Israeli startups are expanding to the US through Miami, and Miami companies are leveraging all that Israel’s diverse tech ecosystem has to offer.
By Riley Kaminer
When we think about international tech founders, companies, and investors in Miami, Latin America might be the first to come to mind. Maybe Europe. But if we go a bit further to the east, we will find another ecosystem that is ripe for collaboration with #MiamiTech: Israel.
Known as the “Startup Nation,” Israel has one of the top five highest concentrations of startups after Silicon Valley. Israeli startups have a major track record of success, particularly in fintech, agtech, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence.
What are the origins of this success? An inherent risk-taking behavior, an acceptance of failure, and an emphasis on education all play a role, according to Peretz Lavie, a former president of Israel’s Institute of Technology. (Chutzpah, in other words.)
Forging an Israeli-Florida tech connection
Miami is poised to create meaningful partnerships with entrepreneurial leaders from the Startup Nation. Of course, this is nothing new – in 2015, a Miami startup delegation visited Israel, the first of a number of annual trips; in 2016, the first Startup Nation Conference featured more than 20 Israeli startups, which sought growth opportunities and investment in the US.
But this moment is different. The momentum from the pandemic continues to propel Miami’s tech ecosystem forward. So in a sense, we have more to give than ever.
Seeds for a future flourishing relationship are already being sown. Take the Levan Center as an example. The Davie-based innovation hub is on a mission to attract international companies to establish a presence in South Florida. To accomplish this mission, the Levan Center has announced a strategic collaboration with the Florida-Israel Business Accelerator (FIBA). Tampa-based FIBA will leverage the Levan Center’s resources to lure Israeli companies to establish a presence in Florida.
“Our goal is to help Israeli companies establish a presence in Florida,” commented Rakefet Phillips, Co-Executive Director of FIBA. “Some companies prefer Tampa Bay, others prefer the Space coast, and for others Broward County is the right spot. By partnering with the ambitious team at the Levan Center of Innovation, we can support these companies on both coasts of Florida.” Already, FIBA has connected over 70 leading-edge Israeli tech firms with strategic partners and investors from across Florida.
Similarly, ManaTech is actively helping foreign founders from Israel enter the US market. “At ManaTech, we continue to build connections for Israeli entrepreneurs and create partnerships with like-minded institutions that adhere to our philosophy of growing Miami into the Silicon Valley of the Americas — where Israeli entrepreneurs can use it as a base to expand and grow their sales into the rest of the US and/or Latin America,” Sergio Mankita, Israel Ambassador for ManaTech programs, told Refresh Miami.
“Sales support, raising capital and mentorship are at the core of what ManaTech programs will provide to Israeli startups,” he continued, noting that ManaTech will soon publicize details around their relevant 2024 programming.
Another case in point is the Israel Venture Tech Showcase, which took place in mid September. Through events in Boca Raton and Miami, around 300 people came together to learn about the startup and investment links between South Florida and Israel.
Showcase participants included Mindspace, the Israeli co-working company that has just set up shop in Wynwood; Eyal Zor of drone software platform Airwayz; Omri Sorek of construction platform Trusstor; Nimrod Vromen of tech advisory firm Consiglieri; Gilles Gamon of BioMeat FoodTech; Beni Nofech of VC Milk & Honey Ventures; and Henrik Shimony of Reeco.
Ari Goldman, the Miami-based Director of Economic and Innovation Affairs for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel and one of the event’s main organizers, proclaimed: “The future of the Americas is Miami. The future of Miami is tech. The future of Miami tech is Israel!”
Meet the innovators working across the Israeli and Miami tech ecosystems
Really though, the future is now. There is already a diverse range of startups active across the two ecosystems.
Last year, we covered three Israeli hospitality startups that planted a flag in Miami. Sauce has developed a delivery platform that enables restaurants to sell and deliver food through their own website, circumventing third-party systems.
“We are leveling the playing field to give local restaurants a direct channel,” asserted Elliot Hool, Sauce’s VP of marketing. “Consumers enjoy the same experience: they can easily find the restaurant, easily pay, and conveniently track the delivery.” The main difference: Sauce cuts out the middleman.
Reeco’s online marketplace that connects both buyers and suppliers from the hospitality industry to purchase their goods online. And in 2020, mobile-first POS system Tabit established its US headquarters in Aventura. Tabit has also forged some local partnerships, having sponsored the South Beach Wine & Food Festival and partnered with FIU to teach students how to use their mobile point of sale technology and helping modernize the school’s tech stack.
Meanwhile, AutoLeadStar raised $40 million and doubled down on its Miami presence. The startup helps the automotive retail industry better leverage data insights to sell more cars with less cost.
Miami cybersecurity startup Kriptos got its start in earnest during a Techstars program in 2018. Another Miami cybersecurity innovator, ThriveDX, got its start in Israel before moving to Miami.
Israel’s deep scientific expertise was a draw for Momentis, which develops robotic-assisted surgery solutions and has a major footprint in both Miami and Israel. Same for Insightec, a medical device company that sells focused ultrasound equipment that can destroy deep tissue in the body without the need for incisions. Miami serial entrepreneur Maurice Ferre is chairman of both companies.
While this is a non-exhaustive list, it is clear that this is just the beginning.
“We’re excited to see Israeli companies expand in Miami, and help Miami companies scale in Israel as well,” Goldman told Refresh Miami. “It’s all about kickstarting the pipeline and figuring out how we can do good by both ecosystems.”
READ MORE ON REFRESH MIAMI:
- Israeli tech shines bright in Miami, the new hub for three hospitality startups
- Reeco raises $10M to help hotels tackle supply chain challenges
- AutoLeadStar revs up with $40M funding round, strengthening ties between Israel and Miami
- Mana Tech is connecting the Americas, with Downtown Miami as the hub. Here’s how
- From Miami to Madrid: Charting the symbiotic relationship between these two high-growth tech hubs
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