Wrapping up 2020

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. My latest piece in ISRAEL21c: The surprising US city where Israeli tech is heading next

I will be hosting the next Upstream Israel Mixer this evening, Dec 3rd at 7pm Israel time. We'll have a guest speaker Ofer HaCohen, Head of the AT&T Innovation Center here in Israel share with us how startups can effectively work with corporates, and following his short talk, you'll meet a number of good people all under half an hour. To join the mixer click here.

We are at the cusp of reaching 10,000 subscribers as part of the fastest growing publication focused on Israeli tech globally. My Ask is if you enjoyed and benefited from this newsletter please share the email version with a friend or share the post version on LinkedIn.

Trailblazer: The Power of Business as the Greatest Platform for Change/ What, if Anything, Should Be Done to Rein in Big Tech?: With Salesforce's recent acquisition of Slack, topics in the Marc Benioff book and this article got me thinking about a few things. First, when I was working in the non-profit world there was this idea that 1.) you either made money (and gave it away) or 2.) worked at a non-profit and did good. As the world changes I believe it’s become a less binary approach. The 'uber' success of Big Tech and the people driving it over the past few years have redefined many of the ideas around making a positive global impact.

Big Tech, FAANG, or whatever you want to call them are not without their challenges and are driven by the same profit motives of any big company. The difference is the net positive that technology has had in improving our lives. True entrepreneurship is creating value (and solving problems) by creating something out of pretty much nothing. More entrepreneurs are waking up early in the AM believing in their heart that by solving customer’s problems they are doing good as well.

The second is that it’s becoming impossible not to get sucked into politics these days. Benioff touches on this in his book, but as 2021 is just around the corner and the changing of the guard is happening at the highest level, it’s going to reach a fever pitch. There are obviously a plethora of tech related issues government needs to address; regulation, privacy, etc. but even non-political platforms are becoming politicized... so TBD next year.

Key Takeaways:

Millennial consumption habits drive the economy: At this point big brands can’t just give this idea lip service and need to actually “do good and be good”. We’ll see how they measure up.

The definition of ‘social impact’ is changing: If there is another term which is used in so many forms please let me know. Venture, philanthropy, whatever.

All the hype around entrepreneurship is OK: While its popular these days to be an entrepreneur (many should probably not be) given the brutal failure rate it’s a net positive people are choosing this path.

An interesting way to the view the Startup Nation.

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.

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.

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.

SentinelOne Careers: Apply here.

Melio: When they started Melio, they wanted to build more than an efficient Accounts Payable tool. They wanted to build a service that helps small businesses keep up with business. A B2B payments experience that not only saves time but also significantly improves cash flow. A payment workflow so simple it helps businesses focus on their customers, not their back office. Current Job Openings here.

theDOCK: Their PORTfolio companies are hiring: Orca AI, WAVE BL, DockTech & ArcusTeam are looking for exceptional talents to address global maritime challenges. Especially during a worldwide pandemic, it is a show of strength of the digitally transforming maritime sector. Check out the details below and apply to work with one of these awesome startups!

> Orca AI - Apply here.

> ArcusTeam - Devops, Full-Stack Developer, junior QA.

> WAVE BL - Office Manager, Sales Operation Manager.

> DockTech - Apply here.

Viber: Open Positions in Israel. They're a passionate group of problem-solvers, innovators and creators with over 370 extraordinary employees worldwide, and we’re constantly on the lookout for new talents to join their team! Explore their open positions for your next career opportunity here.

From Idea to Double Unicorn: An entrepreneur's path to the desired investment: Tipalti is the leading global payables automation solution to streamline all phases of the AP and payment management workflow in one holistic cloud platform. The company had recently completed a series E round at a valuation of more than $2B. Thursday, December 3rd - 18:00. Register here.

THE STATE OF CORPORATE INNOVATION: A STARTUP'S GUIDE: Join them for an expert deep dive on how COVID-19 reshuffled the corporate and investment strategy landscape, its implications for adopting new technologies, and what these shifts indicate for startups in the days ahead. December 8, 9AM PST | 12PM EST | 7PM IST. Register here.

i-HLS InnoTech Broadcast – International largest innovation event: Due to the growing HLS challenges, terror attacks, and public security threats, as well as criminal activity and natural disasters, nations are looking for groundbreaking technological solutions. The COVID-19 pandemic has only emphasized the importance of technological innovation in the development of a rapid response to every evolving crisis. Dec 8, 2020, 10:00 AM - Dec 9, 2020, 5:00 PM. Register 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.

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.

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.

Enargite Startup Booster program: This is an intense 2 week program designed to boost and speed up operations and fundraising prospects for early stage startups worldwide by connecting 1 on 1 with top Silicon Valley experts and investors. The program is remote. Startup applications are now open. Website and application link here.

YU Innovation Lab: Israeli startups looking to expand to the US market? YU Innovation Lab, a business accelerator based out of Yeshiva University in NYC, is now accepting applications for the spring cohort (Feb-May 2021). The Innovation Lab, led by Dr. Maria Blekher, enables startups to leverage diligent YU students as members on their global growth team, as well as get support from leading mentors. Apply here.

Techstars Tel Aviv Accelerator: This program focuses on helping international and Israeli startups, across all verticals, learn from one of the world's most unique and innovative ecosystems, Tel Aviv. The application deadline is Dec, 20th and the program will be during the spring of 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.