In a world where agility meets innovation, Israeli startups stand as a testament to a relentless pursuit of breakthroughs.

Imagine, nestled in the heart of the Middle East, a pulsating tech scene where ideas ignite and businesses thrive.

With Tel Aviv’s skyline meshing with cutting-edge tech hubs, and Jerusalem’s history giving rise to modern marvels, it’s no surprise that this nation has earned the moniker of the Startup Nation.

The entrepreneurial spirit here is infectious. With each passing day, venture capital flows into the vortex of Israeli tech companies, amplifying a startup ecosystem that rivals the famed Silicon Valley.

By diving into the heart of Israel’s high-tech industry, you will unearth the secrets behind its global acclamation.

Through this article, gain insider perspectives on how Israeli entrepreneurs harness innovation culture, navigate the corridors of venture capitals, and catapult their startups onto the world stage.

Prepare to be guided through a narrative journey that doesn’t just inform but transforms.

Expect to walk away armed with actionable insights and a newfound appreciation for the dynamic entities shaping Israel’s startup scene.

Israeli startups

StartupIndustry/FieldFounded YearKey Products/ServicesNotable Achievements/Funding
HiBobHR Tech2015HR and benefits management platformRaised $150M+
The PerspectiveMedia/News2016Online platform for open-minded discussions
FlytrexLogistics/Drone Delivery2013Drone delivery servicesPartnerships with retailers for drone delivery
At-BayCybersecurity Insurance2016Cybersecurity risk assessment and insuranceRaised $200M+
HeliosEnergy Tech2015Software for renewable energy asset management
BeewiseAgriTech2018Automated beehive and beekeeping technologyRaised $80M+
WalnutSales Tech2019Sales demo platformRaised $35M+
SyteAI/Visual Search2015Visual AI for retailRaised $70M+
accessiBeWeb Accessibility2017AI-driven web accessibility solutionsRaised $28M+
BioCatchCybersecurity2011Behavioral biometrics for fraud preventionRaised $180M+
Sequencing.comBioinformatics2014Personal genomics services and apps
JoltEdTech2015Business learning platformRaised $20M+
NeuraLightAI/HealthTech2021AI for neurology diagnosticsRaised $25M+
WizCybersecurity2020Cloud securityRaised $600M+
CheqAdTech/Cybersecurity2016Ad security and brand safetyRaised $100M+
PhotomyneApp/Photo Scanning2014Photo scanning appRaised $5M+
NexarAI/Dash Cams2015Smart dash cams with network linkingRaised $130M+
TonkeanBusiness Automation2015No-code automation platformRaised $50M+
Enso SecurityCybersecurity2020AppSec visibility and securityRaised $25M+
FireboltData Tech2019Database technology for analyticsRaised $100M+
ArtlistMedia and Entertainment2016Royalty-free music, SFX, stock videoRaised $48M+
DatarailsFinTech2015Financial planning and analysis softwareRaised $50M+
MadgicxMarketing Tech2018AI-powered marketing platformRaised $7.5M
BiobeatHealthTech2011Wearable monitoring devicesRaised undisclosed amount
ArmoCybersecurity2021Kubernetes securityAcquired by Qualys in 2021
FireblocksFinTech/Cybersecurity2018Digital asset securityRaised $500M+
CynetCybersecurity2015Autonomous breach protection platformRaised $40M+

HiBob

Hibob provides businesses with a mission-critical, cloud-based human resources platform that helps them engage top people and automate HR procedures. With its HR platform Bob, HiBob aims to revolutionise how businesses run in the current workplace.

Bob is paving the way for the workplace of the future by providing durable, agile technology that consolidates all the intricacies of HR procedures into a revolutionary, approachable tool that affects every employee throughout the company.

The Perspective

The Perspective is a multi-award-winning website that aims to change people’s perspectives by exposing them to information that echo chambers and filter bubbles prevent them from seeing. It presents opposing viewpoints on current issues, historical conflicts, and timeless disputes while incorporating design and psychology to make it simpler for viewers to evaluate viewpoints that differ from their own.

Flytrex

The first business in the world to provide comprehensive end-to-end drone delivery solutions is Flytrex. Flytrex offers a comprehensive, customised solution, including autonomous delivery drones and a cloud platform that automatically organises flights while taking into account topography, artificial objects, weather, and more.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has given drone delivery startup Flytrex permission to expand the two nautical mile radius of the locations over which it has been flying flights in Texas and North Carolina, significantly expanding the number of homes it may be able to reach.

At-Bay

The insurance provider for the modern era is At-Bay. They created an insurance company from the ground up that helps businesses to thrive in the digital world by fusing cutting-edge technology with the best insurance knowledge available.

They address digital risk in a way that everyone can comprehend, including brokers, business owners, CISOs, and CFOs. In order to inform, counsel, and support their brokers and insureds throughout their collaboration, they regularly examine, analyse, and monitor the risk of every company in their portfolio.

Helios

A Tel Aviv-based software firm called Helios is dedicated to making it simple for consumers to debug, comprehend, and test all of their services and applications. With Helios, developers and businesses can quickly test their distributed applications, replicate problems and scenarios, look into annoying problems, and gather useful information about data pipelines, databases, micro services, and messaging systems.

Beewise

Israeli firm Beewise was established in 2018 and has its headquarters in Beit Haemek. The company’s goal is to help with the bee population collapse, one of the largest issues facing the planet. The startup uses precise robotics powered by AI to reduce human involvement. As a result, bees are able to produce more honey and there is less colony loss since they are not subjected to as much stress.

The company has received startup investment seven times since its founding, with the most recent round occurring in March 2022. There were 14 investors who participated in these investment rounds, including 5 lead investors.

Walnut

With no-code demo software, Walnut seeks to streamline B2B product demo procedures. It allows sales and marketing teams to design personalised, engaging demonstrations and to gather usage data to enhance the demonstration experience. One of the most important phases of any B2B company’s sales process is the demo phase.

Prospects endure a monotonous, generic experience that does not convert because it takes a significant amount of time and resources, and demo insights are still regarded as a blind spot.

Syte

There was only one thing wrong with the dress—there was no information about where to get it. The co-founders of Syte realised their dissatisfaction was the seed of a concept that would revolutionise the way people shop after their quest for the red mystery garment on Instagram lead them to dead ends after dead ends on every website they explored. A product discovery tool created by Syte makes use of AI and personalisation to revolutionise how consumers shop and search online.

accessiBe

AccessiBe employs background (AI) and foreground (interface) components that work together to accomplish compliance. Using AI technology, the system searches and evaluates websites before making all the necessary modifications to comply with WCAG 2.1 and the ADA.

Within 48 hours of installation, this process is complete. Using their product, the compliance procedure is relatively easy to complete: Installing their one line of JavaScript code is step one. 2. Its accessibility interface is immediately visible on your website. 3. Their AI begins to search and assess your website. 4. AI is finished in 48 hours, and your website is now compliant. 5. Every 24 hours, AI re-scans for updated and new content to process.

BioCatch

By examining user-device interactions, cybersecurity company BioCatch offers behavioural biometrics to protect users and data. They are leaders in the field of behavioural biometrics, a cutting-edge technology that taps into the strength of digital human behaviour to provide actionable insights and create a society based on comfort and trust. Financial institutions all over the world are now using BioCatch to fight fraud more successfully, promote digital transformation, and boost company growth.

Sequencing.com

The largest DNA App Store in the world is Sequencing.com. By processing data from the majority of genetic testing, including 23andMe, AncestryDNA, MyHeritage, FamilyTreeDNA, Dante Labs, and Nebula Genomics, apps turn a person’s DNA data into understandable health solutions. Moreover, they provide services for whole genome sequencing and DNA testing.

They give you all you require in order to quickly access and comprehend your genes. This includes unrestricted, free storage of your Genetic information as well as special tools and improved reports that turn it into understandable suggestions for better health.

Jolt

A startup in educational technology (edtech), Jolt is dedicated to assisting individuals in breaking into the technology sector. Alumni of the courses offered by Jolt frequently land jobs at tech firms like Uber, Netflix, Shopify, Facebook, and YouTube.

The Jolt programme can be a fantastic fit for anyone who wants to figure out their professional path, benefit from experienced live teachers and online classes, and get help with the job application process. For you to develop experience and produce things you can show prospective employers, each of their training programmes involves hands-on practise.

NeuraLight

By digitising neurological examination and care, Israeli startup NeuraLight aims to improve the lives of the billions of people affected by neurological illnesses. To speed up and improve drug discovery, monitoring, and precision treatment for patients with neurological illnesses, its AI-driven platform includes numerous digital markers.

The platform’s technology is powered by in-house Deep Learning algorithms that automatically extract a variety of digital oculometric markers from facial films taken with a typical smartphone or webcam.

Wiz

Wiz provides a platform for cloud security that aids development teams in quickly identifying and removing risks by scanning every layer of cloud-based technology. Additionally, it aids in prioritizing risks and instructs developers on how to manage them.

Wiz is used by businesses of all sizes and in all sectors to quickly detect and eliminate the most important risks in AWS, Azure, GCP, OCI, Alibaba Cloud, and Kubernetes so that they can build more quickly and safely.

Cheq

Almost 12,000 clients rely on Cheq, a go-to-market security solution, to guard their analytics, sites, and funnels against bots and false users. Cheq is the top option available globally for Go-to-Market companies wishing to protect their operations from fraudulent traffic (IVT).

Cheq, a leader in the development of Go-to-Market Security (GTMSec), one of the fastest growing categories in technology today, was founded by alumni of the Israeli Military Defense Intelligence.

Photomyne

With Photomyne, smartphone users may digitise photo albums in the fastest, safest, and most practical manner possible. Photomyne uses the camera on a smartphone to enable users to scan several images simultaneously without removing them from the album. Then, it rapidly creates a stunning digital photo album by automatically identifying the individual photos, cropping, and enhancing them.

Nexar

By making every car smart, Nexar is building the safest driving network in the world. New vision-based apps for safer driving are made possible by dashcams powered by Nexar. Drivers join a network that powers new applications for travelling and driving when they combine Nexar-powered dash cams with the Nexar app.

To make roads safer and more effective, Nexar has created a portfolio of vision-based data services for public and private sector partners using anonymised, aggregated data collected from this network. Eran Shir, a serial entrepreneur, and Bruno Fernandez-Ruiz, a former Senior Fellow at Yahoo!, launched Nexar in 2015.

Tonkean

The first-ever Adaptive Business Operations platform from Tonkean gives operations teams the ability to design no-code, adaptive solutions that are tailored to their unique requirements. Tonkean combines, automates, and orchestrates end-to-end business processes across systems and people using specialized human-in-the-loop technology.

With Tonkean, operations teams can streamline processes without adding new software, forms, or apps, increasing productivity and scale while reducing the need for change management. They are actively coordinating procedures for new customer on-boarding, support request triage, legal intake, staff onboarding, and many other processes with operations teams from TripActions, Hopper, and Take2 Interactive.

Enso Security

Enso Security is a Tel Aviv-based startup in the information security industry that provides end-to-end application security management services. Users can prioritise assets that have higher security risks or vulnerabilities since they have complete visibility into their application environment. Using the services Enso Security offers, businesses may close security gaps and do so before bad actors can take advantage of them.

Firebolt

Israeli firm Firebolt was established in 2019 and is presently situated in Tel Aviv, a city known for its entrepreneurship. The business offers a platform for cloud data warehousing that enables quick data retrieval and analysis in order to give customers targeted insights, enabling engineers and developers to build customer-friendly data-based applications.

The business has received startup funding four times since its founding, with the most recent round taking place in January 2022. Nine investors have given the company their money as a result of these investment rounds, giving Firebolt a significant total raise of $264 Million.

Artlist

For content producers, Artlist offers subscription-based services. Powerful video and image editing tools, as well as over 900,000 high-quality digital assets, are now available from Artlist to content creators under a ground-breaking, universal licence that applies to all projects globally.

The platform for licencing royalty-free music and SFX is the company’s standout product. Moreover, Artlist offers video editing tools, motion graphics, and stock photos and videos.

Datarails

For financial institutions, DataRails serves as a platform for spreadsheet management applications. The goal of Datarails is to completely transform how analytics are applied within the finance function. The management team has several years of corporate experience and is all too familiar with the difficulties faced by financial professionals.

Their financial analytics software was created with finance experts in mind because of this. The data-driven trend that is transforming how businesses manage their operations across industries has now reached finance.

Madgicx

Ads on Facebook, Instagram, and Google are optimised by the AI-powered omnichannel marketing platform Madgicx, which also has creative intelligence and autonomous media-buying capabilities. The fastest-growing platform for advertising, Madgicx has become the go-to tool for thousands of successful advertisers. It makes premium advertising accessible to anyone by utilising cutting-edge computer visioning and machine learning technology.

Biobeat

A firm in the field of next-generation health artificial intelligence (AI) called Biobeat is dedicated to personalising treatment and extracting useful information from clinical data. Biobeat can identify early deterioration and other signals that a patient needs attention by using artificial intelligence and machine learning.

It does this by continuous monitoring of patients. Each patient might have millions of data points collected daily by Biobeat. This is made possible by their unique data collection devices, which can be either a wrist-monitor or a chest-monitor. Both devices rely on the PPG sensor, which was created in-house and is internationally patented.

Armo

With its current headquarters in Jerusalem, Armo was established in 2018. The business provides cybersecurity services and specialises in doing so within the framework of cloud solutions. By assisting developers in deploying secure workloads, their solution enables them to provide better goods and services.

The company has received startup capital three times since its founding, in the years 2018, 2021, and 2022. Four investors supported these investment rounds and contributed $34.5 million in funding, which considerably boosted the company’s financial performance.

Fireblocks

Three cybersecurity industry experts launched Fireblocks, a platform that enables users to securely distribute goods on the blockchain and handle regular crypto transactions. In order to prevent hacking or theft, it enables financial institutions to provide direct custody of digital assets like cryptocurrency.

Cynet

The first autonomous breach protection platform in the world, Cynet brings end-to-end breach protection within reach of any organisation, regardless of the size and expertise of its security team. Cynet integrates endpoint, network, and user prevention and detection of XDR with automated investigation and remediation, supported by 24/7 MDR services.

FAQ On Israeli Startups

Why is Israel called the Startup Nation?

It’s all about density and dynamism, isn’t it? Tiny Israel, punching well above its weight, leads in per capita startup concentration. No wonder the term “Startup Nation” sticks.

It’s the book that spotlighted Israeli high-tech, too. Venture capitals, R&D excellence, and a no-fear take on tackling tech challenges are the hallmarks here.

What drives innovation in Israel startups?

Think of it as a blend, a concoction of compulsory military service catalyzing tech skills, governmental backing, and vibrant tech universities like the Technion.

There’s a cultural edge, too – an embedded readiness to question, challenge, and disrupt the status quo fuels Israel’s tech vanguard.

How does the Israeli government support startups?

Let’s not overlook the crucial role of the government. Israel’s leaders deliver through grants, tax incentives, and incubators.

The Israel Innovation Authority doesn’t just show support; it propels startups from seed stage to tech titans. It’s a safety net that encourages daring leaps into innovation arenas.

Are Israeli startups focused on specific industries?

You’re right in thinking there’s a mix. However, some fields just shine. Cybersecurity, agritech, and biotech startups in Israel are booming.

Israeli tech is agile – pivoting from defense tech like Iron Dome to civilian tech wonders. Key sectors vary, but transformative innovation is the common thread.

How do Israel startups attract foreign investment?

It’s the convergence of high-level tech expertise with an international business mindset that magnetizes foreign investors. Roll out the red carpet for global partnerships, facilitated by entities like the BIRD Foundation and an overflow of successful exits.

Israel’s startups don’t just invite investment; they beckon it with world-class innovation.

What challenges do Israel startups face?

It’s not just sunshine and successful rounds of funding round here. There’s a talent squeeze – too many tech dreams chasing too few wizards of tech.

Then there’s the balancing act of scaling globally while maintaining the unique Israeli startup ethos. And let’s not forget – regional stability plays its part.

How does Tel Aviv’s tech ecosystem compare globally?

Stack it up against Silicon Valley, and Tel Aviv boasts an enviable entrepreneurial fabric. It’s the dense mash-up of tech minds and innovation hubs, creating a sort of urban tech beehive.

Add in the lifestyle – Mediterranean vibes and a zest for life – and you get a globally competitive ecosystem.

What are some successful Israeli startups that became global?

Think navigation – think Waze, right? Mobileye took automotive safety and tech to new levels. Then there’s Gett, riding the wave of on-demand transport.

Not just launching products but paving the way for industry standards, these startups transformed smart ideas into international entities.

How do Israeli startups typically seek funding?

Let’s break this down. Initially, it’s angel investors and seed funders, often found stalking the halls of breakthrough incubators. Then the heavy hitters in venture capital swoop in.

Israeli startups craft compelling pitches, backed by robust tech and groundbreaking ideas, and often find the capital flowing as intensely as the Mediterranean.

How has the culture in Israel contributed to its startup success?

Chutzpah – that’s the spirit. It’s a culture that dares to defy, dreams big, and dives into depths unknown.

Throw in the everyone-knows-everyone networking that ripples through Israel’s tech ponds, and you’ve got a recipe for startup stardom. It’s a societal blueprint wired for tech triumphs.

Conclusion

Stepping back, it’s clear why Israel startups resonate global buzz. Entrepreneurs, with grit in their DNA, are launching more than companies; they’re igniting movements. Tel Aviv’s sprawling tech landscape, Jerusalem’s burgeoning innovation hubs, an ever-supportive Israeli government, and the seductive allure of venture capital have woven a vibrant narrative.

  • It’s not just funding.
  • It’s a societal embrace of the audacious, the bold.

In this march of progress, startups face real challenges – talent crunches, scaling nuances, a need for sustained innovation. Yet, the resolve doesn’t waver.

You’ve seen it here. The fusion of industry variety, from cybersecurity to biotech, to the names that now pepper global conversations – Waze, Mobileye, Gett.

For the astute mind, the message rings clear. There’s wisdom in studying the Israeli startup ethos. It’s this wisdom that could very well be the secret sauce to your own entrepreneurial quest. Blaze trails, chase dreams, and who knows, maybe echo the Startup Nation’s defining roar.

If you liked this article about Israeli startups, you should check out this article about Seattle startups.

Author

I'm the manager behind the Upcut Studio team. I've been involved in content marketing for quite a few years helping startups grow.