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Israel Tech Tour, 29.1.20
The Best Tech Conferences in Israel To Attend in 2020
Whether you're interested in Cyber, Insurtech, Fintech, Nanotechnology or meeting Israel's tech leaders, we've got it all covered for you with the ultimate guide for the 2020 tech conferences in Israel.
There are countless reasons to visit Israel: The beaches, the food, the sacred places, the Dead Sea, or even Oved’s Sabich. But what really brings the most interesting crowds to this tiny Middle Eastern country is the simple fact that Israel is known worldwide as the Startup and Tech Nation.
Israel Tech Tour, a project by GKI Group, is offering international delegations a tailor-made tech tour i...
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Chen Feller, 1.3.20
36 Israeli startups raised over $850 million in February 2020!
29 days, 36 startups, one Unicorn and more than $850 million raised. That was February.
Hey everyone!
2020 started a bang: Over $880 million raised, and three new Unicorns were born. It's pretty hard to beat such numbers, but it seems that February and its 29 days gave a pretty good fight.
This month only once Unicorn joined the club and 36 startups raised over $857 million. Let's hope 2020 continues that way.
Here's some information about part of the startups, just like we do every...
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Startup Israel Community, 2.1.20
405 Israeli startups raised over $7.67 billion in 2019! [Mega Infographic]
Now that 2019 is behind us, we can take a look at all the startups that raised funds this year... and there were many of them.
2019 just ended, and lucky for us (and you) we’ve gathered lists of almost every Israeli startup that raised money in each month, so we have decided to create a mega-infographic with all the startups!
We’ve had an incredible year with fantastic numbers, and so many new Unicorns were born, that the name might as well be changed to a rarer creature.
So, according to our resources*, 405 startups hav...
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Chen Feller, 23.12.19
20+ Technologies That Shaped the 2010s: Part II
From tablets and Bitcoin to drones and reusable rockets, here’s the second part of our list of technologies that have shaped the passing decade.
The decade is coming to an end, and we’ve decided to summarize all the greatest technologies that shaped the 2010s. In part I, we’ve covered the new services, the gig economy, and the social networks.
In this second and final part, we’ll go through major technological developments and products that changed our lives during these past ten years, and some that will (probably) make their grand imp...
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Chen Feller, 17.12.19
20+ Technologies That Shaped The 2010s: Part I
What’s the connection between Uber, Airbnb, WhatsApp, and Netflix? It’s that this decade wouldn’t have been the same without them. This is part I of our technological voyage through the technologies that shaped the 2010s.
The 2010s are coming to an end and a new decade is approaching. Sure, the major products that we use today- like scrolling the never-ending Facebook feed on your laptop PC while watching a YouTube video on your iPhone- were invented during the late ’00s, but there are still some BIG technologies that have been invented or commonly used and perfected during this decade.In this grand, two-part art...
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GKI Group
We're looking for An NLP Expert!
Are you experienced in Natural Language Processing, AI and Machine Learning? We're looking for you.
We’re looking for an enthusiastic worker who majors in AI, machine learning or NLP to join us and help us craft GKI Group’s future products and advance the conversation capabilities that exist today.
In our team, we push the boundaries on the state-of-the-art in language understanding, intent classification, and learning from human interactions. All this, using machine learning, NLP, and deep...
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Chen Feller, Startup Israel Community, 1.12.19
31 Israeli startups raised over $880 million in November 2019 [Infographic]
Fraud prevention, seeing through walls, VAT refunds and robotics - 31 startups totally nailed it this month.
After the astronomical numbers of last month, we expected a bit of slowing down, but the flow of investments in the Israeli startup ecosystem doesn’t seem to stop. 31 startups, founded or located in Israel, raised $883.1 million this month!
Leading this month’s investment is Riskified, fraud prevention for eCommerce, with an incredible $165 million round that brings its valuation to over $1 b...
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Startup Israel Community, 3.11.19
41 Israeli startups raised over $871 million this October! [Infographic]
Insurance, lab meat and cooling your house using the sun: These are some of the 41 Israeli startups raised over $871 million this October.
Now that the holiday season is finally over, the Israeli startup ecosystem is back at work- big time. 41 startups (that we know of) raised more than $871 this October, especially thanks to Next Insurance, Fabric, and Rapyd. Just like every other month, we’ve picked a few companies worth mentioning:
Number one on our list, and probably one of the biggest investment rounds this year, is Next Insu...
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Chen Feller, 26.9.19
Baby Tech at Kind + Jugend 2019: Time to Meet CozyFlow
Kind + Jugend is the biggest international event for baby and toddler products. We were there with our new product - CozyFlow.
Kind + Jugend is the international leading trade fair for premium baby and toddler products that took place in Cologne, Germany last week. Over 1,200 exhibitors from 55 countries came to show their line of products for 2020, to find distributors and retailers or show the world the newest developments in the baby tech industry. GKI Group was amongst them.
Some of you are probably wondering right ...
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Chen Feller, 1.9.19
32 Israeli startups raised nearly $390 million in August [Infographic]
This August, one big company went even bigger, and 31 smaller startups raised some great funds as well.
After some GREAT numbers last month, August came in like Larry David to “curb our enthusiasm”. Well, that is unless you’re working at Cybereason- who raised $200 million- and are accountable for more than half of $378.77 million raised by 28 Israeli startups this month.
So, just like every other month, here are our month’s top picks:
As mentioned in the opening paragraph (Hope you’ve read it), ...
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Startup Israel Community, August 1st 2019
36 Israeli startups raised over $765 million this July [Infographic]
Hot summer in the Startup Nation: 37 Israeli startups raised over $765 this July, some success overseas, and three new Unicorn companies were born.
Hot summer! 36 Israeli startups raised over $765 this July, and three new Unicorn companies were born. We have a lot to cover, so let’s cut to the chase and tell you about some of these investments.
On the top of our list is the company that’s nearly impossible to search for in Google, because you immediately get directed to its website: monday.com. The very well known and popular collaborati...
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39 Israeli startups raised $690 million this June! [Infographic]
Time for some good news: 39 Israeli tech companies raised (or were granted) nearly $690 million this June.
June is over, springtime in Israel is now officially over, and it was the perfect time for growth: For trees, plants, and Israeli startups. It’s time to see which startups were covered in green ($$$) this month. And what a month it was - 39 Israeli startups raised over $680 million.
An...
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Newer tech for the older generation: 13+ Israeli startups for seniors
With an ever-growing population of seniors, grows the need for products to make to their lives healthier, easier and happier. Here are 13 Israeli startups trying to make that happen.
Israel celebrated its 71st birthday recently, so we thought it would be a good time to show our respect to the generation who built this country and focus on the seniors. Seniors are everywhere, and their numbe...
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Startup Israel Community, 1.5.19
29 Israeli startups raised almost $880 million in April!!! [Infographic]
Seems like everyone found the afikoman this Passover: 29 Israeli startups raised nearly $880 million in April.
WOW! We’re used to great numbers all year long, but we really have no idea why April was so uniquely outstanding, maybe it was all the matzah. 30 Israeli startups raised an astonishing total of $878 million, although most of the credit should go to Israeli-founded companies Lemonade ($300m) and Selina ($100m).Anyway, just like every month, here’s a taste of some of this month’s standout investment...
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Chen Feller, 17.4.19
The 10 plagues of the Israeli tech industry
Passover is here, so we decided to dig further into the ecosystem and tell you about the 10 plagues of Israeli tech industry.
It’s been quite a while since our exodus from Egypt, since our people went from slavery to freedom and since we settled in Israel and established the Startup Nation. These days are long gone, but today, we have some other modern problems to deal with, problems that prevent Israelis from escaping “modern slavery” (working for an emerging startup) to the desired exodus (exit). So, in the spirit of P...
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Chen Feller, 24.3.19
Happy international women's month: 20 Israeli startups founded by women
Only 10% of the Israeli startups were founded by women, but that still means that there are hundreds of female entrepreneurs in Israel. To honor International Women's Month, we are featuring 20 of them.
Israel, the grand Startup Nation with over 6,700 active tech companies, is no stranger to successful female entrepreneurs, and yet, only 10% of these startups were founded by women. So, to honor International Women’s Day (and month) we decided to write about twenty interesting and innovative Israeli startups founded by women. Most of the startups were co-founded by women who took the role of CEO, ...
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Startup Israel Community
Short month, big numbers: 34 Israeli startups raised over $570 million this February
In only 28 days, 34 Israeli startups raised a whopping $570m, and few other companies were acquired. Great numbers.
So, how’s 2019 been treating you so far? We know that it’s been going quite well for several Israeli companies, and more specifically these 34 startups on this month’s investments list, that raised a whopping total of $573.15 million. February 2019 also turned out to be the month of acquisitions. Before we begin with the usual “Who Raised What”, we feel like sharing some exciting news about Israel...
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Elad Kobi, 24.2.19
Yango vs Gett: Who offers the best ride-hailing service in Tel-Aviv?
New ride-hailing service, Yango, landed in Israel two months ago and I had to check out which taxi-on-demand company does a better job: Gett or Yango?
It’s Elad again. Remember me from the Bird blog post? As a Tel-Avivian, I’m always on top of new mobility services, or anything that could take me from point A to point B without moving my car from its precious parking spot. So, when I heard that Yango decided to launch here in Israel, I thought I must check it out. In this article, I’m going to tell you about Yango vs. Gett, who offers the best ...
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Startup Israel Community, 3.2.19
36 Israeli startups grabbed nearly $480 million in the first month of 2019
2019 has only just begun, but it begun with $477 million investments and 36 happier startups
Wait! Before we start with the list, we just want to remind you - STARTUPURIM IS BACK!Startupurim is a "Secret Santa" game between startups that we're organizing for the 3rd time this year. So, if you wanna take part in something awesome and become a member of the Israeli Startup Community. Click here to sign up! 2019 started off on the right foot: 36 Israeli startups raised over $477 million thi...
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Startup Israel Community, 01.01.19
28 startups raised more than $340 million in December 2018 [Infographic]
Cannabis, Robots and Hummus: 28 Israeli startups raised $340 million in the last month of 2018
WOW! This year passed so quickly. It feels that only a year ago we were at the beginning of 2018. So, after 11 infographics, hundreds of deals and billions of dollars raised, we finally made it to the last article (and infographic) of the year. 28 startups raised more than $341 million; Not the best numbers we’ve seen this year, but hey, look at how many companies made an exit in 2018. Happy ...
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Chen Feller
Israel's 18 biggest exits of 2018
With deals worth billions and hundreds of millions, these 18 companies found a good reason to open a bottle of Champagne way before new year's eve.
2018 is coming to an end. Many things happened. Many startups and companies were founded, shut down, got involved in a scandal, hacked into or fulfilled their destiny - to be sold. To summarize this year, we decided to look back at Israel's 18 biggest exits of 2018. This year, the number of Israeli startups acquired has dropped. According to IVC-Meitar, exits in the first half of 2018 were worth a...
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Chen Feller, 07.11.18
20 Israeli companies with Hebrew names
What does Teva, Namogoo, Atidot and Tipa all have in common? Their name has a meaning in Hebrew, and they're not alone. More than 20 Israeli companies are gaining worldwide popularity using Hebrew names.
One thing every startup needs, other than a strong team, a bit of funding or an idea is a good name, and a good name is hard to find. With relevant English words and buzzwords running out, it's becoming more and more challenging to come up with a perfect name. Lucky for non-English speaking countries, like Israel, we have an extra vocabulary we could use to invent new names - Hebrew. The trick is ...
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Startup Israel Community, 1.11.18
35 Israeli startups raised $626 million this October [Infographic]
An infographic of 35 Israeli startups with one thing in common - They all raised some $$$ this month.
We thought September was a busy month with record-breaking fundings, but it seems that October just topped it: 35 startups (that we know of) raised more than $626 million. That's impressive. Let’s kick off with the most significant round of this month - JFrog scored $165 million in funding. The startup’s huge D round was led by Insight Venture Partners and others. JFRog is a DevOps platform, found...
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GKI Group, 7.10.18
Amsterdam Capital Week and Angel Island
Meetups, sessions, meetings, investors and one island full of the above - Here's our summary of Amsterdam Capital Week.
[Source: capitalweek.amsterdam]With each year passing, Amsterdam is pushing itself to the forefront of the European innovation. How? By deepening the connections, cooperating with international companies, and of course - arranging incredible tech events, all year long. The biggest and most popular one is The Next Web, but we’re here to introduce you to a smaller, yet more meaningful event - Amster...
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Startup Israel Community, 2.10.18
30 Israeli startups raised more than $900 million this September [Infographic]
No such thing as holiday season in Israel. 30 startups raised a total of $913 million. Compass alone raised $400 million.
Holiday season? Not for these startups: 30 Israeli-based startups, or founded by Israelis, raised the astonishing amount of $913.65 million in September, mainly thanks to US-Based Compass that raised nearly half of it.Let's begin with the leading company on this list - Compass. The real estate startup isn't Israeli, but it was founded by Ori Allon, and it achieved greatness. With an extra $400 mil...
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Elad Kobi, 20.9.18
My first month with Bird in Tel Aviv
Scooter-sharing company Bird finally landed in Israel about a month ago, and after a month full of rides, I have a few words, good and bad, to say about it. Let's roll!
I just found my new toy. At least that’s what I thought a month ago - and it’s called Bird.Bird is a pay-as-you-go scooter rental startup, a global success, now making its first steps in Israel, or more accurately, at the center of it - Tel Aviv. As a Tel-Avivian myself, I was excited to hear that we’re finally lining up with other cities and that Bird chose us a the testbed (and maybe a future ...
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Startup Israel Community, 2.9.18
24 Israeli startups raised nearly $360 million this August [Infographic]
September is here, so it's time to look back and see which startups got an investment last month
While July was a super busy month, seems that during August all the investors and startups went on a summer vacation. Well, at least some of them, because 24 startups raised $359.45 million!Rocking the list is the half-Israeli half-American cybersecurity startup Exabeam. While it's not listed as Israeli, it was founded by Nir Polak. The company raised $50 million this month and a total of $115 mil...
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Startup Israel Community, 1.8.18
36 Israeli startup raised the astonishing amount of $644m this July [Infographic]
July was probably one of the best months the Israeli startup community have ever seen
Wow, July was crazy. Not only we witnessed some exists, like Datorama being sold to Salesforce for $800 million or 10bis sold to Takeaway.com for $157 million, but also 36 startups (That we know of) raised the total amount of $644.3 million. On top of the list is the Israeli-Singaporean startups Trax Image Recognition, with $125 million and a valuation of $850 million. We already wrote about Trax ...
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GKI Group, 25.7.18
Rise of the Israeli Foodtech Ecosystem
With over 300 startups, hundreds of deals and a new hub under construction, you can pretty much say that the Foodtech ecosystem in Israel is thriving. With the help of Umatch Analytics, it's time to show you what's cooking.
In recent years the Foodtech industry in General and the Israeli Foodtech, in particular, is growing and expanding at a fast rate, just like the need for new technologies. The industry across the globe is starting to realize that due to the massive growth in world population the demand for food consumption is about to increase by 70% worldwide. So it is only natural that there is a need to c...
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Chen Feller, 31.5.18
NL x IL: Connecting the Netherlands and Israel
GKI Group's exclusive annual lunch in Amsterdam took place a day after TNW 2018 with industry leaders from the Netherlands and Israel to strengthen the connection between the countries.
NLxIL Lunch began at W Hotel's rooftop barAfter returning from three busy days in Amsterdam, it’s time to summarize our brief yet fruitful visit. It began with two days at TNW Conference, a cruise with industry influencers, a breakfast with leaders from the Balkan countries and ended with our annual NLxIL Lunch at the W Hotel, with partners from Israel and the Netherlands.Our continuous affair wit...
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Chen Feller
The Story of the Hub for Israeli Maritime Innovation and Startups
The Startup Nation is well-known for plenty of breakthrough technologies in every technology sector, yet, the maritime technology remained untouched. theDOCK Innovation Hub in Haifa is aiming to change that. We had an interview with CEO and Founder, Hannan Carmeli.
Hannan is busy, together with his partners – Nir Gartzman and Noa Schuman, in fulfilling a vision combining two of the things he loves the most: Technology and the Maritime domain. theDOCK Innovation Hub is located in Haifa and was founded a year ago by Hannan, the CEO, and Nir Gartzman, the COO, with one goal in mind: To make Israel become the Startup Nation for the Port, Maritime and Logistics ...
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33 Israeli startups raised over $460 million this April [Infographic]
April ended with not over 33 deals (That we know of), and with great numbers! To be more accurate, 33 Israeli startups raised $468.1 million this month. Awesome!On top of the list - Selina. That's not a startup. Well, not the kind of startup that you'd expect to find in a tech-oriented list. Selina is a hostel chain that was founded by two Israeli in several locations across Latin America. Now, Se...
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Chen Feller
Celebrating Israel's 70th Independence Day with 70 Israeli Startups you should know
From A to Z - 70 Israeli startups to celebrate 70 years of Israeli innovation.
It’s Israel’s 70th birthday, so we’re celebrating it with 70 Israeli startups you should know, located here in Israel or just founded by Israelis. It was pretty hard to pick only 70 out of nearly 6,000 startups, but we managed to curate a list of well-known and lesser-known promising startups from various categories. So, without further ado, here are our picks for some of the most interesting sta...
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Startup Israel Community
33 Israeli Startups raised over $450 million this March [Infographic]
From $0.4m to $100m and all the in-between, here's the list of startups that raised money in March 2018.
This isn't an April Fools prank - 33 Israeli startups raised $457.35 million last month. Great way to celebrate Passover.Leading the financing round is social-trading firm eToro, who raised $100 million in Series E funding to focus on blockchain technologies. eToro, founded in 2007, has raised more than $162 million in total and is now valued at $800 million. Pack up your bags; we're heading to th...
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Guest Post: Zsuzsanna Gellér-Varga
Startup ecosystem in Hungary – and a documentary film about its early years
The flourishing Hungarian startup ecosystem still needs many more angel investors, mentors and more experience in marketing and sales. Back in the early years the stakeholders were searching for their roles – a new documentary film shows exactly that journey: through the story of a beginner business angel and a beginner startupper at the dawn of the Hungarian startup-world.
A few giants from a small country Some great Hungarian startup success stories became well-known internationally and boosted the startup-momentum a few years ago. Ustream, LogMeIn, NNG, Autohop had successful exits, some other companies, like Prezi have not had an exit yet, but they expanded to extreme proportions. Beyond those unicorns, there are a couple hundred startups trying to follow t...
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Chen Feller
What we remember from Whisky Live Tel Aviv 2018
Last week we went to Whisky Live, where some of the best distilleries in the world gave us something to drink. We survived to tell.
Before I begin, let me answer one of the most burning questions - “Why are you writing about a Whisky Live? What’s that got to do with entrepreneurship, innovation, and startups?” Well, as some of you may already know, GKI Group is not only all about technology. One of our main investments that we actively took part in its foundation is actually in a whisky distillery, or more accurately, Mi...
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Startup Israel Community
27 Israeli startups raised over $550 million this February [Infographic]
So, which startups raised $$$ this month?
This February, 27 Israeli startups (that we know of) raised more than $550 million from VCs, investors and debt financing. We got some of them covered for you.On top of the list, we can find the Fintech company Behalf, based in NY. They raised $150 million in debt financing from investors like Soros Fund Management and Viola Capital. Behalf is providing loans and working capital small to medium bu...
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Startup Israel Community
Eight Israeli startups to help you travel in 2018
From cheap flights finder to easy trip planning, there are many travel startups in Israel. We picked eight.
We don’t know which vacation destinations are on your bucket list for 2018, but we do know that there are some Israeli travel startups that can help you make the best of your trip wherever you are going. From finding the best deals to finding you the hottest spots, here’s a list of eight startups, founded by Israelis, that you should use on or before your next vacation. Enjoy! Eyf...
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Chen Feller
Umatch Analytics May Be The Future of B2B Matchmaking
A new Israeli startup wants to change the way we build meaningful B2B connections. We had an interview with its co-founder and CEO, Golan Malca.
One of the more painful experiences for companies, startups founders, entrepreneurs and even investors is going to a large tech conference, spending hours networking, and leaving with nothing but a bag full of giveaways and business cards. Umatch Analytics, a new startup in GKI Group’s investment portfolio, is solving this very problem with sophisticated AI and NLP. We sat down with Umatch’s CEO a...
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Startup Israel Community
Israeli startups raised more than $830 million in December [Infographic]
WOW! What a way to end 2017, with $450 million going to Compass.
Every month Startup Israel Community publishes the list of Israeli startups who raised millions of dollars from investors, VCs and crowdsourcing.Last month, the final month of 2017, 31 Israeli startups raised $838.05 million from foreign and local investors.On top of the list, you can find Ori Allon's US-Based startup Compass, after raising $450 million from SoftBank. Just last month the real esta...
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Chen Feller
Five Tech Stories That Shaped 2017 - Part II
In the second part of our annual summary, we will share some of the year’s best tech stories from Israel, and no, it’s not only Mobileye.
First, if you still haven’t read Part I, click here to read our thoughts on Bitcoin, Uber and #MeToo.Many events, acquisitions, large investments occurred this year in Israel, many new startups were closed, while others were opened, but none these tech stories were notable like the day Intel bought Mobileye. We’ve got that covered, obviously, we did not forget all the rest. The Mobileye Effect ...
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Chen Feller
Five Tech Stories That Shaped 2017 - Part I
In the first part of our annual summary, we will remember some of the year’s best tech stories: Bitcoin, Uber and #Metoo.
As 2017 comes to a close, we thought it would be a good time to look back and remember some of the year’s best tech stories.Last year we brought you the 10 Tech Stories That Shaped 2016; this year we’ve narrowed it down to just five, but we’ll start with just three stories that had a worldwide impact:1. The rise of Bitcoin. By the time you finish reading this it may be worth $20K, or $10K… who kno...
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6 Israeli Startups Founded by Local Celebrities
From a successful interactive video company to a smartwatch for tennis players, here are the stories of six startups founded by Israeli celebrities
We already wrote about “14 tech companies founded by celebrities”, but now it’s time to stop looking overseas and start focusing on the entrepreneurial, creative minds of our own local celebrities; let us introduce you to six Israeli startups founded by Israeli celebrities - singers, comedians, and even a professional tennis player. Interlude/Eko Interlude/Eko was co-founded in 2009 b...
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Startup Israel Community
Israeli startups raised nearly $405 million this November [Infographic]
This November, 35 startups raised nearly $405 million from investors, mostly thank to Israeli-founded startup Compass that raised $100 million.
Every month Startup Israel Community publishes the list of Israeli startups who raised millions of dollars from investors, VCs and crowdsourcing.This November, 35 startups raised nearly $405 million. That's incredible!On top of the list, we can find the Israeli-founded real estate startup, Compass, that raised $100 million from Fidelity Investments, IVP and Wellington Management. Compass, founded ...
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StartJLM contest - From The Hague to Jerusalem
The Embassy of Israel in the Netherlands held a contest for Dutch startups. We were there.
Earlier this month we took part in the Start-up Symposium and StartJLM event held at Urban Farmers in The Hague, Netherlands. The organizers of the event and the contest are The Embassy of Israel in The Netherlands, with help from more partners. The issues discussed were innovative solutions to global challenges and the success of Israel, the Startup Nation. Later, the winners of StartJLM contest...
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How these 15 tech companies got their names?
Why is Linux called Linux, what Instagram means and what the hell is Nvidia? We gathered the stories of 15 tech companies.
Every company has a story behind its branding. Whether it's a tech company, a startup, or a fashion brand, there's always a something behind the name and the logo. But, did you ever ask yourself "How these tech companies got their names?" Questions like "Why is Google called Google?" or "What the heck Facebook means?". While the stories of Google and Facebook's names are pretty well-known, we l...
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Nir Kouris
On the rise: Exploring Berlin’s Startup Ecosystem
A quick overview of Berlin's startup ecosystem: The co-working spaces, community and startups.
I travelled to Germany to explore one of the most successful startup ecosystems in the world - Berlin. Focused on learning about what makes their startup community so successful, I explored how they built their local ecosystem, attended events, visited co-working spaces, navigated entrepreneurial hubs and learned about various accelerator programs.Connecting to the local communityAs the manager of...
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The Story of Three Entrepreneurs Who Quit Too Early
From the forgotten co-founder of Apple to the inventor of the fidget spinner, here's the story of three entrepreneurs who should have stayed a bit longer
One of entrepreneur's’ biggest fears, other than the fear of their startup failing, is making a bad decision that causes them to lose an opportunity and, a lot of money. We’re talking about millions lost due to an irrational thought, disbelief in your company or just needing money quickly. We’ll start with one of the most famous stories, the third forgotten co-founder of Apple. Ronald Wayne - His ...
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Chen Feller
The Israeli Startup Lobby: Talking about Jerusalem's Ecosystem
The Israeli Startup Lobby met to discuss one burning topic - Jerusalem. How can the government help the Israel's capital become the best ecosystem in Israel?
The House Committee at the Knesset Part of our group's main activities was founding the Israeli Startup Lobby almost two years ago, along with MK Yoel Hasson and MK Yoav Kisch, to facilitate communication and collaboration between the local government and the entrepreneurial community. We met yesterday at the Knesset House Committee to discuss one main subject - Jerusalem's ecosystem. I...
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Our connection to the Netherlands
One of GKI Group's main goals is connecting for Israeli entrepreneurs with the top startup countries. Join us on our first stop - Netherlands.
Over the past few months, we’ve worked hard on building strong relations with key people of the tech industry in the Netherlands, focusing on Amsterdam. We came with a mission - become the connection to the Netherlands for Israeli startups, entrepreneurs, and investors. We came to strengthen the connection, deepen the relations between these two countries and work for better future together.Our re...
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Chen Feller
Exploring the co-working spaces of Amsterdam
Two days in Amsterdam, four co-working spaces: B. Amsterdam, TQ, WeWork and Merkspace.
Amsterdam is a great startup city, with an amazing ecosystem and full support from the government to make it the next Silicon Valley. No startup city is complete without its hubs, accelerator programs, incubators, schools, programs and of course - co-working spaces. While visiting the Netherlands we had the opportunity to explore a few of the co-working spaces in Amsterdam including B. Amsterdam, ...
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How StartupAmsterdam is helping the growth of the city's ecosystem
Other cities around the world are quickly pushing in front of Tel Aviv as the top startup ecosystems in the world. One of the cities giving Tel Aviv a run for its money is Amsterdam.
There are 2,900 startups in Amsterdam and its surroundings; about 1,000 of them are located in the city center. Amsterdam claimed the title of "Innovation Capital of Europe" in 2016, and it's always in the top five...
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Chen Feller
The Next Web Conference 2017
2 days, dozens of events. We went to TNW Conference 2017 in Amsterdam and returned with information about some interesting startups.
We had an amazing, enriching, fruitful and full of strong networking here in Amsterdam, but the highlight was definitely The Next Web conference held on the 18-19th of May.It’s the 11th time that TNW Conference is happening, but this year it was bigger, better, and totally justified the slogan - “More than a conference”.15,000 attendees showed up this year, from all over the world, to exhibi...
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Chen Feller
7 Israeli inventions from 7 decades of innovation
Israel's 69th Independence Day is here, and it's time look back at some great Israeli inventions, a one from every decade, from solar water heating to a super-fast charger.
With Israel celebrating its 69th Independence Day, it's time for a short recap of some great Israeli inventions and gadgets, one from every decade that we exist.The world already knows that we're the innovation nation, everyone heard about the DiskOnKey, The Cherry Tomatoes, Iron Dome, Waze, and Mobileye, but it's time to talk about some other important inventions.For that matter, we decided to te...
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Gal Kalkshtein
How to pick the best lawyer for your startup?
A good lawyer is crucial to the success of your startup, but how do you pick the right one? Here are a couple of things you should check.
During my career I have been an employee, a manager, an entrepreneur and an investor; no matter my role, lawyers were always around.I have worked with many different kinds of lawyers, and have come to the conclusion that one needs to work with an excellent lawyer, and that when it comes to lawyers, you get what you pay for. My most painful memories are from mediocre lawyers I hired in the pa...
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Lital Kalkshtein
Investment Meetings: The Obstacles You Should Prepare for
Investment meetings often feel like an enigma: no matter how many you may attend, you can never quite know what to expect and how it will turn out. You go to a meeting with a potential investor confident that your idea is THE next thing that will change the world ‒ but somehow the person on the other side of the table doesn’t think so, and decides to pass. Why does that happen? There are mos...
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Amira Keidar
How to tell your family story
A simple guide to motivate for discovering your family's history
Imagine going up the attic at your grandparents’ house to take a look around. You make your way between the old furniture, the dusty boxes and the plastic bags that hide some old clothes that probably no one will ever wear again. After some time, when you’re about to leave the place disappointed (and dirty), you suddenly notice an old crate standing in the corner of the attic. It is full of ...
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Chen Feller
14 tech companies founded by celebrities
Not only Dr. Dre - These celebrities founded or co-founded some interesting startups.
Sometimes being famous for one thing is not enough. Sometimes you want people to see how brilliant you and your ideas are, so what do you do? You start a company.This is a story of these celebrities - Actors, musicians, comedians, hosts, basketball players or just... I don't know, famous for something.They had an idea, they had the ambition, and sure do they had the money and they decided to open ...
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Chen Feller
Meet the army unit that makes soldiers' ideas actually happen
Did you know that the Israeli Air Force has an innovation unit that makes the soldiers' ideas come true? Ilan Regenbaum from this unit was here to talk about it
For years, the IDF was perceived as an archaic body compared to the world of innovation and the flourishing Israeli ecosystem outside the army borders. Well, no more.It's time to meet the IAF Innovation Department - The unit that listens to soldiers's ideas, and puts them into action, to make the IDF units smarter and more efficient, for everyone's benefit.We had an interview with Ilan Regenbaum, ...
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Chen Feller
Top 10 tech stories that shaped 2016
Our team picked the ten tech stories from Israel and the rest of the world that shaped 2016: from the rise of autonomous cars, to Pokemon Go, to the death of Yahoo, it’s all in here, in just one year.
That’s it, 2016 is over. You may have liked it, you may have hated it, but you’ve got to admit that it sure was interesting. A lot has happened, a lot has changed, and a lot of it all is going to affect our future. Here at GKI Group we’ve picked the ten tech stories from Israel and the rest of the world that shaped 2016: from the rise of autonomous cars, to Pokemon Go, to the death of Yahoo, it’s ...
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Chen Feller
20 things Cuba should know about the internet
Now that the people of Cuba have internet access, we thought of sharing some basic guidelines
In case you haven't heard - Google is trying to connect Cuba to the internet, starting with 2,000 households to see how it goes. That's a huge step was for this beautiful and disconnected Island to finally become a part of the 21st century.Now, Cubans, before you grab your iPhone and start posting photos of vintage cars to your Instagram account, here's 20 things should know about this thing calle...
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Chen Feller
85% of your followers read only the title of the article
Short summary of "Content Israel 2016"
That’s the main (and sad) conclusion from “Content Israel 2016” conference held yesterday in Nalagaat Center in Tel Aviv. The conference hosted great speakers from the industry, Israelis and non-Israelis, to talk about the latest trends in content editing, and how can you convince people to get interested in your content, and eventually in your product. Among the speakers you could find Rebecca Co...
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Chen Feller
Connecting The Holy Land to The Netherlands
Tom Vos spends his days helping Israeli startups flourish in the Netherlands, now it's time to hear him out.
Many companies, and some startups who can afford it, are beginning to open more international offices around the globe. As an Israeli company, you can’t only stay in Israel and expect to flourish anymore. If you’ve ever thought of opening another office in the Netherlands, we met just the guy who’ll help you achieve it – Mr. Tom Vos.Tom, now 44, moved to Israel 25 years ago, and has since be...
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Chen Feller & Miriam Young
Another successful year in the Israeli tech scene
A lot has happened here in the year of 5776, the Jewish alternative for the end of 2015 and beginning of 2016. The startup scene remains on the rise and a lot of new companies opened, with billions raised to help the startups.Now that the Jewish holidays are over, it's to time return to normal, head back to work and our daily routine, but it doesn't mean we can't still celebrate. So, to celebrate ...
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Chen Feller
The most southern hub in Israel
Not only vacation: A new hub opened in Eilat, and it's free for all entrepreneurs. Won't you come take a look?
In the middle of May, we had a company trip to Eilat. We had fun, quality company bonding time, as well as enriching educational experiences. Each day we attended lectures and presentations at Eilat Hub, and before heading back up to the center of Israel, we met with the hub’s CEO, Or Haviv. Eilat Hub is pretty new, having been established at the beginning of this year. Upon their arrival in...
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Chen Feller [Last edited: 17.10.18]
6+ Israeli chatbots you should message
Open your Facebook Messenger, It's time to make some new bot friends.
It’s starting to get pretty tiring talking about all the newest “hot trends”, but you should trust us (and everyone else) when we say that AI (artificial intelligence) bots and chatbots are really the next big thing.If any technology is trending, you can be sure that the Israeli startup scene will hop on the opportunity and make the most of it. Meekan, for example, the Israeli bot that helps Slack...
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Dor Avrahami
Robotics Today
Israel Innovation Authority published their annual report two months ago. The report looked at subjects like the Israeli tech scene, the rise of growth in companies, and one of the most intriguing matters of our time — robotics. Specifically, the robotic industry in Israel.Whether we speak about factories operating autonomously, automatic vending machines, a robot that cleans the floor while we’re...
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Teen accelerator programs should become a thing
The Hub, Teen Accelerator camp, visited our office and made us realize this is the kind of solution we need to keep the Startup Nation going.
On July 26th we had some really special guests at our office. We hosted The Hub - Teen Accelerator technology camp, which is an all new summer program for teens from around the world. They came to Israel for a 10-day intensive accelerator specializing in either design, programming, marketing, or entrepreneurship. These kids were from everywhere from California, to Texas, France, England, Spain, an...
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Welcome
Hey there startups, entrepreneurs, and tech-lovers everywhere- we are GKI Group
We are your home for innovation and technology. We are here to solve your problems, and here to come up with top-notch inventions and developments. We are your voice and connection to the Israeli government, and we are here to consult and help aspiring startups & entrepreneurs. We are here for you. So, you want to know what we actually do? Many things:Consult entrepreneurs and startups and hel...
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Miriam Young
Whisky Live 2016
Our summary of the hottest whisky-related event of the year.
To be honest, I never knew that much about whisky. A fun alcoholic beverage, mainly popular among sophisticated men? That’s the general knowledge passed around. When I started working at GKI Group, I entered a new level of whisky culture through Milk & Honey, the first whisky distillery in Israel. Gal Kalkshtein, Founder of GKI, is Founder and Director of the Milk & Honey Distillery, while...
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Chen Feller
The Knesset Unites In Fighting “Shaming”
On June 28th we were invited to the Knesset, where they held the first “Unity Event”, to come up with ways to bridge the gaps between the Israeli people despite differences. Gal Kalkshtein, the Founder of GKI Group, and CEO of the Israeli Startup Lobby, was there to attend and head one of the 12 “Round Tables”. The unity event consisted of 12 round tables discussing different subjects, each one wi...
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5 Jerusalem Based Startups for Yom Yerushalayim
In honor of "Jerusalem Day", we decided to pick 5 Jerusalem based amazing startups.
Today in Israel we celebrate “Yom Yerushalayim”, or as translated into English, “Jerusalem Day.” This marks the country of Israel regaining control over its capital city, Jerusalem, in June of 1967. In honor of this momentous day in Jerusalem’s history, we would like to highlight five startups you need to know about, founded in the capital of the Startup Nation.
OrCam
Founded: 2010
He...
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Our Company Getaway
Nine steps to the ultimate learning and bonding and chilling experience.
Part 1: Preparation“Mark the 16th–18th of May,” they said, “We’re going to have a company trip.”“But where to,” we all wondered. Apparently the destination and plan were one of the company’s best kept secrets. Our bosses did tell us one thing — “pick a partner, invent a charger-related product, and create a presentation that you’re going to pitch to investors — us.”A few days before the deadline, ...
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Celebrating 68 Years of Israel with 68 Startups Made in Israel, Just For You
We are so excited to celebrate Israel’s birthday this year! We put together a list of the best Israel has to offer— that which gives us our name as the Startup Nation—our startups! Out of all of the wonderful startups to choose from, these have been selected due to their purpose of serving the everyday consumer in innovative, truly beneficial ways. Because we love all startups equally, we’ve organ...
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Miriam Young
High Tech Mimouna
On the evening of April 30th, 2016, GKI Group held our very first Mimouna party at our new office. Haven’t heard of a “Mimouna” before? It’s a traditional North-African (usually Moroccan) Jewish celebration, taking place just after Passover ends. A main part of the party is eating chametz, meaning all of the foods that were forbidden over the past week or so of the holiday.
Getting off the elevat...
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Miriam Young, 4.5.16
Thoughts on the Milk and Honey Distillery Friends and Family Grand Opening
A few weeks ago was my first time at a whisky distillery. My work friend picked me up with his girlfriend and we drove in the Thursday afternoon traffic, with the sun setting over the road, down towards Yafo. Entering the distillery I didn’t know what to expect but we were greeted by the warmest atmosphere. I’ve been to various wineries before but never this sort of private event with all of the a...
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Miriam Young, 28.4.16
Faces of GKI: Dor Avrahami
Interview with our in-house robotics guy, Dor.
Let’s take a look behind the scenes at the people of GKI Group. Dor Avrahami has been here for over a year. During this time, he’s been developing the in-house robotics laboratory. Upon his arrival at GKI, the mission bestowed upon him was to start this laboratory, starting with buying all of the equipment needed. Over the last year he’s compiled various innovative tools, computers, and programs t...
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Miriam Young, 20.3.16
Aiming to Improve Conditions For Women in Tech in Israel
I recently started working at this really cool place called GKI Group. They just moved into a brand new high rise building with lots of space and huge glass windows looking out over Israel in all directions. Every day I’m still learning about what happens down the sunny halls of our floor- from the on-site robotics lab, to the whiskey distillery, and everything in between in the world of startups....
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