middle East since 1991. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter A question for investors, however, is this: How will stocks react? Related: Everyone should keep an eye on this Persian Gulf island There are some unknowns. There's been no verification that Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities are, in fact, totally obliterated. It's not clear if Iran will try to cut a deal to stop the Israeli and U.S. bombing or opt somehow to play a long game of defending itself with missile shots at Israel and U.S. military bases in the Middle East. Nonetheless, there's a good chance Wall Street will seize on the attacks as a prime stock-buying opportunity. That's what happened in 2003's Second Gulf War when U.S.-led forces invaded Iraq and toppled the dictatorial regime of Saddam Hussein. Related: Tesla releases new details about its next big deal Stocks started to tumble in late January 2003 as another war against Iraq became inevitable. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was down as much as 9% for the year on March 11. But then investors started to believe the invasion would go well, and the S&P 500 started to recover. Indeed, when Baghdad fell on April 9, 2003, the index had recovered all the early losses and was up 8.2% from the March low. And stocks never looked back. The S&P 500 finished up 26.4% in 2023. The gain from the March 2003 low to year-end: 38%. Mirrorpix/Getty Images One will be able to see how investors and markets are looking at the conflict starting at 6 p.m. ET Sunday. That's when futures trading in the S&P 500, the Dow Jones industrials and the Nasdaq-100 starts. Gains like 2003 might not happen. Iran was lobbing missiles at the Israeli cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa into Sunday. And, so far, there's no hint that Iran's leadership wants a cease fire. A prolonged fight might be bad for stocks. Iran has missiles and drones to deploy. It could block off Strait of Hormuz, through which 25% of the world's crude oil is shipped. Blocking the strait would send global oil prices sharply higher and cause havoc for the global economy. in fact, oil prices already have reacted. As tensions have grown between Israel and Iran (and now the United States), crude oil has climbed 29.3% to $73.84 per 42-gallon barrel from a May 5 closing low. U.S. gasoline prices have risen, too, about 4% or so, to about $3.20 a gallon, according to Related: Major analysts predict oil prices if Strait of Hormuz blocked Oil companies would profit. In fact, stocks in the S&P 500's Energy Sector are up 9.2% so far in June, the best performance by any of the 11 S&P 500 sectors. Oil-and-gas producer APA Corp. (APA) , the sector leader is up 15.8% over the last month, according to data. Exxon Mobil (XOM) has jumped 9.3%; Chevron (CVX) is has risen almost 9%. More Experts Analyst makes bold call on stocks, bonds, and goldTheStreet Stocks & Markets Podcast #8: Common Sense Investing With David MillerVeteran fund manager sends dire message on stocks Theoretically, the first-quarter earnings seasons is done, but some of the late stragglers due this week are important. These include: FedEx (FDX) , after Tuesday's close. FedEx shares have struggled, but there is hope. The delivery giant is doing business again with (AMZN) , and its business overall is growing again. But shares are off nearly 20% this year because of tariff worries. Earnings are estimated to rise 8.9% from a year ago to $5.89 a share. Revenue will be off slightly at $21.8 giant Carnival Corp. (CCL) , before Tuesday's open. Between August 2024 and Jan. 30, the shares doubled to $28.49 because bookings were beyond terrific. Then, the shares fell 49%, thanks to the Trump tariff plan and the mini-stock panic. Carnival is back to $23.77. The quarterly revenue estimate of $6.2 billion is up 7.3% from a year ago. Earnings of 24 cents a share would be up 118%.Chip maker Micron Technology (MU) shares are up 47% this year, and Wall Street likes - no, loves - the stock, whose chips have carved out a lucrative spot in artificial intelligence. In fact, the shares are already ahead of one analyst's one-year price target. The revenue estimate is $8.8 billion, up nearly 30% from a year ago. Earnings of $1.59 a share would be up 156%.Nike (NKE) is having a challenging year. The shares are down 21% this year, third-worst among the Dow Jones industrial stocks. True, it's selling athletic wear and shoes again on but it is extremely vulnerable to the Trump tariff hikes. Barrons says Nike's factories in Vietnam, Indonesia and China manufacture 50%, 27% and 18% of all its footwear. (Yes, that adds up to 95% of production.) The Nike revenue estimate: $10.7 billion, down 15.1% from a year ago. Earnings of 12 cents would be down 88%. Related: Veteran fund manager who predicted April rally updates S&P 500 forecast The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.

Miami Herald
17 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Trump's ‘2 weeks' pause on Iran strikes comes with high stakes
President Donald Trump often suggests that something will happen in "two weeks" when he's looking to buy himself some time. But his latest two-weeks declaration - on possible U.S. military strikes in Iran - comes with unusually high stakes. The pause, after days of bellicose rhetoric and social posts about evacuating Tehran, rattled markets in the region, triggered new threats from the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, led Iranian officials to call the U.S. Israel's "partner in crime" and left Israel in a holding pattern. Because by now the world knows that Trump's "two weeks" could mean two days, two months or never, his delay this time only fed the uncertainty. Regional equities slid on Friday, despite a sustained surge in oil prices that would typically support sentiment in Gulf economies. Israel - a U.S. ally with particularly close ties to Trump - has been placed in a holding pattern. It launched its attacks arguing that Iran's nuclear capabilities must be neutralized. But experts say it will be hard for Israel to destroy Iran's most fortified uranium enrichment facility, the Fordow plant, without the bunker-busting bombs only the U.S. has. The U.S. military launched several long-range stealth B-2 bombers - the kind that could carry the 30,000-pound bombs - from Missouri over the Pacific, according to media reports, possibly positioning them in case of a strike. The Wall Street Journal cited officials saying that no order has been given to ready an operation. "For the Israelis it does put them in a bind," said Illan Goldenberg, a former White House and Pentagon official who worked on Iran issues. "They'd prefer this not go on for weeks and months." "My guess is they have some kind of option for Fordow, but it's not as good as our option for Fordow," said Goldenberg, a senior vice president at J Street, a liberal Israel lobbying group focused on creating a two-state solution. The Israelis "put themselves in this limbo by launching a war and putting their faith in Donald Trump to come and finish the job." Israeli officials told the White House in what was described as a tense phone call on Thursday that two weeks is too long to wait for Iran to reach a deal to dismantle its nuclear program, Reuters reported Saturday. Iran, meanwhile, could seek to disrupt oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a choke point for roughly 20% of global crude flows. Even without a direct move by Tehran, nearly 1,000 vessels daily have reported GPS jamming near the narrow passage separating Iran from its Arab neighbors, according to the French naval liaison body MICA Center. The Houthis, an Iran-backed militia in Yemen, threatened on Saturday to target U.S. vessels and battleships if the U.S. joins Israeli attacks. The conflict started June 13 when Israel, saying it had evidence that Iran was close to achieving nuclear weapons capability, launched a series of missile attacks on Iran, which has returned missile attacks. Keeping the world guessing Trump for years has had a penchant for setting two-week deadlines, sometimes following through and at other times missing them or never acting at all, making "within two weeks" a stock phrase for pending decisions in both his White House terms. On Friday, Trump kept the world guessing on his next steps. Speaking to reporters in New Jersey, he called himself a "peacemaker" and dismissed the idea of sending in ground troops. He both suggested he wanted a diplomatic path and said he might support a ceasefire, but also kept a military threat alive, describing the two-week time frame as a maximum. "I'm giving them a period of time," he declared. Israel has pressed Trump to offer support, but in return Trump has only offered a run of tough commentary. European diplomats have stepped in to try to de-escalate tensions by talking to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi with little to show for it but a dismissive remark from Trump. Trump won the presidency twice promising not to get the U.S. involved in the kinds of intractable Middle East wars he savaged his predecessors over. His most fervent MAGA supporters have been urging him publicly and privately to avoid military action in keeping with his "America First" position. Since Israel's assault on Iran started, Israelis have faced hundreds of ballistic missiles and 1,000 drone attacks launched by Tehran. Iran has lost a slew of military officials, with more than 400 people dead and several nuclear facilities and related infrastructure destroyed or damaged. Israel, which has been waging a military campaign in Gaza since Hamas militants attacked the country on Oct. 7, 2023, may struggle to sustain a war against Tehran. The U.S. is already working to replenish Israel's defenses as they deplete their stock of interceptors. And Israeli officials say Trump's pause means the war will last even longer. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted the Jewish state will "achieve all of our objectives," including rendering Fordow inoperable. Trump cited hopes for negotiations as part of his aim for the "two-week" pause. But Iranians refuse to negotiate with the U.S. while an Israeli assault continues, and the talks with European leaders appeared to make little progress. Trump expressed skepticism about those efforts Friday, saying: "Iran doesn't want to speak to Europe. They want to speak to us. Europe is not going to be able to help them." Yet Iran refuses to talk to the U.S. while the Israeli assault continues. Peter Krause, a Boston College professor who specializes in Middle Eastern politics, argued that if Trump is doing "coercive diplomacy" with Iran, then his "hand is strengthened" the more damage Israelis do to Iran. Krause said the next two weeks will likely see a "ramping up with more of the same militarily, but simultaneously, attempted diplomacy led by the Europeans and maybe the United States and the Turks to see if we can get an off-ramp before things get worse." Trump has also long hurled ultimatums at opponents that he often quickly reverses as he pushes them to make concessions - as the world saw with his tariffs regime in the spring - demanding exorbitant tariffs only to back off once the trading partner arrived at the negotiating table. But taking that approach here may not work. The latest signals from the White House suggest a demand for zero uranium enrichment in Iran, a condition Tehran sees as fundamentally unacceptable. Iranian officials maintain they have no intention of pursuing nuclear weapons, but argue that some level of enrichment, under clear restrictions and oversight, is a sovereign right. Stripping that away, they contend, would amount to capitulation rather than compromise. --- (With assistance from Ethan Bronner.) Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.