There are hundreds of multinationals operating in Israel. Typically Siemens, Microsoft, Google and many more have their own r&d centres, usually near the costal plain. Just recently, there are indications that their customary approach to the ‘start up nation’ of the Middle East has begun to change. For example: –

1. Intel

Intel chose Israel as the first country, when it decided to build plants outside America. Today, it now has three facilities in the Holy Land, and at least three generations of chips have emerged from the land of miracles.

Intel’s latest contribution to Israel is to create a smart development centre. It is designed to house 2,500 personal in a state of the art, environmentally friendly complex. Recycling, shared info , customised air-conditioning and much more are its focus points. It will be a show piece to the world.

2. Samsung

Samsung this week officially brought its ‘early stage tech investment project’ to Israel. It has a simple yet determined aim. The Korean company is looking to invest around US$1 million in ‘the next technology’. The company has previously bought control of several Israeli start ups. So this move is a natural extension of this policy. It can be seen as a relatively cheap way to discover a competitive advantage over its rivals.

3. Sequoia and Benchmark Funds

Sequoia and Benchmark are American finance houses, which over the past two decades have invested heavily in the Israeli economy. Both have set up full local offices and raised monies for these operation.

Sequoia has led locally five rounds of financing, raising around US$780 million since 1999. In return, they have secured some of the largest exists in the market. For example, Ravello was sold to Oracle for US$430 million earlier this year. And Benchmark can report on similar successes.

All this is about to change. Neither of the two local offices will be raising more sums. Instead, any local investments will have to be financed by the funds from the American offices.

And then coming up, there is the multi-faceted conference in London on 16th November, called “Mind The Tech”. This will premier Israel’s leading high-tech figures – entrepreneurs, funders, accelerators and more – with their equivalents in the UK. The size of the event is nearly unprecedented, and just goes to show the continuing interest from large parties in the start up scene in the Holy Land.