Light the Way

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 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.

Shalom from Tel Aviv. Wishing a meaningful Hanukah to everyone celebrating. The warriors of light are on the offensive against the forces of darkness, and while we’re not out of the woods yet (given the pandemic’s numbers), 2021 could be a more promising year. I will be visiting the US this month, so if you’d like to set up a Zoom call in EST hours just ping me here.

Nice syndicated version of the article that originally appeared in ISRAEL21c - this one in United with Israel: The Surprising US City Where Israeli Tech is Heading Next

Stealing Fire: How Silicon Valley, the Navy SEALs, and Maverick Scientists Are Revolutionizing the Way We Live and Work by Steven Kotler and Jamie Wheal: This book covers the same area as Homo Deus; how the Silicon Valley inspired “1%” are pursuing an upgrade (in this case upgrading reality) and access to the divine... and this trend has only accelerated as a result of COVID. There is certainly a lot I don’t like about the mindset in Silicon Valley but this is the group who has the resources, drive, and execution to move the needle on the global (and interplanetary) scale. This week on earth we’ll be celebrating the Maccabees upending the Hellenization of Jewish culture and bringing light to darkness; in less than a generation, some of us might be celebrating by bringing life to the Red Planet.

Plato described the Greek term estatis “as an altered state where our normal waking consciousness vanishes completely, replaced by an intense euphoria and a powerful connection to a greater intelligence”. The authors trace back Homo Sapiens’ rituals from our hunter-gather days (the use of a variety of rituals; fire, chanting, costumes, dancing, etc.) to enter altered states. The altered state economy is at an estimated four trillion dollars and defines activities which seek to alter the way we look at the world (if any only temporary) from the gentile (yoga) and standard (alcohol) to the security-related (US Special Forces entering flow states) and borderline illegal (microdosing).We're still at the early stages of understanding how the mental health challenges brought on by COVID will impact this.

The embrace of Silicon Valley and the commercialization of “hacks” to enter peak states is just another example of the extremity (and obsession) with human performance enhancement. In this case, entering altered states is used for ideation and problem solving. There is a focus in the book on shared (and fully immersive peak experiences) such as Burning Man and EDM culture (a seven billion industry); both of which had become mainstays of popular culture pre-COVID. Millennials and Gen Z are the most experience obsessed generations, for all the prevalence of technology they still sought to connect in person and partake in peak experiences together outside the algorithmically created wall gardens of social media.

Key Takeaways: 

Spirituality is the next performance enhancer: With physical connection on hold (for now) digital offers a plethora of meditation apps to deal with COVID stress. 

Altered states are fundamentals of human experience (and helped form society): The only difference is that whereas for thousands of years only religious elites could enter these states through sanctioned and holy practices, today they are accessible to everyone.

Ordinary mind states might not be enough to solve the world’s biggest problems: Thinking on a basic level got us to where we are now; thinking at that level is probably not going to solve some of our most pressing challenges in 2021.

The 101 for celebrating the Festival of Lights.

Atento Capital: We're looking for passionate individuals with recruiting experience to help us drive Tulsa towards a more diverse and vibrant future. Does this sounds like you? Apply below. Apply here.

Atera: Come work with them. Available Position: Customer Success/HR/Marketing/Product Management/R&D. Apply here.

Axis Corporate Edition: Telecom Innovation is back in 2020 virtually: Are you an Israeli startup with a unique technology solution for telecom operators? Apply now to present in front of leading global telecom operators from 10 countries, investors, and corporations interested to partner with startups. Apply here.

REMOTE Business Ops role for a YC startup: She has have a unique role for someone who seeks to ascend to a Head of Growth role in a startup. A HRtech Y-Combinator start-up founder seeks a right-hand person to support company growth in various ways. The role is a combination of product manager, growth marketer and special projects. It's fine if you haven't done growth marketing yet, as long you seek to grow in this area. They are open to different backgrounds from startups to management consulting to finance, though an analytical mind, skillset and experience is mandatory. If this fits please send your resume and let's talk! [email protected]

Citi: Exciting opportunity at Citi’s External Innovation and Venture Investment team in Tel Aviv! They are looking for a Community Coordinator and PA superstar for a *maternity leave replacement*. This is an amazing opportunity for anyone looking for an *immediate* and temporary role to join their dynamic and innovative family. Feel free to PM her for more details.

Lemonade: Content Lead. They're looking for an experienced content operator to help tell the Lemonade story. You’ll lead content strategy and operations for one of their product lines. If you’re a storyteller driven by creativity, original thinking, and KPIs, with solid operational skills and a proven track record in the world of content marketing - they'd love to talk. Apply here.

Reposify: They are growing fast and hiring for lots of positions in Israel. This company is bringing to market the best-in-class attack surface management solution and looking for dynamic individuals to come be a part of the journey. Apply here.

SecuredTouch: They're growing and looking for talented and motivated people to help them build a great company. They believe in enriched teamwork that creates inspiration, taking the initiative and maintaining a family and supportive environment. 

*DevOps

*Sales Development Representative

*Technical Account Manager

For more detailed job descriptions click here.

SQream: They are on a mission to provide organizations with a path to freedom from the challenges of MASSIVE data stores. They are looking for revolutionaries to join their team – people who dare to question the current reality of massive data limitations and are pushing toward a future of transformation, who embody our values of innovation and resourcefulness and realize that for change to occur, we are the ones who need to lead the way and make it happen. Apply here.

Wizco: To all you talented, fun individuals who are looking for a job (and to those who know these amazing people), Wizco is looking for a Growth Manager, and this is your opportunity to join them! Apply here.

Starta Investor Showcase Fall 2020: Starta's first Investor Showcase live stream is happening on Thursday, December 10th @ 6 PM ET! They at Starta Ventures are stoked to present their 10th Batch of international founders and would love to have to join them! At their showcase you’ll get the chance to meet 8 of their innovative and disruptive tech startups from all over the globe. Fri, December 11, 1:00 AM IST. Register here.

Celebrate Hanukkah with Israeli pop-duo, Static & Ben El: With plenty of online event options this Hanukkah season, they know you're looking for something that stands out...and that's exactly what they'll bringing you. Join the Masa Israel Journey community next week on December 14th at 8:00pm Israel Time on Facebook for a LIVE performance of Israeli pop-duo Static & Ben El. Sign up now!

365x Scale-up Israel Batch Virtual Showcase Event: Join them on December 14th and 15th at 6pm IDT/11am EST to meet and interact with the CEOs of 14 disruptive Israeli startups. Industries: TravelTech | Automotive & Fleet Management | Utilities | Cloud Computing & DevOps | Enterprise Software | eCommerce | Employee Wellbeing. Register here.

The Aftermath of the 2020 U.S. Presidential Elections: Politics, Cyber and Strategy: Opening Statement: Prof. Mark Shtaif, Rector, Tel Aviv University. Prof. Itai Sened, Head of BMI and Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Tel Aviv University. Thursday, December 17th, 05:00PM Israel Time I 10:00AM EST  I 3:00PM UK Time. Register here.

UAE-Israel Business Leaders Summit: This high level event will feature: The President of Israel, Reuven Rivlin. The UAE Minister of Economy, Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri. Israeli Minister of Tourism, Orit Farkash Hacohen. Along with senior government officials dealing with Covid-19 and key business and banking figures. December 14-16 from 5pm-7.30pm. Register here.

The DevTech Unconference - 20th to 24th December 2020: The DevTech conference is an unconventional and interactive virtual event, designed to bring together the key Israeli voices involved in technologies for international development. Over a week, this conference allows attendees to share their own ideas and knowledge, and receive advice from others who have experience in developing countries. Register here.

The NY Fashion Tech Lab 2021 Applications are **NOW OPEN**: They are delighted to announce the opening of their 2021 Program Applications. Over the past few months, they have been preparing for the 2021 lab, which will be accessible virtually. During this time, they have been staying in close contact with their community of fashion retailers and brands, alumni, industry experts, and investors to better understand their current and future needs. Apply here.

8200 for Startups by EISP 11th Cycle- Application Form: Thank you for your interest in joining 8200 For Startups by EISP program! Please note that due to the circumstance arising from COVID-19 and in alignment with the best practices laid out by the Ministry of Health and relevant entities, their next batch will begin in March 2021. Apply here.

Jonathan 'Yoni' Frenkel heads a content marketing agency, YKC Media, and works with VCs, corporates, and startups in creating written content, social, and advising on marketing strategy focused on engaging a US audience. He is currently in Israel working with the Tulsa-based fund Atento Capital. He can be reached on LinkedIn here.