Israel is known as one of the world leaders in entrepreneurship. The proof is in the pudding: dozens of unicorns were established in Israel like Papaya Global, Forter, Gong, and Wiz.

For that reason, many international entrepreneurs choose to come to Israel to get inspired by the Israeli ecosystem. They see Israel as the Startup Nation and want to know all the secrets of Israeli entrepreneurship so that they too can lead the next unicorn. Hilla Ovil Brenner, Director of Techstars TLV accelerator and head of Yazamiyot, the leading community for Israeli women entrepreneurs with over 5,500 members, talks about startups from abroad who chose to come to Israel.

Why do you think international entrepreneurs are so interested in Israel?

"Israel is the Startup Nation. But it’s much more than that. It’s also an incredible arena for all companies, at all stages for showing off and enriching their network. This is because Israel is considered to be one of the most innovative countries in the world when talking about investments, high-tech solutions, and creative business ideas, thanks to the expertise of its community," Ovil Brenner said.

"Moreover, thanks to our international connections, with many active and proactive countries working with us, Israel is actually dealing with the whole world of business innovation. In addition to all that, history, and culture together with wonderful landscapes make Israel a magic place!"

Can you tell us why Techstars TLV accepts entrepreneurs from all over the world and not just from within Israel?

"At Techstars, we believe that sharing is a value. So, by welcoming startups from all over the world we enhance our experience of sharing. Even if we all have a common ground of business and innovation, every one of us comes from a different approach and mindset about growing as a company. Discovering new know-hows and best practices from the world is a concrete advantage."

Can you tell us about international entrepreneurs who chose to participate in the Techstars program?

"This class includes founders from 4 different continents. To name a few, we have a startup from New Zealand (The Pledger Giving), focused on combining SDG and online market opportunities, a company from Kenya (Scale) which is about business procurement facilitation in Africa and one from Ecuador (LuzVerde), which specialized in Latin financial inclusion."

In conclusion, what would you like to say to entrepreneurs from abroad who have not yet arrived in Israel and are uncertain whether to come?

"Take this unique chance to discover Israel’s welcoming skills. Come and take advantage of our dynamic ecosystem and you’ll maybe find new opportunities that you weren’t expecting for your business and you. Join our community of mentors, innovators, and entrepreneurs, have fun with us and learn.”