SEC Chairman Paul Atkins recently addressed the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, lauding the country’s unique innovation ecosystem.
Israel has the nickname “Innovation Nation” due to the number of early-stage, venture-backed firms and the technology and products that become commercialized. Small in size in land mass, resources, and population, many other countries have visited the country to better understand how it generates its outsized economic activity and global impact.
Addressing the audience, Atkins declared, “The State of Israel has punched far above its weight in ways that defy easy explanation.”
He noted that Israel has a smaller population than his native North Carolina but generates more startups per person than anywhere else in the world. Israel is second only to the United States in venture capital per capita.
“Yours is a nation that has never waited for ideal conditions to pursue prosperity.”
While all big VC firms have a presence in Israel, one of the most active venture capital investors is OurCrowd, a global online capital formation platform. OurCrowd, well known in Israel and certain communities around the world, provides investment opportunities for smaller investors to invest alongside top venture capitalists, typically with terms similar to those of VCs. It is also home to a growing number of funds to provide immediate diversification for investors.
Many observers have posited that because all Israeli citizens must serve in the IDF at a young age, this quickly teaches them to manage challenges and shoulder big responsibilities. Combine this with a risk-taking, entrepreneurial populace, and things start to become clear.
