Israel has a rich and lucrative history when it comes to business, skills and innovation, drawing some of the world’s best and brightest to its sunny shores. Now, with startups fast becoming the backbone of more and more countries’ economies around the world and with innovation at its forefront, Israel’s startup scene is booming like never before. With much of the Middle East in a state of peril and disarray, Israel is a shining beacon for success and happiness through innovation and persistence.
It is more than likely if you walk down Tel Aviv’s sunny promenade at any time of the year that you will see the fruits of more than 65 years of hard graft and fruitful labour. More people than ever before will be riding along on their modern day ‘hover boards’ and electric bikes and even more people will inevitably be enjoying the views, sights, sounds and sunshine.
However, there is something that while on the surface is a bit less noticeable, is very much present in every major and minor city throughout Israel.
You may well notice in the many of the quaint cafés you walk past that there will be more than a few journalist types from magazines and media outlets, especially those working for startup magazines documenting the huge successes of the Israeli startup generation.
David Samuel from startup magazine TechRound said of the phenomenon: “Sitting in a café in the heart of Tel Aviv is just unbeatable. There is so much opportunity around and so many like-minded and startup crazy people to meet. It’s fantastic and a utopia for the startup world that more people are starting to embrace.”
The ‘startup generation as it is being heralded is Israel’s answer to Silicon Valley and London. Sometimes operating out of no more than a small apartment, more and more aspiring entrepreneurs are setting up shop and bringing something new to the table. From the likes of the well-known startups such as Waze and Viber to the lesser known, but no less successful likes of Fitness22 who transformed the way we interact with fitness and our smartphones on a daily basis. There is no shortage on innovation and startups within Israel’s shores.
For many Israelis it is simply too expensive and too much of an upheaval to relocate and move to London, San Francisco or even Frankfurt - all of which are hubs of startups and innovation in their own rights. This though has proved to be a blessing for Israel and its bright minds. Instead of looking outwards for success, Israelis are looking inwards, with the realization that all they need for success is under their feet; a land of opportunity and success.
Rather than sitting back and giving in to potential economic restraints, having to hold down a secure full-time job whilst driving the success of a potential new business or project and avoiding and rejecting the attacks and increasingly weak advances by the likes of the BDS and others who seek to obstruct Israeli success, this ‘startup generation’ are seizing the opportunities planted by their forbearers.
Some groups and people will always come to Israel as they have an unbreakable bond and that is what is happening on the startup scene. Christian tour groups will always travel to Israel and the super-rich have a long documented history of investing there. However, those with an affinity and connection to startups are now doing so too and in their droves.
There is an ironic side to all this however. Such has the power of the Israeli startup machine increased, that the likes of BDS and anti-Israel governments are finding it more difficult to demote Israel in the modern day without using the very technology to promote this: A website built using Wix, navigating their way to a protest with Waze and writing venomous articles on an Intel powered laptop. It's hard not to pity them.
For the rest of us and the rest of the world however, having a powerhouse of a startup nation in the midst of all the uncertainty of the Middle East is no bad thing and is something that increasing numbers are starting to embrace, not combat.