Israeltech

Israel’s tech ecosystem is going through a shift.

Early stage startups are finding it harder to raise. Investors are focusing on stronger companies with real traction. Sectors outside AI and cyber are feeling that pressure more than others.

At the same time, global demand for Israeli technology remains strong. Companies from around the world are still coming to Israel to find talent, partnerships, and new solutions.

In this conversation, Yariv Lotan and Hila Shitrit Nissim from ⁨@startupnationcentral⁩ share what they are seeing across the ecosystem.

From funding dynamics to sector trends, to how global perception and local resilience are shaping what comes next, this is a closer look at where Israeli tech stands today and where it is heading.

Hosted by Yoel Israel

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00:00 What Startup Nation Central does

05:00 How global companies use the ecosystem

08:00 Connecting startups with investors and partners

10:00 New tech challenges and opportunities

13:00 Working with startups vs multinationals

16:00 What global players are looking for in Israel

18:30 The growth of Israel’s tech ecosystem

21:00 Why early stage startups are struggling

24:00 Talent, sectors, and the future of Israeli tech

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Thank you to our incredible partners for making this all possible!

IsraelTech is proud to partner with Deel, the global all-in-one HR and payroll platform for teams in 150+ countries.

To support the show, please go check out our partner Deel at: https://www.deel.com/israeltech

IsraelTech is also proud to partner with Wadi Digital. Wadi drives growth for B2B tech, cybersecurity, and SaaS companies with expert-led performance marketing, turning strategy into real results. Check them out at https://wadidigital.com/

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There’s a reason people kept talking about Tech1 after it ended.

Idan Nimni, CEO of Tech1, didn’t try to reinvent conferences. He focused on something more basic, how people actually spend time together.

Most events in Israel happen in Tel Aviv. People come in for a session, take a few meetings, then head back to work or home. The density is high, but the time is limited.

Tech1 changed that by moving everything to Eilat and stretching it across three days.

Same founders, same investors, same operators. Just more time in the same place.

That creates a different kind of interaction. Conversations don’t end when the panel does. People run into each other again. Meetings turn into follow ups, then into something more concrete.

It’s a small structural change, but it has a real effect on how relationships form inside the ecosystem.

And it reflects something broader about Israeli tech right now. There’s no shortage of talent or activity. The challenge is creating the conditions where the right people actually connect in a meaningful way.

Hosted by Yoel Israel

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00:00 Why Tech1 started

02:00 The Eilat advantage

05:00 Tel Aviv vs destination events

07:00 What took so long

10:00 Building the concept

12:00 Getting the right people

16:30 The role of partners

18:00 Why Israel lacks big conferences

25:00 What people gain from Tech1

31:00 The experience beyond content

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Register for Tech1 today: https://tech1.co.il/tickets

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Thank you to our incredible partners for making this all possible!

IsraelTech is proud to partner with Deel, the global all-in-one HR and payroll platform for teams in 150+ countries.

To support the show, please go check out our partner Deel at: https://www.deel.com/israeltech

IsraelTech is also proud to partner with Wadi Digital. Wadi drives growth for B2B tech, cybersecurity, and SaaS companies with expert-led performance marketing, turning strategy into real results. Check them out at https://wadidigital.com/

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The Israeli tech ecosystem is evolving.

In this conversation, Guy Navon, CEO of Discount-Tech, shares a detailed view of how the ecosystem is changing, from investment trends to the impact of AI on startups.

After years of growth driven by SaaS and cybersecurity, the focus is shifting toward deep tech, climate tech, food tech, and agritech. At the same time, more foreign investors are entering Israel, bringing larger rounds and new opportunities.

But there are also challenges. More startups are incorporating in the US, and the economics of building a company have changed. Speed alone is no longer enough. Founders now need to build sustainable business models from day one.

Guy also explains how banking, venture debt, and access to global investors play a role in helping startups grow and scale.

Hosted by Yoel Israel

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0:00 Israel Tech Holds Strong

2:00 AI Driving New Startups

3:20 Shift to Deep Tech

5:00 Why Old Models Fail

7:00 AI Changes Economics

9:00 New Wave of Founders

11:00 Foreign Investors Returning

13:00 Israel vs US Funding Gap

16:00 Why Startups Move to the US

24:00 How Discount-Tech Supports Growth

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Thank you to our incredible partners for making this all possible!

IsraelTech is proud to partner with Deel, the global all-in-one HR and payroll platform for teams in 150+ countries.

To support the show, please go check out our partner Deel at: https://www.deel.com/resources/hr-software-implementation-guide/?utm_medium=sponsored-newsletter&utm_source=israeltech&utm_campaign=emea-t1a-il_engage_download_israeltech_sponnewsletter_gen-hrsoftwareguide-mar26_manage_all&utm_content=engage_manage_sponnewsletter_hrsoftwareguide-nativetop-gen_en

IsraelTech is also proud to partner with Wadi Digital. Wadi drives growth for B2B tech, cybersecurity, and SaaS companies with expert-led performance marketing, turning strategy into real results. Check them out at https://wadidigital.com/

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Most people think venture capital is about spotting big ideas.

It’s not.

In this conversation with Ariel Sterman, Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners , the focus shifts to something much more practical. How founders actually think, how quickly they can adapt when things don’t work, and why the ability to iterate matters more than having a perfect vision from day one.

We also get into a bigger question: Is Israel actually behind in AI, or is it just playing a different role in the ecosystem?

From mentorship and early-stage decision making to vertical AI and where things are heading next, this is a grounded look at how top investors evaluate companies before anyone else is paying attention.

Hosted by Yoel Israel

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00:00 Rapid Iteration Mindset

00:45 Mentorship in Venture

01:30 Breaking Into Israeli Tech

03:00 Building Network Strategically

05:00 Founder Traits That Matter

10:00 Iteration vs Vision

14:00 Israeli vs US Culture

18:00 Inside Bessemer’s Model

21:00 AI Hype vs Reality

24:00 Israel’s Role in AI

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Thank you to our incredible partners for making this all possible!

IsraelTech is proud to partner with Deel, the global all-in-one HR and payroll platform for teams in 150+ countries.

To support the show, please go check out our partner Deel at: https://www.deel.com/israeltechyt/

IsraelTech is also proud to partner with Wadi Digital. Wadi drives growth for B2B tech, cybersecurity, and SaaS companies with expert-led performance marketing, turning strategy into real results. Check them out at https://wadidigital.com/

---

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What happens when a global recording artist is also a self taught technologist?

In this episode of IsraelTech, Yoel Israel sits down with global artist Nissim Black to explore the intersection of music, technology, AI, media, and spirituality.

Before becoming an internationally known artist, Nissim grew up watching computers being built in his home and experimenting with music production equipment as a kid. That early exposure shaped the way he approaches creativity and technology today.

They discuss how podcasting and music production rely on many of the same tools, how AI is already transforming the music industry, and why independent creators now have more power than traditional media.

The conversation also dives into deeper questions about morality, media narratives, and why technology itself is not the real risk. The real question is how people choose to use it.

This episode covers everything from AI generated music to the future of media platforms and why storytelling still matters more than ever.

Hosted by Yoel Israel

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00:00 Growing up around computers and technology

02:40 Watching his father build computers in Seattle

03:45 Building a DIY music studio as a kid

05:00 Recording professionally at age 13

07:00 Learning Pro Tools and studio engineering

08:30 Why creatives learn technology out of necessity

12:00 How music production and podcasting overlap

15:00 Street smarts vs book smarts

18:00 From Seattle to Israel

20:00 Growing up around violence and finding music

24:00 Courage, entrepreneurship, and breaking limits

27:30 How technology changed the music industry

30:00 AI music and the future of creativity

34:00 Live performances and virtual concerts

36:00 Technology as opportunity, not threat

40:00 Why new media is replacing legacy media

46:00 How narratives shape culture

50:00 Building an audience with purpose

55:00 Technology, faith, and human responsibility

58:00 Nissim Black’s new media project

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Thank you to our incredible partners for making this all possible!

IsraelTech is proud to partner with Deel, the global all-in-one HR and payroll platform for teams in 150+ countries.

To support the show, please go check out our partner Deel at: https://www.deel.com/israeltechyt/

IsraelTech is also proud to partner with Wadi Digital. Wadi drives growth for B2B tech, cybersecurity, and SaaS companies with expert-led performance marketing, turning strategy into real results. Check them out at https://wadidigital.com/

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Security teams are drowning in alerts.

What if the real breach happens while you are busy fixing the wrong one?

In this episode of IsraelTech, we sit down with Sharon Isaaci, Co-Founder and CEO of Tonic Security, to discuss the growing gap between cyber detection and real risk reduction.

Sharon previously served as Chief Intelligence Officer and CISO of the IDF Home Front Command, where he was responsible for intelligence and information security during national emergencies. After transitioning to the private sector, he saw a recurring pattern: breaches often stemmed from vulnerabilities that were already detected but never addressed in time.

Tonic Security was built to tackle that exact problem.

We cover:

* Why most security findings are false positives

* The challenge of prioritization in modern cybersecurity

* How AI is changing exposure management

* The tension between responsibility and authority inside security teams

* Building a startup during wartime

* Why resilience is essential for founders

Hosted by Yoel Israel

Timestamps:

00:00 – From IDF Chief Intel Officer to Cyber Founder

02:00 – Intelligence, Cyber Warfare, and National Emergencies

08:30 – Moving from Military to Private Sector

15:30 – The Breach Pattern That Led to Tonic Security

20:30 – Building a Team Through Military Networks

29:30 – Advice to Young Founders

31:00 – How Tonic Security Reduces False Positives

37:00 – The Responsibility vs Authority Problem in Security

41:00 – What’s Next for Tonic Security

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Thank you to our incredible partners for making this all possible!

IsraelTech is proud to partner with Deel, the global all-in-one HR and payroll platform for teams in 150+ countries.

To support the show, please go check out our partner Deel at: https://www.deel.com/israeltechyt/

IsraelTech is also proud to partner with Wadi Digital. Wadi drives growth for B2B tech, cybersecurity, and SaaS companies with expert-led performance marketing, turning strategy into real results. Check them out at https://wadidigital.com/

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At CyberTech Tel Aviv, we sat down with Captain Eli, former Tesla team member and now working with xAI, for a wide-ranging conversation about Tesla, full self-driving, X, and Israel’s role in the future of mobility.

Eli shares his journey from selling Teslas in Israel (even selling one to our very own Yoel Israel) to working within the Elon Musk ecosystem and explains why he believes Israel could be the first country to fully adopt self-driving technology.

We discuss:

00:00 – How Yoel met Eli at Tesla

02:30 – From Tesla to xAI: working on Grok in Hebrew

04:00 – The complexity of right to left language in AI platforms

05:30 – What people get wrong about Tesla vs Chinese EVs

08:30 – Tesla and cybersecurity at CyberTech

09:30 – Why Teslas are nearly impossible to steal

11:00 – Israel, energy independence, and EV strategy

12:00 – The Boring Company and tunnels

14:00 – Why Israel could be first to full self-driving

16:00 – Robotaxis, traffic, and the future of cities

21:00 – Autonomous levels explained

24:00 – Why more Israelis should be on X

29:00 – Community Notes and the competition for truth

35:00 – SpaceX, satellites, and Israel

Hosted by Yoel Israel

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Thank you to our incredible partners for making this all possible!

IsraelTech is proud to partner with Deel, the global all-in-one HR and payroll platform for teams in 150+ countries.

To support the show, please go check out our partner Deel at: https://www.deel.com/israeltechyt/

IsraelTech is also proud to partner with Wadi Digital. Wadi drives growth for B2B tech, cybersecurity, and SaaS companies with expert-led performance marketing, turning strategy into real results. Check them out at https://wadidigital.com/

---

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Developers don’t spend their days just writing code.

According to Zohar Einy, Co-founder and CEO of Port.io, coding is only a small part of the job. Ownership is the real work.

In this episode of IsraelTech, Zohar breaks down how engineering teams actually operate today, why AI agents are creating new risks inside enterprises, and how Port is helping teams move faster without losing control.

We also talk about pressure in Israeli tech, working with investors as real partners, and what it means to build a company meant to last.

Topics covered:

– What developers really do all day

– Why tickets slow teams down

– AI agents and “agent chaos”

– Developer ownership after DevOps

– Pressure as a performance driver

– Building trust with investors

– Why marketing matters for Israeli tech

Timestamps:

00:00 From IDF pain to founding Port

02:00 Pressure and ambition in Israeli tech

04:30 Why developers are blocked

07:50 What developers actually do all day

10:30 Ownership after DevOps

14:20 AI agents and engineering chaos

18:00 Why AI fails without context

22:30 Should developers worry about jobs

27:00 How engineering roles are changing

31:30 Marketing, authenticity, and tech

36:00 Working with investors as partners

41:00 Where Israeli tech needs to grow

Hosted by Yoel Israel

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Thank you to our incredible partners for making this all possible!

IsraelTech is proud to partner with Deel, the global all-in-one HR and payroll platform for teams in 150+ countries.

To support the show, please go check out our partner Deel at: https://www.deel.com/israeltechyt/

IsraelTech is also proud to partner with Wadi Digital. Wadi drives growth for B2B tech, cybersecurity, and SaaS companies with expert-led performance marketing, turning strategy into real results. Check them out at https://wadidigital.com/

---

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Most cyber conversations focus on prevention. Refael Franco focuses on what comes after. In this Cybertech interview, the Code Blue CEO & founder and former national cyber leader shares firsthand experience from some of Israel’s most serious cyber incidents.

Before founding Code Blue, Refael Franco helped build Israel’s national cyber defense from the ground up. As one of the early leaders of the Israel National Cyber Directorate, he was responsible for protecting civilian infrastructure at a time when cyber threats were becoming very real.

At Cybertech, Franco shared what it was like to manage a national cyber crisis in real time, including the Iranian attack that targeted Israel’s water systems. From the first hours of detection to hundreds of decisions made under pressure, this conversation offers a rare look into how cyber crises are actually handled when failure is not an option.

Hosted by Yoel Israel

Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction and Cybertech context

01:30 – Building Israel’s National Cyber Directorate

04:40 – The Iranian attack on Israel’s water infrastructure

08:20 – How cyber crises are detected and stopped

11:30 – Why Israel is a global cyber target

14:10 – From national defense to Code Blue

17:00 – What resilience really means in cyber

20:30 – AI war rooms and crisis decision-making

23:40 – New cyber threat patterns and geopolitics

27:00 – Final thoughts

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Thank you to our incredible partners for making this all possible!

IsraelTech is proud to partner with Deel, the global all-in-one HR and payroll platform for teams in 150+ countries.

To support the show, please go check out our partner Deel at: https://www.deel.com/israeltechyt/

IsraelTech is also proud to partner with Wadi Digital. Wadi drives growth for B2B tech, cybersecurity, and SaaS companies with expert-led performance marketing, turning strategy into real results. Check them out at https://wadidigital.com/

---

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What happens after an attacker gets in?

At Cybertech Tel Aviv, we spoke with Yuval Goldberg, VP of Product at Zero Networks, about lateral movement, microsegmentation, and why security teams need automation to keep up with modern attacks.

Yuval explains how Zero Networks approaches zero trust, removes friction between IT and security, and helps organizations contain breaches before they turn into major incidents.

This interview is part of IsraelTech’s coverage as an official media partner at Cybertech, spotlighting the people building the next generation of cybersecurity from Israel.

Hosted by Yoel Israel

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Thank you to our incredible partners for making this all possible!

IsraelTech is proud to partner with Deel, the global all-in-one HR and payroll platform for teams in 150+ countries.

To support the show, please go check out our partner Deel at: https://www.deel.com/israeltechyt/

IsraelTech is also proud to partner with Wadi Digital. Wadi drives growth for B2B tech, cybersecurity, and SaaS companies with expert-led performance marketing, turning strategy into real results. Check them out at https://wadidigital.com/

---

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