Skip to content
Culture & Religion

What Made Israel a Haven for High-Tech Start-ups

Israel has established itself as a hi-tech hub thanks largely to some government jump-start funding, but compulsory military service and Jewish immigration have also been key.
Sign up for Big Think on Substack
The most surprising and impactful new stories delivered to your inbox every week, for free.

What’s the Latest Development?


A new generation of start-ups is emerging in Tel Aviv. It now has several high-tech hubs: Herzliya attracts international tech giants and Rothschild Boulevard is home to many young start-ups. The government jump-started the industry with funds to invest in local venture capital funds that re-channel money into new IT firms.

What’s the Big Idea?

Jewish immigration has also been key, particularly smart Russians with technological backgrounds. And compulsory military service has boosted IT entrepreneurship thanks in part to the army’s hi-tech units. One success story is Takadu, which provides smart water infrastructure monitoring, remotely detecting leaking pipes in real-time all around the world.

Sign up for Big Think on Substack
The most surprising and impactful new stories delivered to your inbox every week, for free.

Related
The hospital where Rainn Wilson’s wife and son nearly died became his own personal holy site. There, he discovered that the sacred can exist in places we least expect it. During his talk at A Night of Awe and Wonder, he explained how the awe we feel in moments of courage and love is moral beauty — and following it might be the start of our spiritual revolution.
13 min
with

Up Next
“Oops.” We haven’t even reached the peak of the 2012 election campaign and already two leading presidential candidates – Rick Perry and Herman Cain – have experienced sensational lapses on […]