Sep 5, 2024

The best of Israel and the UK’s tech ecosystems will come together on September 17th at Calcalist and Bank Leumi’s 6th annual conference in the British capital to explore emerging technologies, address global challenges from climate change to cybersecurity, and highlight opportunities for global collaboration. Calcalist and Bank Leumi’s annual Mind the Tech conference is returning to London for the sixth time, once again focusing on supporting and promoting Israeli high-tech. The conference will bring together senior executives from the largest British and European financial and business institutions and leading Israeli entrepreneurs and investors. The event will kick off on September 16 with a networking event and continue the next day with the main conference, including lectures, roundtable discussions, exclusive B2B meetings, and pitches from Israeli entrepreneurs. Mind the Tech London 2024 will emphasize fostering connections between the Israeli high-tech community and its counterparts in London, one of the world's leading business and investment capitals. This year, the conference will focus on the challenges facing the tech sector both locally and globally, including political uncertainties and the implications of the global recession. During the conference, Israeli and British tech will meet in a unique event focusing on innovation as a means for economic resilience during periods of uncertainty. (Credit: Calcalist) The Israeli tech ecosystem has not only thrived in recent years but has also established itself as a major player on the international stage, leading innovative solutions in various fields. The Israeli high-tech community, known for its resilience and entrepreneurial spirit, continues to demonstrate its ability to tackle challenges and adapt to global changes, as seen during the pandemic, previous economic crises, and regional conflicts. Since Calcalist’s last conference in London, much has changed in Israel, but the cohort of veteran high-tech companies which bolster the ecosystem has remained stable and even emerged stronger. Never before have there been so many Israeli companies generating over $1 billion in annual revenue and trading at a valuation of over $10 billion. Large companies are becoming giants, such as Check Point and monday.com, and giants are seeking to acquire Israeli companies, such as Google’s attempt to buy Wiz for $23 billion even amidst a war, and WalkMe being sold in deals worth over $1 billion each. Related articles: London is a global financial hub with trillions of pounds circulating and a significant bridge to the rest of the world. Many Israeli fintech companies automatically turn to the United States due to the market's size, often not realizing that London - a mere five-hour flight away - is an epicenter of financial innovation, home to the world's largest banks and innovative fintech companies, and always seeking to adopt new technologies. The main topics of the conference will include the resilience of the Israeli high-tech industry in the face of global and local market challenges, with a focus on cybersecurity, a field where Israel continues to lead. Additionally, we will examine how investment giant Accel views Israel's development as a tech hub and how it continues to attract global investments. Other topics will include the impact of the Israeli economy on the international stage, with an emphasis on continued growth and innovation in Israel. Discussions will be held on Israel's role as a beacon of stability in an era of uncertainty, how the Israeli tech ecosystem is coping with rapid changes in the industry, and how Israeli companies are breaking new ground in foreign markets. The conference will also provide insights into fintech and digital banking trends and the impact of artificial intelligence on traditional industries. There will be a focus on the media and entertainment sector - where technology plays a critical role in shaping trends - including the impact of AI on the media sector, how smart technology is changing the way we consume content, and what new opportunities it opens up for content creators. There will also be an examination of the role of innovative channels in creating advanced content experiences and the intersection of technological innovation with the worlds of sports and entertainment. ( Credit: Calcalist) After the plenary discussions, participants will join a series of roundtable meetings where key conference topics will be discussed. At the first roundtable, senior executives from LeumiTech will lead a discussion on "5 Things You Need to Know About Tech in Europe." Another roundtable led by the Israel-Britain Chamber of Commerce and London & Partners will discuss "The Must-Have Insights of AI for Investors and Innovators in the UK," and the third roundtable will be led by the British Embassy’s UK-Israel Tech Hub and Yazamiyot on the impact of gender diversity on investment and how to reduce gender inequality in the industry. Alongside the meetings and discussions, Calcalist and CTech journalists will interview executives, investors, and startup founders in a studio about collaborations between Israeli entrepreneurs and British investors, the resilience of Israeli innovation, transforming industries through AI, connecting global technology to London's financial center, and more. As with all of Calcalist's international conferences, Mind the Tech London 2024 will be attended by a select group of Israeli startups chosen by Calcalist's tech reporters. About 20 entrepreneurs will meet with potential international investors and customers during the conference and pitch their startups. Their presentations will be filmed and published on CTech's website in English. The conference will be opened by Hanan Friedman, President and CEO of Bank Leumi, and Yoel Esteron, publisher of Calcalist. (Courtesy ) Also speaking at the opening of the conference will be Michael Levy, who works globally for the release of the hostages in Gaza, including his brother Or, who was abducted from the kibbutz where his wife, Einav, was murdered. Their two-and-a-half-year-old son, Almog, is now being raised by his grandparents as they await his father's long-awaited release. The conference stage will host senior executives, including Nir Zuk, Founder and CTO of Palo Alto Networks, the global cybersecurity giant. Palo Alto Networks, which operates in Silicon Valley with an R&D center in Israel, has acquired at least 10 Israeli cybersecurity companies over the past decade for a total of about $2 billion. Zuk is known for directly expressing his opinions in interviews on any subject related to his business, from the competition to politicians. Simon Anholt, the world's leading expert on nation branding and chief advisor to the Brand IL initiative - a unique project led by a group of entrepreneurs and philanthropists recruited by strategic advisor Moti Sharf to lead a long-term effort to promote Israel's branding and reputation - will also attend. He heads Anholt & Co., a government consulting firm that has worked for more than 20 years with presidents, prime ministers, and royalty, in over 60 countries, cities, and regions. (Credit: Calcalist) Howard Dawber, Deputy Mayor of London for Business and growth, will also attend. He is responsible for helping London-based companies develop relationships with large firms and secure contracts with international organizations. Dawber, a former Director of Strategy at the Canary Wharf Group and a Labour Party parliamentary candidate, controls a £400 million budget on behalf of the city. Julia Hoggett, CEO of the London Stock Exchange, Europe's largest and one of the most important stock exchanges globally, will also be speaking. Hoggett, who has nearly two decades of experience in the financial system, has been leading the London Stock Exchange for three years and is responsible for the institution's long-term strategy. Andrei Brasoveanu, a partner at Accel, a global venture capital fund that manages assets worth billions of dollars and has invested in over 300 companies worldwide, will also be among the speakers. With $650 million in its eighth fund, Accel has invested in 30 Israeli companies, including Melio, Snyk, and Fiverr. Even in the past year, since the start of the war in Gaza, the fund has invested in two Israeli companies, Cyera and Oasis, in what has been seen as a vote of confidence in Israeli high-tech. The fund is one of the most significant in the world, with early investments in companies like Meta, Dropbox, and Spotify, and holds the record for the most investments in Israeli and European unicorns in Series A rounds. Davor Hebel, managing partner at Eight Roads, a long-established global investment fund with over 300 portfolio companies and offices in Europe, India, Japan, and Israel, will participate. Hebel, who now manages the fund's operations in Europe, began his career as an entrepreneur and later worked as a strategic and tech consultant at McKinsey & Company. (Credit: Calcalist) Saul Klein, founding partner of the VC fund LocalGlobe, will also speak. In 2012, he was appointed by then Prime Minister David Cameron as the UK's first tech envoy to Israel and a business ambassador for technology. Klein was also a member of the advisory committee for the British government's digital service. Stephen Cannella, editor-in-chief of Sports Illustrated, which was recently acquired by Israeli company Minute Media, will speak during the conference with Minute Media Founder and CEO Asaf Peled. The conversation will focus on the future of media and the entertainment industry and ways to leverage the achievements of the traditional industry through innovation in digital channels. Minute Media, which developed a video and multimedia advertising platform for digital sports content, serves over 200 million users per month, including approximately 1,500 content creators and 250 distribution partners in 14 global markets. The company has raised about $300 million to date and has acquired digital content companies worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Victor Murineanu, the Information Security Manager of Chelsea Football Club, is a cybersecurity leader whose activities have included advocating for better education regarding cybersecurity in schools. Major sports clubs, particularly football teams, are now more exposed than ever to cyber attacks as they hold highly sensitive data about the players, fans' details, game management systems, and ticket sales stored on their websites and apps. Arik Shtilman, Co-founder and CEO of fintech and digital payments unicorn Rapyd, will also participate. Last year, the company acquired PayU GPO based in the Netherlands for $610 million, allowing Rapyd to process transactions in over 100 countries through more than 1,200 payment methods. Uri Gruenbaum, Co-founder and CEO of TipRanks, which developed a research platform for investors and was sold last month to international investment company Prytek at a valuation of $200 million, will also attend. The company has about 6 million active monthly users and over 50 million monthly users who access TipRanks' information systems through banks and brokers which provide the service to their customers. TipRanks provides its services to financial institutions such as banks, hedge funds, brokers, and exchanges worldwide. René Rechtman, Founder and CEO of Moonbug Entertainment, will also attend. The children's content giant is known to children and adults alike for its massive hits like Cocomelon and Baby Shark – the most-watched video on YouTube. Moonbug now produces content for dozens of different brands, broadcast on over 100 streaming platforms worldwide. Rechtman, who led two TV content companies to successful exits in the last decade, will speak about the evolution of content in the digital world. Among the speakers representing young and promising startups at the plenary discussions will be Daniella Gilboa, Co-founder and CEO of startup AIVF, which developed a unique AI-based system to optimize and improve fertility treatments. AIVF is one of the companies using AI to drive innovation and lead revolutions that will be showcased at the conference. Other participants in the conference will include serial entrepreneur Emma Sinclair, the youngest person in the UK to take a company public and the CEO of EnterpriseAlumni, which developed a platform providing solutions for human capital management using big data and cloud technology; Alex Konoplyasty, Managing Partner at Flashpoint Venture Capital; Ofer Shayo, Managing Director at Intel Ignite London; Michelle Taycher Nishry, Senior Investment Manager at Qualcomm Ventures; Guy Fighel, Head of Data and AI Program and Partner at Hetz Ventures; Shahar Tzafrir, Managing Partner at TLV Partners; Daphna Lieber, International Tax and Transactions Partner at Ernst & Young; Sam Beni, Founder and CEO of Platin VC, a tech futurist and serial entrepreneur; Sia Houchangnia, Partner at Seedcamp; Neil Brigdon, Foreign Investment Director at London and Partners - the international trade, investment, and promotion agency of the City of London; Anita Leviant, President of the Israel-Britain Chamber of Commerce; and Karen Shurkin, Director at UK-Israel Tech Hub. Mind the Tech Partners Bank Leumi will be co-hosting the conference with Calcalist and represented by CEO Hanan Friedman, Liat Shuv, the bank’s Head of Corporate Banking and responsible for a credit portfolio of over NIS 190 billion ($51 billion), and Maya Eizen-Zafrir, CEO of LeumiTech, Bank Leumi’s high-tech investment arm. Bezeq will be represented by Executive Chairman and CEO Tomer Raved, who will discuss the challenges facing the local communications market and investment opportunities in the industry. Representing Beilinson Hospital will be Dr. Edward Itelman, an internal medicine specialist, who will speak about innovative medical technologies employed by the hospital that utilize AI. Avi Balashnikov, Chairman of the Israel Export Institute, will lead a delegation of startups to introduce to local investors during the conference. The Israeli Embassy in London will be represented by Matan Safran, Israel’s Economic Attaché to the British capital. Representing the mobile gaming company Papaya with 10s of millions of users, will be Marketing Director Uri Pearl. TikTok will be represented by Anna Pelkin, the company’s Israel Country and Head of Global Business Solutions, who will focus on how AI is revolutionizing the creative economy. Gideon Argov, Managing Partner at New Era Capital, which manages hundreds of millions of dollars and has invested in companies like Papaya Global, Optibase, Workiz, and Caja Robotics, will also participate in the conference. Additionally, the conference will feature Eze Vidra, Managing Partner at Remagine Ventures, which in recent years has focused on investing in GenAI startups and the creative economy, and Shlomi Zafrany, CCO at El Al, whose market value reached a record high of NIS 2.4 billion ($648 million) this year. TAGS