Tech Innovation: Startup Nation Central

A vibrant gathering of entrepreneurs, startups, and investors took place to reflect on the transformative changes in Israel’s entrepreneurial ecosystem over the past year. The event particularly highlighted developments in the southern region and within the climate tech sector. Alon Turkaspa Agrifood Tech and Climate Tech Sector Lead from Startup Nation Central discussed how Israeli startups have demonstrated resilience post-October 7. He stated, "The south of Israel is a vibrant hub of innovation, where new ideas and companies in climate tech, particularly in energy, agriculture, and food, are constantly emerging. I had the privilege of participating in an event that strengthened this dynamic ecosystem and had the opportunity to share my insights with a passionate and promising group of entrepreneurs." Speakers, including Alon Turkaspa, Omri Yitro Dai, Shahar Belkin, Sharon Azulai, Noy Rimer, and Shelly Dvir highlighted the potential of southern Israel for fostering innovation. They also discussed how market changes are affecting investment strategies. The event drove home how crucial it is to stay resilient and adapt in Israel’s entrepreneurial scene, while also shining a light on the exciting growth opportunities in the climate tech sector. Tech7 SouthUp Ventures Kātao Venture Partners Firstime VC, 2B.VC

Hello, Miami! 🌴 Just before the hurricane hit Florida’s Gulf Coast, we teamed up with Mana Tech for an exciting investor cocktail event in downtown Miami. It was a fantastic evening of networking with top venture capitalists and family offices from the area at Manatech’s cool, buzzing space. Beyond the drinks and conversation, Emma (Mayana) Vardimon & Michal Seror shared key insights into Israel’s booming startup ecosystem—highlighting why now is the perfect time to invest in Israel’s innovation landscape. 💡 Thanks to everyone who joined us and to the wonderful #Manatech team Yossi Harel, Etienne Gillard, Ines Lucena, Rosario Estruga, and Moshe Mana! #ImpatientInnovation #InnovationNation #MiamiTech #IsraeliInnovation #VentureCapital

Startup Nation Central 2024 Roadshow - The innovation journey continues, and today, we’re in London! We had an amazing evening at our London Investors dinner, in partnership with Alma Angels, bringing together investors and sharing the energy and creativity of Israel’s innovation ecosystem. 🚀 In these uncertain times, it’s inspiring to see investors excited to collaborate with the “Startup Nation.” With attractive valuations creating a unique window for new investments, the event reminded us why Israeli tech is a great space to explore right now. A huge thank you to 😃 David Fogel of Alma Angels and everyone who joined us for a fantastic night of conversation and connection. We’re excited to see where these new partnerships will lead! Stay tuned for more chances to connect with Israel’s dynamic tech scene! Maya Pizov Eran Wagner Joshua Levinberg Manuel Sussholz Matan Safran Yariv Becher Dana Cogan Emma (Mayana) Vardimon Michal Seror

We had an insightful event at ‘When Medicine Meets Industry,’ organized by The Israeli Society for HealthTech (ISoH-Tech). Noga Shiloach, our Chief Product Officer, joined the ‘Startups & War’ panel with Yaron Daniely, Miki Levy, and Nimrod Zilcha to discuss Israel’s tech resilience amidst conflict. Despite challenges, the health tech sector demonstrated remarkable growth with 123 investment rounds this year. Noga also shared findings from our ‘One Year of Israeli Innovation in War’ report, highlighting the optimism within the ecosystem. Read the full report to learn more 👉 https://okt.to/OPtnXe XRHealth aMoon Fund Cognishine The Israeli Society for Health Tech Iris Adler, MD Yael Pomerantz

✨Thrilled to Kick Off the Excellenteam Boot Camp at Google ✨ Last week Google hosted our current cohort of 32 students from Tel Hai College in Northern Israel for a 3-day project as part of our Excellenteam bootcamp month. Due to recent challenges in the north, this was the students' first in-person meeting in nearly a year - and the energy was electric! The 3-day project focused on solving a real-world challenge that Google faces daily—completing automatic texts—this marked the first challenge in their month-long Boot Camp. The students also received close mentorship and hands-on advice from leading mentors and Google employees. Excellenteam’s mission is to strengthen Israel's technological ecosystem, with a focus on the north, while promoting diversity and building strong bridges between academia and industry. Through collaborations with leading companies like Google, participants are gaining the competitive edge needed to thrive in the tech world. Stay tuned for more updates! Bat-Sheva Meitav, Arnon Benor, Tslil Swisa Boulakhov, Danielle Tvay Gavri, Nitzan Dayan Hula Valley - Community of Entrepreneurs in the Eastern Galilee, Tel-Hai College Google for Startups Israel

Despite the challenges of the ongoing conflict, Israel’s tech sector is proving its strength through resilience and what we call "Impatient Innovation." According to our data, Israeli tech saw a 31% surge in private investments to $5.1 billion in H1 2024, with cybersecurity alone accounting for 52% of this funding. However, this success largely skews towards the bigger players, leaving many startups to pivot, cut costs, and reconsider operations abroad. “The mega rounds and also the cyber sector were the two major engines behind the very favorable numbers,” said Yariv Lotan, VP of Digital Products and Data at Startup Nation Central. “But when we look down into the people, the companies behind the numbers, then obviously these are challenging times.” Innovation, resilience, and the relentless pursuit of growth continue to define Israel’s tech sector. Read The Times of Israel's full article 👉 https://okt.to/PkKAqp Gil Ronen, NRGene Ltd. Didier Toubia, Aleph Farms Adiel Am-Shalom Amit Aharoni, AISAP Michael Gordon, Bluetree Technology Group #IsraeliTech #ImpatientInnovation #Resilience #StartupNation

Join us at the GO GLOBAL CLIMATE program! We are a proud partner of the GO GLOBAL CLIMATE program by Kinneret Innovation Center, a groundbreaking acceleration program dedicated to startups in the Climate tech, Agrifood tech, and Water tech sectors, offering a unique opportunity to scale up globally by connecting with top tier resources and mentorship. Alon Turkaspa, Agrifood tech and Climate Tech Sector lead at Startup Nation central will be a speaker there. 🌱 Why Join the GO GLOBAL CLIMATE program? Expert Sessions: Learn from industry leaders. Global Exposure: Expand your reach. Tailored Support: Accelerate your growth. Don’t miss out—sign up and let’s meet! 👉 https://okt.to/ZPb1gK קבוצת צמח מפעלים אזוריים עמק הירדן בע"מ Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael - Jewish National Fund Kinneret Academic College AgroTraction Elad Shamir Anat Vexler Israeli Daniel Avstreikh Zeltzer Uriel Perman Gadi Kliger Matan Lev Reut Moskovich #ClimateStartups #AgroTech #WaterTech #GlobalScaleUp #Innovation #SNC

Last week we welcomed a delegation from IDB Invest, the investment arm of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group, including CEO James P. Scriven. The day kicked off with roundtable sessions focused on agriclimate and infrastructure opportunities in LATAM hosted by Pearl Cohen and led by our very own Alon Turkaspa. Gary Soleiman led an insightful roundtable discussion on leveraging technology and cross-sector collaboration to scale blue economy initiatives. Participants included: 🔹Prof. Noa Shenkar, Tel Aviv University 🔹Ido Sella, Co-founder & CEO, ECOncrete 🔹Rotem Cohen, CEO, Coastal and Marine Engineering Research Institute 🔹Hila Ehrenreich, CEO, The Israeli National Center for Blue Econ The day concluded with an exclusive dinner with leading Israeli VCs, where we discussed the pivotal role of #VCs in Israel and how they identify emerging trends. VCs: Pitango, Maverick, Tal Ventures, Greensoil Delegation members: James P. Scriven, Sofia Pena, Guillermo Foscarini, Marcelo Cabrol Bar Ben Yaakov, Sigalit Lidai Avi Hasson, Emma (Mayana) Vardimon, Omer Maron, Michal Seror, Ortal Cohen, Ofir Zelikovich #BlueEconomy #Collaboration #SustainableDevelopment #IDBInvest #IsraelTech #StartUpNationCentral #MarineConservation

Connecting global CISO's with Israel's vibrant ecosystem! Last week during cyber week we brought a delegation of global CISOs to Israel – in partnership with Glilot Capital Partners, Merlin Ventures, Dell Technologies Capital, Israeli Embassy, Washington, DC, Deloitte (Catalyst), and Cyber Week TLV - for a week of insightful meetings, engaging sessions, and invaluable networking opportunities. As part of the agenda, we hosted the delegation at our office, together with their Israeli CISO peers, to foster connections, share cutting-edge knowledge, and advance the Israeli cybersecurity landscape. The event began with welcoming notes from our VP Global Partnerships Eliran Elimelech, Kobi Samboursky, and Seth Spergel. Then Ilana Sherrington from our Global Partnerships team presented a snapshot of Israeli innovation amidst the ongoing conflict and emphasized the sector's remarkable resilience. The event commenced with round table discussions on hot topics in #cybersecurity and concluded with networking on the terrace. Special thanks to our partners who made this possible! Michael Mumcuoglu, Matan Bar-Efrat, Guy Rinat, Arik Kleinstein, Nofar Amikam, Lior Litwak, Moran Zilbershtein, Karen Greenfield, Aaron Shmidman, Tav Spector-Levi, Julie Arndorfer, Omri Green, Ronda Scott, Joshua Cohen, Michal Kogan, Gili Drob - Heistein, Karinna Moreno #ImpatientInnovation #CyberWeek