Why Global Investors Remain Bullish on Israeli Tech — Even Now
Written by Esther Loewy, MIBA Senior Director of Market Expansion – Michigan/US
At the beginning of April, Michigan Israel Business Accelerator (MIBA) launched its inaugural Investing in Israeli Tech Executive Briefing for Michigan investors.
I was delighted to fly in from Israel for this pivotal event. The invitation only event provided insights and data on why Israel continues to lead the world as a powerhouse of innovation. Data was demonstrated in clear terms by global investors and multinational corporations continue to double down on Israeli tech for a simple reason: strong returns and good business.
It was an honor to moderate the featured panel, offering a unique perspective on investment trends, personal experiences, and forecasts for 2025. I was joined by two seasoned investors in Israeli tech — Iron Nation Funds’ Chen Linchevski and Ibex Investors’ Justin Borus, both of whom were cited among the top eight most active VCs in Israeli tech in 2024!
During a dynamic panel discussion other facts came to the fore:
Stanford Graduate School of Business’s Unicorn Report noted top global universities by US Unicorn Founders cited:
- #1 Tel Aviv University → 31 unicorns
- #3 Technion – Israel Institute of Technology → 27 unicorns
- #5 The Hebrew University of Jerusalem → 23 unicorns
It’s an astounding fact: Israeli alumni are 3.7x more likely to found a unicorn than the global average.
MIBA welcomed Startup Nation Central (SNC) as a key partner for this auspicious gathering with Aviva Steinberger, SNC’s Chief of Staff providing compelling data on the steady commitment of US Investments in Israel over the years: 2018-2024
- 1600 US Investors in Israeli companies
- 2684 Rounds with Investors from the US
- $75.4 Billion Funding Amount with Investors from the US
- 272 US MNC’s Operating in Israel as of March 2025 – part of <430 global MNC’s active in Israel
Israeli companies have a choice where to launch or expand in North America, and providing access to customers and capital are key factors in making Michigan competitive.
Special thanks to our sponsors : Bodman PLC, The Fisher Group, Flow Video, H.K. Kaufman Group, and JPMorganChase— for supporting this pivotal event.
Finally, geopolitical issues have not impacted Israel’s investment stance:
According to Jefferies Economic Report on Israel: Robust Capital Raising And M&A Activity (Oct 2024): “Since the start of the conflict, through Oct 2024 – Israel placed behind only Silicon Valley and New York in terms of capital raised. Investments in Israeli tech have remained resilient, with capital raised since October 7th matching the amount secured in the entire year prior. This indicated that investor confidence has not waned despite the war.”
