E87 - Dor Eligula (Co-Founder, CBO Bridgewise)

In this episode, we speak with Dor Eligula, co-founder and Chief Business Development Officer at Bridgewise. Dor’s story doesn’t follow the usual tech-founder script. He didn’t come from a coding bootcamp, a combat unit, or a fintech background. He started with a PlayStation controller. As one of Israel’s first-ever professional gamers - crowned a three-time national FIFA champion with his twin brother - Dor learned early how to blend focus, competition, and conviction. That same drive would later power him through a very different arena: AI-driven fintech. Dor went on to co-found Bridgewise, a platform that delivers AI-generated investment research to banks and stock exchanges across 15+ countries. The company has raised $35M, operates in four markets, and serves institutions like Nasdaq, eToro, and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. “Some of our investors, in the early beginning, said, ‘You guys are crazy if you believe you are going to be successful in Japan.’ We told them, ‘We’ll prove you wrong.’ And we are doing it as we speak.” This conversation is about entrepreneurship beyond formulas: how unconventional beginnings, deep self-belief, and a strong sense of impact can fuel global scale. In this conversation, we explore: From pro gamer to tech founder. Dor shares how his early years as a top FIFA player - competing nationally with his twin brother - shaped his competitive edge and drive to excel, long before he stepped into the world of tech. “If you do it, win. Be good at this.” Taking extreme steps toward big goals. He shares why successful founders need to find internal motivation strong enough to justify the risks. “Every person, in order to achieve extraordinary achievements, needs to find the reasoning inside themselves to take extreme steps.” Balancing personal and professional identity. Finding deep satisfaction in the personal moments, like when his mother finally saw her son’s product in a national TV ad. “She said, ‘Now I understand what you guys do.’ It was maybe one of the biggest moments of joy in my life.” The role of connections, partners, and persistence. Beyond luck, his path was shaped by the ability to identify and build with the right people at the right time. Why success is about more than money. To Dor, his startup is about building something that creates real, positive impact. “I want to create a story in Bridgewise that is a story of success, a story of good impact.” This episode is for anyone questioning whether their background is “right” for the startup world - and for anyone who needs a push to “just do it” 🎧 Tune in and share with someone writing their own unconventional success story.