Israeli tech entrepreneur killed alongside wife in small plane crash remembered as ‘humble’ and ‘inspiring’
An Israeli tech entrepreneur killed in a small plane crash over the weekend was remembered Monday as a mentor to many who had hoped to start their own company, and a “humble” and “inspiring” man.
Liron Petrushka, 57 — who was killed alongside his wife Naomi, 58, when their single-engine Socata TBM9 crashed as it approached the Truckee Tahoe Airport in California Saturday — was described by friends and colleagues as a helpful teacher and a kind man.
“Anyone fortunate enough to cross paths with this special couple knows how smart, kind and generous they were,” Matan Talmi, the CEO of AI project manager Spinach.io, posted on X.
“Thank you for everything you taught me, for asking the right questions, for challenging me and for always being in my corner,” he said. “You will be sorely missed.”
Omer Gottlieb, the co-founder of AI startup Salespeak, also shared that Liron was one of the first investors in the company.
“Liron was an extraordinary individual — remarkably humble and always willing to lend a helping hand,” Gottlieb recounted.
“Our numerous conversations over the last few months were incredibly enriching; I learned something new in each and every one of them.
“Liron’s absence will be deeply felt, and he will be sorely missed.”
Liron was also a mentor to Palo Alto-based entrepreneur Iddo Tal.
“It’s really very amazing to see an entrepreneur — a very successful investor — hands-on mentor you, support you,” he told KCRA.
Tal remembered his colleague as a “very humble, great human being” and “such an inspiring guy.”
“It’s a big loss for the community in the Silicon Valley,” Tal said.
“It’s big shoes to fill up and I hope all of us will just keep supporting the next generation of founders like he did.”
It’s unclear what caused the fatal crash.
Liron had been piloting the aircraft and took off from Centennial Airport in south Denver, but began experiencing visibility issues during the journey.
He talked to radar controllers in Oakland about the inclement weather for several minutes as he tried to navigate the conditions, according to radio calls reviewed by the Sacramento Bee.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are expected to investigate.
Liron and Naomi made their fortune when they sold CommerceBid, which they founded, for more than $200 million in 1999, according to CTech.
They continued to work for the buyer, CommerceOne, for about two years, before focusing on investing in other companies.
Their investments included Check, which was sold to Intuit in 2014 for about $360 million, and fintech business Next Insurance — founded by the same entrepreneurs behind Check.
In 2012, Liron joined UpWest as a partner, and became an adviser to the fund in 2017.
The Silicon Valley company first announced it was Liron and Naomi who were killed in the crash, and said in a statement it was “devastated” by their sudden deaths.
“Our hearts are with the Petrushka family and their sons David, Scott, and Jordan,” said UpWest, which is a seed fund investing in Israeli entrepreneurs.
“Liron and Naomi were a significant force in the building and success of UpWest from its inception,” the company said.
“They brought their entrepreneurial spirit and generosity to our fund, working with us and our founders on many pivotal milestones. Their home was always open as were their big hearts. We are all heartbroken by this loss.”
Besides his financial career and his affinity for flying, Liron spent his free time playing on the Israeli soccer club team Hapoel Ramat Gan Givatayim, which said it“bows its head” over the death of the pair.
“Liron grew up in the club from the age of 10 and passed through all the teams in the club, including the adults’ team,” the team’s chairman, Einav Hazanvald, said in a statement.
“He played with me in the youth team, where we won the national championship, as well as in the adult team.”
