Israeli High-Tech Industry Launches Dedicated Innovation Hub in New York City

After more than a decade of growth, with around 470 Israeli startups now operating in New York City, a dedicated hub for the Israeli high-tech industry has been established for the first time. The new center, named Hakibbutz, is located in Manhattan's Chelsea district, a key technology and innovation area. It aims to serve as a daily meeting point for entrepreneurs, companies, venture capital funds, investors, and corporations to foster business connections and new opportunities.

This initiative results from a strategic partnership between the Hakibbutz network, which operates innovation spaces in Israel, and Israeli Mapped in NY, a platform connecting the Israeli high-tech ecosystem in New York. For many Israeli companies, especially in cybersecurity, fintech, and artificial intelligence, the U.S. is a primary market for growth, sales, partnerships, and fundraising. New York has recently become a central business hub for Israeli firms due to its proximity to clients, venture capital, financial centers, and global corporate headquarters.

Israeli Mapped in NY has developed one of the main platforms linking Israeli tech companies in New York, organizing hundreds of professional meetings, launching an investment arm, a founders community, and a job platform. Amir Wollner, founder and CEO of Hakibbutz, emphasized that the goal was not just to create office space but a place where meaningful connections happen naturally, often outside formal meetings, leading to clients, partnerships, investments, and business opportunities.

Throughout the year, Hakibbutz will host founder dinners, investor meetings, roundtables, content events, and sessions with executives from American corporations to encourage ongoing collaboration. Guy Franklin, founder and CEO of Israeli Mapped in NY, noted the transformation of Israeli high-tech in the U.S., with more companies establishing permanent operations in New York and managing growth from there. He highlighted the growth from 56 Israeli startups in New York a decade ago to about 470 today, marking the maturation of the industry and the need for a dedicated home.

The collaboration between Hakibbutz and Israeli Mapped in NY reflects a shared vision of creating connections and business opportunities to strengthen the Israeli ecosystem in New York. Hakibbutz has long operated innovation spaces in Israel, while Franklin, who moved to New York over ten years ago, identified the growing presence of Israeli companies and created the mapping platform to connect startups, investors, corporations, and key stakeholders through extensive events and initiatives.