Israel: The start up nation taking on Silicon Valley

The Telegraph:  Israel, despite being the 100th smallest country in the world, which can fit into Europe 459 times, has the highest number of companies listed on the NASDAQ after America.

It also has highest number of high-tech start ups, estimated to be 3,500, ranging from internet companies to software solutions, outside of the US.

Last week I went on a tour of the country’s technology scene, ahead of the imminent International Broadcasting Convention (IBC), one of the largest global tradeshows for innovations in TV, at which more than 30 Israeli companies will be showcasing their latest solutions (the largest ever delegation from the country).

Snaptu, a mobile application platform (acquired earlier this year by Facebook for between $60-70m) and ICQ, the first internet instant messaging service (bought by AOL in 1998 for approximately $400m) are a couple of the high profile Israeli start ups to have been snapped up by major web players since the dawn of the world wide web. Additionally I was surprised to learn many technology companies, including Google, Microsoft and Intel, choose to have their major research and development (R and D) centres inside this small state.

Despite only being 64 years old, and constantly in a state of political turmoil, Israel is fast becoming known in technology circles, as the world’s second Silicon Valley and as a ‘start up nation’ – now also the title of a successful book by Dan Senor and Saul Singer, charting the country’s successful and often unknown tech story.