Innovation Modules:
CyberTech
CyberTech
Israel’s cyber activities are world renowned and hold an important position in the global cybersecurity ecosystem. After the U.S., Israel is second in terms of venture capital funding in the global cyber sector.
Israel holds the dubious designation of being one of the top cyber-attacked countries around the globe.
In response, the country’s cyber ecosystem – government, army, private companies, investors, academia – have ensured that Israel stays ahead in defensive cyber capabilities. The cyber ecosystem includes large cyber companies, multinational firms with R&D branches, new start-ups, military cyber developments, and supporting infrastructure from government funding that supports both private and public initiatives.
The local companies are known for offering diverse protection solutions for an array of cyber threats, especially data security, network security, IoT and control systems, data protection, security operations, cloud security, and others.
Israel’s cybersecurity hub sends its innovative solutions to the global market.
(Sources: IIA, PwC, SNC)
Tech7
Activity description:
Tech7 invites you into the heart of Israel’s cyber hub to hear about the breakthroughs and initiatives and try your own hand at solving some of the cyber problems Israel faces on a daily basis. Hear a lecture about the ecosystem in Be’er Sheva and its growth, and join a tour of key places in the cyber ecosystem, with options such as Ben-Gurion University’s entrepreneurship departments, the innovation bridge, the high-tech park adjacent to the university, a military base dedicated to cyber, a big cyber company located in Be’er Sheva, and local startups. You can also experience a tailor-made hackathon, workshops, or a visit to a startup to hear a lecture from their founder.
In 2014, the Israeli government passed a resolution designating the city of Be'er Sheva as the country’s cyber capital. While many cyber startups are still found in the central region of the country, a cyber ecosystem bringing together academia, industry, army and government is blooming in the Negev Desert. Tech7 venture studio dubs itself the Ecosystem Catalyst of Be’er Sheva and the Negev region. It offers a one-stop shop service for startups and new initiatives from ideation to later stages via acceleration programs, international programs, workshops, meetup lectures, and investor events.
Low / Medium / High
Be’er Sheva
Gilad Israeli Shilon
Activity description:
Cyber touches each and every one of us as our world becomes more connected. What are the cyber trends? Predictions? Strategies to stay ahead of the hackers? How do world politics affect cyber management? Meet Gilad Israeli Shilon, Director, Cybersecurity – Joint Security Operations Center, Questrade, an expert in security operations, threat intelligence, data protection, and risk analysis. Hear about the CyberTech ecosystem, with lecture topics that cover an array of subjects including Cyber Threat Trends, the World's Most Dangerous Cyber Threats, and the War in Ukraine: Cyber Perspective. In addition to hearing from Gilad, you can experience a lecture from his colleague managers in the Israeli Questrade branch. They will speak about the Israeli cybersecurity ecosystem, vulnerability management and risk management in cyber.
Gilad Israeli Shilon is an Israeli cyber expert with extensive practical and theoretical experience in the field. He is currently employed as the Director of Cybersecurity at Questrade, an online brokerage and wealth management firm based in Canada and the largest discount broker in the country. He worked as an intelligence analyst for the State of Israel, as a Cyber Threat Intelligence Specialist for Sixgill, and the Director of Threat Intelligence Research at Novartis. Gilad is the founder of the Pen Pals Project, a cross-continent students-networking project with participants from Israeli, European and North American universities, that aims to cultivate a fertile environment for future collaborative entrepreneurship. He is the co-host of “Shot of Cyber,” a cyber-security career podcast, and is a graduate of the Tel Aviv University in Economics and Political Science. His lectures offer a deeper understanding of what’s at stake in the cyber field.
None
Tel Aviv
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ICI Venture Capital:
Gili Elkin
Activity description:
Meet Gili Elkin, co-founder and General Partner at ICI Fund, Board Member of Kando, Genda, Suridata, Tailor-Ed, Illustria, illumex and Pelles.ai., and a Board Observer on the boards of Eureka and Viridix. Gili’s vision is to secure our future by supporting Israeli AI companies and partnering with exceptional founders to make an impact. Hear why Gili set up this fund, and learn about the role CyberTech startups play in securing our future. You can also meet with a startup in the sector.
The ICI Fund’s investor is based in the U.S. but the small venture capital firm solely invests in early-stage B2B Israeli companies that are disrupting various industries and trying to change the world for the better in the CleanTech, CyberTech, EducationTech and HealthTech sectors. The ICI portfolio includes companies like Eureka, a cyber startup that provides enterprises with tools to manage security risks across their various data stores, and Illustria, a company protecting against software supply chain attacks via open source. Gili Elkin is a co-founder and General Partner at ICI Fund. Previously, Gili was the Managing Director at SynTech Bioenergy, a smart-energy company located in Colorado. Gili is an Israeli lawyer, worked at Naschitz Brandes, ADV., an Israeli corporate law firm, consulted at Ernst & Young and was the founder and CEO of wordprom.com. Gili earned her LLB and BA (in Law and Business) from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and her MBA from the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University. Gili loves snowboarding and high-quality dark chocolate.
Gili Eklin, ICI can also be found in the CleanTech innovation category.
Medium
TBD
Viva Sarah Press: A Lecture on Current CyberTech Companies in the News
Activity description:
Forget algorithms - this talk focuses on the context of tech breakthroughs and ensures participants leave with a better understanding of how and where Israel is making strides in the cyber sector. Viva Sarah Press, a veteran journalist and Innovation Stories speaker, offers fun and inspiring lectures so participants can learn about the CyberTech sector in a fun, engaging way. No two talks are the same because every talk is updated according to what’s in the news.
Israel’s CyberTech sector is brimming with startups offering out-of-the-box cyber solutions to keep our digital lives safe. This lecture puts these solutions in context, explaining what makes a cyber solution unique and how it is being applied to change our lives. Viva Sarah Press lectures on HealthTech and CyberTech in the news, with a focus on the latest cutting edge solutions and the impact they are having in the global community. With a finger on the pulse of the latest Israeli innovations, and with the experience of interviewing dozens of CEOs, CTOs, innovators, creators, and risk-takers from first ideas to successful startups, Viva’s lectures offer an unprejudiced look at the companies making headlines. Known for her clear grasp of Israeli innovation and storytelling skills, Viva presents an overview of the local tech ecosystem and the innovative culture in Israel, then focuses on the newest cyber technologies – in layman’s terms. In addition to her speaking activities, Viva is a published author (HCI research, educational resource, journalism), a lecturer of journalism at Reichman University and a Senior Delegation Connector at the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation. Viva is a regular speaker with itrek groups.
Viva Sarah Press can also be found in the Agri - Tech, FoodTech, and HealthTech innovation categories.
Medium / High
Tel Aviv
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Check Point
Activity description:
A visit to Check Point is an opportunity to explore the offices of the premier CyberTech company in Israel. Tour the visitors’ center in Tel Aviv and hear from one of the company’s most senior executives about the state of cyber today. You will also gain an understanding about what Check Point is doing to keep the networks safe. Lecture topics can be tailored to the interests of the group.
Check Point Software Technologies is a leading provider of cyber security solutions to corporate enterprises and governments globally. Check Point protects over 100,000 organizations worldwide. Gil Shwed, who co-founded Check Point Software Technologies in 1993 with Shlomo Kramer and Marius Nacht, is considered the inventor of the modern computer firewall.
None
Tel Aviv
OurCrowd, Venture Capital
Activity description:
Explore OurCrowd to hear about cutting edge companies in the CyberTech sector. Experience options include a lecture, panel discussion, and a visit to startups. In the lecture, you will hear about OurCrowd’s cybertech portfolio companies and how they are protecting enterprises and personal devices. The panel discussion can include speakers from portfolio startups and OurCrowd staff. In-house speakers may include Jon Medved, OurCrowd founder and CEO, Alon Tal, OurCrowd Partner & SVP, Investor Relations, Josh Wolff, OurCrowd COO, Denes Ban, OurCrowd Managing Partner, and Allie Feuerstein, Director of New Business.
OurCrowd is a global venture investing in emerging companies. OurCrowd vets and selects companies, invests its capital, and provides its global network with access to co-invest and contribute connections, talent and deal flow. OurCrowd closed its first cybersecurity investment in 2013. Since then, this VC has become a major investor in the sector with over $129M invested into 30+ cybersecurity companies. OurCrowd’s cybersecurity portfolio companies have had several key successes: Cognigo was acquired by Net App, CyberX was acquired by Microsoft, Hub Security is now listed on TASE after an M&A transaction; and Kenna Security was acquired by Cisco.
OurCrowd can also be found in the FoodTech, HealthTech, and FinTech innovation categories.
Medium / High
Jerusalem / Tel Aviv
