Be Strong and of Good Courage

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.

Day 11 and this conflict rages on, but it seems like a cease-fire will take effect in the coming days. That will depend on the Hamas, who are the ones dictating the rules of the game. It's been a harrowing last few days in Israel, and the worse escalation of violence in the last few years.

While this is a tech newsletter, it is hard to focus on other matters during this time. What I have found to be personally the most difficult is seeing the amount of hatred directed towards Israel on social media. Not that that is anything new, but the intensity and how quickly it appeared by people who had no prior opinion (or skin in the game) is disturbing.

As someone who often doesn't agree with Israeli governmental policy, and looks to understand and empathize with the other side, I have found it very difficult to engage with supporters of the Palestinians and partake in a meaningful dialogue (many of them being from the US and Western Europe). This is a deeply complex conflict, which has been condensed to infographics and memes shared on social. I have felt the level of truly understanding this conflict has not gone past the superficial. In the end both sides will have to learn to live with each other, as we really don't have any other choice.

But we move ahead and continue forward. We aspire to be "strong and of good courage" as one of the founders of this country David Ben-Gurion stated (and the title of an excellent book about the Middle East). The Startup Nation has learned to succeed not despite of conflict, but because of it, as without resistance one cannot fly.

Israeli tech ecosystem calls for reconciliation between country's Jewish and Arab citizens: The rocket fire will most likely end in the coming days. Both sides will claim victory, tactically the IDF has destroyed much of Hamas's tunnel network, but strategically the Hamas may have won this round. The images of rockets being launched at Tel Aviv, and the division the Hamas has caused in Israeli society cannot be understated.

This round of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict may be coming to a close, but the damage done to Israeli society will take some time to heal. We have progressed as a society in integrating minority populations such as the ultra-Orthodox and Israeli Arabs over the last few years... and my fear is that much of that work will be wiped away as result of the sectarian rioting. But time will heal the wounds, and we need to take active steps to bring about a sense of reconciliation. Some would make the argument that the professionals leading Israeli tech are the elite and disconnected from the rest of the country. While we do live in a bubble, the Startup Nation miracle has helped develop the Israeli economy beyond our wildest dreams. But the next step in the growth of the Startup Nation is creating a bigger pie for everyone, both Jews and Arabs.

It is a dual-edged sword, on the one hand we are enamored by tech and on the other hand the social media networks have spread misinformation so quickly and inflamed passions. Maybe we would be better off for some time without our smartphones, and instead focus on how we can empathize with the other side and move past the violence.

Key Takeaways:

Dream for the day after: There is no other choice but to look to a hopeful future.

Most "activists" get their info from memes: Posting one-sided posts on social doesn't mean you're doing anything, you're actually making things worse.

Empathy is lacking: Never in history have we been so interconnected but so distant from one another.

Israeli tech that is a life-saver, and constantly improving.

Atento Capital: Come work with us. Atento connects great companies to great people with the mission to grow Tulsa’s community. If you’re based in Israel and interested in any of these positions reach out to me directly. Openings here.

Weekly updated round-up of Israel based tech and finance roles on LinkedIn here.

Getro: Check out two brand new Getro-powered jobs boards from HealthX Ventures and Onboard Health listing over 200 open jobs from health-tech startups.

HealthX Ventures here.

Onboard Health here.

Payoneer: Customer Approval Representative, Petah Tikva. If you’re the kind of person that loves to get stuff done, collaborate with colleagues all over the world and is interested in joining a fast-growing global company that is trusted by the world’s top digital brands and truly cares for its customers, join them at Payoneer! Apply here.

Zenner: Head Of Marketing. Sitting at the intersection of traveltech and insurtech, Zenner has an obsession with creating web and mobile products that are essential as your passport or plane ticket. They care deeply about the customer experience and building trust with their users. Apply here.

AWS Israel: They are hiring in Israel! Come join Amazon Web Services (AWS). Get in touch if you're interested. 

Senior Startup Business Development Manager, Israel here.

Senior Startup Marketing Manager, Israel here.

Startup Solutions Architect, Israel here.

Startup Account Manager, Israel here.

Many more AWS Israel opportunities here.

Cybint Solutions: They are looking for a Tech Lead to own the development of the next big thing in cybersecurity corporate training (combination of EdTech, Cybersecurity and the Future of Work). It's an amazing position for an amazing person! To apply: [email protected]

fitV: Any marketers in the crowd?? After they reached to hundreds of thousands of users around the world and built highly engaged community in the health & fitness market, they are looking for a talented Head of Marketing that will design, lead, and execute the next step of fitv's marketing strategy which include 2 mobile apps in different product stages. You are the one? Apply to the role! It's not you? share with your friends here.

Greenfield Partners: They are HIRING! They are looking for a full-time Assistant Controller to join their Tel Aviv office. Find below the details and if you are interested, please contact Anna Sudnik for more information.

Maverick Ventures: They are hiring an experienced principal with 3-5 years of relevant work in the field, they are based in Tel-Aviv. Send CVs to [email protected]

Team8: They are looking for a marketing manager for the very promising portfolio company we are building these days >> Get the chance to be part of building the marketing team and shape the journey of the company from the get-go. Read more about the position here.

They are also looking for a marketing director in our Team8 platform, supporting multiple companies from ideation to execution. Read more about the position here.

Special IDF Briefing: AIFL invites you to a special briefing with the IDF about the current hostilities emanating from Gaza based terror groups. The briefing will be conducted by IDF Brigadier General Dan Goldfus and include the latest updates on the ground. May 20, 12:00 PM in Eastern Time. Register here.

“Work-from-Home" Revolution: Real Estate Market Implications in the Post-COVID-19 Era Conference. Alrov Institute for Real Estate at the Coller School of Management, Tel Aviv University, The New Jersey-Israel Commission and Rutgers Center for Real Estate are inviting you to a conference. Tues May 25th, 9AM EST. Register here.

SECURING THE SUPPLY CHAIN OF CYBER PRODUCTS & SYSTEMS: The Blavatnik Interdisciplinary Cyber Research Center at Tel Aviv University and the EIS Council are proud to co-host a special webinar focusing on creating worldwide collaboration between suppliers, manufacturers, vendors, customers, governments, regulators and end-users. May 26, 06:30 PM in Jerusalem. Register here.

Reimagining Community Response After COVID: Lessons from Jewish Wisdom and Modern Technology for a Traumatized World: It is at these moments when they so grateful to be part of the community of United Hatzalah, an interfaith, pluralistic, nondenominational organization of volunteers who commit to dropping everything to save the lives of others across Israel at a moment's notice. United Hatzalah's use of life-saving technology to bring Israelis - Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Druze, and others - together in this mission, not drive them apart, has a lot to teach our world right now. At this moment, while the conflict rages, United Hatzalah's 6,000 volunteers are quietly putting their lives on the line to save those most in need. May 26, 2021 11:00 PM in Eastern Time. Register here.

Tulsa Venture Capital + Venture Mixer: Are you a current or aspiring Tulsa entrepreneur? Interested in tech companies, venture capital, or entrepreneurship generally? Just want to hear about what some awesome innovators in the Tulsa ecosystem are up to? RSVP YES! to our portfolio event on June 3rd! June 03, 5pm – 7pm CDT (Tulsa). RSVP here.

Virtual Event: SHAPING ISRAEL’S FUTURE LEADERS: Friends of Educating for Excellence (E4E) invites you to celebrate 20 years of transforming the lives of Israel's underserved youth. Meet the leaders of two companies who invest in E4E and the students who benefit. These leaders will share their reasons for investing in E4E and the students will discuss the outcome of these investments. Better understand the broader societal impact of these partnerships. Sun, June 6, 7:00 PM IDT. Register here.

Social Innovation Summit 2021: Social Innovation Summit is the ultimate platform for building partnerships, sharing best practices, and understanding global challenges and solutions among those who are committed to enabling more inclusive and equitable communities. This year’s expert lineup will reflect on the challenges of this past year as well as the opportunities for continued progress across critical themes like: COVID Response & Impact, Future of Work, Mental Health & Wellness, STEM Education, Tech for Good, Economic Mobility, and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. June 8-10. Register here.

Israel Investment Forum 2021 in Tel Aviv: They are proud to announce the Israel Investment Summit, which will take place on June 22, 2021, at the EXPO Tel Aviv. This is the first in-person, physical event after the COVID19 breakout. The summit is designed to introduce Israeli companies who aim to increase their activities and introduce them to potential new business partners, such as VC private investors, family offices, fund managers, institutional investors and more. Learn more here.

CyberWeek Tel Aviv (in person + virtual): Cyber Week is a large annual international cybersecurity event, hosted each year at Tel Aviv University in Israel. Over the past nine years, Cyber Week has become internationally acclaimed as one of the top cybersecurity events in the world. Cyber Week offers a unique gathering of cybersecurity experts, industry leaders, startups, investors, academics, diplomats, and government officials. With more than 9,000 attendees from more than 80 countries, this conference offers a thought-provoking exchange of knowledge, methods, and ideas that you won’t want to miss. July 19-22. Learn more here.

Ignite the spark All Stars 2021: They are proud to announce that they will be having their annual Israeli Energy Tech All-Stars event on June 29th. This event will be hybrid so that can can attract as many domestic and international investors. They are proud to have partnered with OurCrowd and Start-Up Nation Central again this year, as well as ESIL, Future Energy Ventures, and Herzog Fox & Neeman. They are inviting all start-ups to apply to pitch at this event. The application deadline is May 26th and selection process will be by the board of event partners. All relevant information is within the application here.

On Deck Founder Fellowship: Their 10th Cohort of ODF10 is kicking off on June 12th. The On Deck Founder Fellowship is a private community of world-class talent looking to start their next tech venture. Want in? Submit an application to be considered? Application is now open.

CALL FOR STARTUPS: Are you developing disruptive, sustainable solutions applicable to the paper and pulp industry? Klabin, one of the largest paper and pulp manufacturers in Brazil, has partnered with SOSA and CNI - Confedera??o Nacional da Indústria to find global innovative solutions to sustainably diversify their bio-based products for a renewable future. For more information about the opportunity, contact SOSA Innovation Manager, Matan Ben-Gigi at [email protected]

Jonathan ‘Yoni’ Frenkel heads Partnerships at Tulsa-based Atento Capital. He leads the effort to assist US and Israeli companies with hiring highly skilled remote workers in Tulsa. He can be reached on LinkedIn here.