What does it actually take to raise a VC fund from scratch with no network, no track record and everyone telling you it won’t work?

In this episode of the Autonomous Podcast, I sat down with Gili Elkin, Managing Partner of ICI Fund, to discuss the mindset behind building both companies and venture funds in deep tech.

From growing up between Israel and the U.S., to raising her first fund in Colorado through pure resilience, community building and hundreds of conversations. Gili shares what investors actually look for in founders, why “first check” investing is all about people, and why entrepreneurs should stop waiting for the “perfect moment” before reaching out.

We also go deep into:

• The cultural gap between Israeli founders and American investors
• Why storytelling matters as much as technology
• How ICI evaluates deeptech companies before investing
• AI infrastructure, space, data centers and the future of hard-tech investing
• Why the strongest founders are usually the ones who simply never stop

One line from the episode that stayed with me:

“It’s never too early to come to us.”

For founders, investors and operators building in autonomy, robotics, defense, AI infrastructure and deep technologies, this one is worth the listen.