5785 and Beyond

Welcome to The Israeli Startup Review, a curated newsletter where I share insights from thought leaders, news, and opportunities around Israel's tech ecosystem. Every other week you’ll receive timely analysis from off-the-beaten-path, perspectives from the ecosystem, and selected opportunities to further engage with Israel, the Startup Nation.

Wishing a meaningful Jewish New Year to all those celebrating. An appropriate old Jewish joke for this period of time is "they hated us; they tried to kill us; we won; let's eat."

What can I write that's not been written before, aside from reflecting on the quote by Vladimir Lenin which sums up these days: "there are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen."

To all my friends in Israel, stay safe out there. With Oct 7th next week, this is a reminder of what a challenging year it has been... but diamonds are created from the intense pressure.

If you’re an Israeli founder (or a VC investing in Israeli tech), I’d like to speak with you about an article I am writing for an Israel based publication about Israeli tech at a number of recent notable conferences. If you attended the Israeli-American Council Summit last week, or are attending the Clinton Global Initiative, Climate Week, or any other United Nations General Assembly related events this week, reach out to me.

LinkedIn Ghostwriting: I'm offering LinkedIn ghostwriting services, and have been helping founders, investors, and executives amplify their voice, share their expertise, and build a highly visible personal brand online, in order to generate opportunities. If becoming recognized as a thought leader in your space is something that you would be interested in exploring further, I’d love to speak with you. You can book a time by clicking here.

'Hack the Hate' conference: A groundbreaking effort to combat online antisemitism: We have never encountered this amount of hate online.

Investment in Israeli startups slows in third quarter, but is up 32% this year: Startups keep pushing forward.

Israeli startups raised over $400m in September: Closing out the year strong.

October 7 stats reveal extraordinary lifesaving medical efforts: Some of the biggest innovations have been in medicine.

The next Wiz? Eon raises $77M at $750M valuation before product launch: This seems a bit crazy.

Shahar Matorin is what community building looks like.

Crypto is still going strong in the Startup Nation.

Startup Snapshot: They're looking to interview founders who are using GenAI tools in creative ways to ideate and build their startups. This is part of their new research on GenAI and its impact on startup building. They have already collected data and insights from hundreds of founders globally. Are you using GenAI for idea generation, rapid prototyping, or to rethink your approach entirely? They want to hear your story! If you know any standout founders leveraging GenAI in innovative ways, they're love to talk to them, and feature them in their research! Reach out here.

Tech companies hiring: A great list of tech companies and startups hiring in Israel right now from Avi Lewis (who you should follow). For the full list head over to Goozali, which is a crowdsourced + constantly updated list of Israel tech positions here.

JOBS MARKET GROWING: After a turbulent couple of years, the Israeli jobs market finally looks like it's starting to recover. This month?they reached a 12-month high of 1,500 open positions on the Secret Tel Aviv?Jobs Board with lots of awesome new jobs in Sales, Marketing, Account Management, Operations, and Product. Check out the Jobs Board for all the latest jobs, and sign up to our weekly Jobs Emails and Jobs WhatsApp Groups to get notified when a new job opens. Looking for inspiration? Check out our Best Companies to Work For in Israel Guide 2024. Check out the jobs board here.

Join Grappa’s Trusted Talent network: Grappa is transforming the talent ecosystem by building a global trust graph that maps who can be trusted on specific topics. Grappa is an invite-only network connecting startup founders, senior executives, and investors. Top founders (from pre-seed to unicorn) use Grappa to build their executive teams and hire trusted advisors. The network is expanding and allowing users to apply to join, so sign up and join the network with this link here.

Israel Tech Mission: This November 10-13 should be the most impactful Israel Tech Mission to date. Kevin Ryan, founder of MongoDB, Business Insider, Zola, Gilt and more is leading a group of VC partners, investors and tech executives to a trip to Israel. The group is meeting with President Herzog, Alan Feld, Gigi Weiss, Sir Ronald Cohen, Danna Azrieli, Eyal Waldman, Micah Goodman, as well as the top Google startups, Israeli VC partners, etc. By going on this trip you will not only help Israel’s tech ecosystem, but you’ll develop a personal network with the other participants and Israeli VCs that will more than cover the cost of the trip. High ROI in every way. They already have over a dozen VC and tech leaders joining and they urge you to apply today through the link below in one pager before it fills up. Any deposit is also fully refundable until mid October. Register here.

Team8: Head of AI. They're seeking a visionary Head of AI to spearhead the artificial intelligence transformation across our foundries and portfolio companies, driving change through applied research, thought leadership, strategy, and internal and external evangelism. Apply here.

SHOFAR + TASHLICH: At the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Celebrate Rosh Hashanah?in Style! Let's bring in the blessings of a new year together at?Tech Tribe's annual?shofar and Tashlich event at the BBG!?Experience the serenity of the timeless tashlich ceremony at the iconic Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden. Followed by a communal picnic. Thursday, October 3th. 5:00 PM. Register to See Address. Kings County, New York. Register here.

New Perspectives on Investing in Israel?Innovation #SFTechWeek: As part of Andreessen Horowitz's San Francisco Tech Week, IDA Ventures CEO, Kerry Leigh Miller and Managing Partners Revital Reitzes and Jeff Frumin are bringing together Israel focused technology leaders, investors and tech week attendees. They will discuss why Israel continues to lead in innovation and why these Israeli companies develop these innovations and then expand their operations into the United States. They are thrilled to welcome amazing speakers including Omer Fein, Diplomat and Chief Economic Consul between Israel and Silicon Valley and Lisa Dolan Managing Director at Link Ventures. Wednesday, October 9 5:30 PM PDT. Register to See Address. San Francisco. Register here.

Orchestrated Connecting: It’s time we had a different way to convene. It’s time we held a conference where the outcome is building new bonds with others who share our passions in impact fully. The inaugural Orchestrated Conference will bring together 150 impactful connectors. Join them for immersive conversations, curated groups, one-on-one meetings and serendipitous connectivity in a conference that’s designed around you. Oct 14, 2024 7:00 - 9:30 pm. Oct 15, 2024 8:00 am - 7:00 pm. New York City (East Midtown). Register here.

Jews in Tech Schmooze | October: Meet other Jews in tech, connect, and more at Tech Tribe's monthly Third Thursday Schmooze. Join your colleagues in tech and digital media for informal networking and a chance to chat. Thursday, October 17th, 7:00 PM. Pier 57. New York, New York. Register here.

Sukkot with Tech Tribe: The time of our rejoicing is here! Join them in their Brooklyn Backyard Sukkah for an amazing holiday meal. Good food, great people and amazing times! Are you ready for Sukkot? Join them for an epic Sukkot meal in the Tech Tribe Sukkah! First night, 10/16 at 7:30pm. RSVP here.

Tribe Tel Aviv Sukkah Party Under the Stars: Sukkah Party Under the Stars. Join them in the Sukkah in the Center of Tel Aviv to celebrate the holiday together with open wine & beer bar, refreshments and live music. Over 200 people attended last year! Monday, October 21 · 7:30 IDT. Ichud Olam. 86 Ben Yehuda Street Tel Aviv-Yafo. Register here.

MiluimTech Community Event: Join them at the HaMashbir bar a more casual, community-driven networking event! You're in for an evening of drinks, conversation, and connection with like-minded miluimnikim who are navigating their next steps in the high-tech world. Sunday, October 27 6:00 PM. Register to See Address. Tel Aviv-Yafo. Register here.

INVITATION: Night at the Israel Philharmonic + Drinks, Nov 6: For the first time, their young audience will experience an interactive program led by Conductor Lahav Shani, with you getting to vote on what the symphony will play from the some of the best blasts of classical past including : Beethoven, Mozart, Prokofiev and on and on and on...). Starts on Wednesday, November 6 pm IST. Charles Bronfman Auditorium. 1 Huberman Street Heichal HaTarbut // HaBima Square Tel Aviv-Yafo. Register here.

Nov 7 (NYC): USA Galien Forum (free for mHealth members): Big Pharma's top R&D leaders will converge in New York City, Nov 7th, for the annual "Nobel Prize of corporate pharma", the Prix Galien. Free attendance for mHealth Israel members. Thursday, November 7th, 2:30 PM. Alexandria Center for Life Science, West Tower. Register here.

Save the Date for DefenseTech Summit 2024: Join them for the Defense Tech Summit, December 10-11, 2024, at Tel Aviv University. This premier event will feature the latest advancements in emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, cyber technologies, and more. With unparalleled insights drawn from Israel’s unique geopolitical landscape and leadership in defense innovation, the summit will delve into complex, real-world scenarios. Attendees will gain practical lessons from Israel’s cutting-edge solutions that are addressing global security challenges and shaping the future of defense technology. Learn more here.

Focal's W24 Demo Day: Applications for Focal’s W24 demo day are open to startups raising in the next 6 months. It takes 7 minutes to apply on their website, and even those who don’t make it to demo day can get introductions to over 250 leading VC fund partners, including Remagine Ventures. Last demo day alone, applicants received over 1600 introductions from investors; it's one of the highest leverage activities you can do for your fundraise. Apply here.

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