Dear entrepreneurs,
This year has been one of the hardest we have experienced. Yet, even during these uncertain and complicated times, both as a country and as a Startup Nation, it is truly uplifting to witness the power within our civil society and the surge of heartwarming initiatives that are coming from all over the country.
In this newsletter, we are pleased to introduce a few of those initiatives. Place IL has founded the Israeli Tech Negev Fund, aimed at creating hundreds of high-tech jobs in the part of Israel most affected by the recent conflict. In addition, we invite you to take a look at our annual Exit Report, the PwC Israel SOC2 services, upcoming events, and more.
As we navigate through these complex times, we take pride in presenting these positive strides. We extend our wishes to you for a prosperous and Happy New Year!
Best Regards,
Yaron Weizenbluth
Assurance Leader, PwC Israel
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What: Place-IL is currently raising funds for a new program designed to create hundreds of jobs in the Western Negev. This initiative – in collaboration with leading tech companies in Israel, local authorities in Western Negev and the Israeli government – aims to establish a strong high-tech presence in that area within the next 3-4 years.
These are some of the companies that have already joined us, what about you?
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How: Major tech players, such as NVIDIA, Palo Alto Networks, Armis, Cisco, SalesForce, Hibob, Bizzabo, SciPlay, Axonius, Cadence, are already on board. They will hire talent from the Western Negev identified by Place-IL and approved by the companies. The focus is on fostering local skills and contributing to the growth of the tech industry in that area.
Who: Place-IL – a non-profit tech initiative behind the ITIF project – is the driving force. Founded by Keren Halpern-Musseri (CEO) and Idan Tendler (Chairman), Place-IL is dedicated to enabling Israeli tech companies to effectively hire talent from underrepresented populations, bringing about positive changes in the local workforce.
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| Keren Halperin - Musseri
CEO & Co - Founder
Place-IL
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| Idan Tendler
Chairmen
Place-IL
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What: Pelles.ai is an early stage construction tech startup simplifying the preconstruction phase for subcontractors.
The Pelles platform leverages the power of AI to understand construction documents and automate the most redundant free-con tasks without a hassle to boost confidence, save time, and win more projects.
Pelles.ai's first product allows mechanical, electrical and plumbing subcontractors to work better and faster with their documents, handle incomplete drawings and missing information, and automate their takeoff and estimation process. Pelles.ai is supported by top players in the industry and is a portfolio company of Formwork Labs and Contech.
Who: Mechanical, electrical and plumbing subcontractors in the US
How: For more information, please visit pelles.ai or contact Yael Mertyk Hanan, CEO Yael@pelles.ai
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Dos and Don'ts in Days of Uncertainty
We are pleased to invite you to our Dos and Don’ts in Days of Uncertainty event.
What: An event addressing the many challenges early-stage startups are facing during this time. The event will have a panel of Israeli venture capitals and short talks from Izhar Shay, the former minister of science and technology, and the founder of Next October VC; and Tomer Amitai, CFO, Natural Intelligence.
Who: The event is intended for founders and CEOs of early-stage startups.
When: January 16 at 09:30.
Where: PwC Israel, Azrieli Town, 146 Menachem Begin Rd., Tel Aviv on the 32nd Floor.
How: Register here.
* The event will take place in accordance with the directive of the Home Front Command.
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PwC SOC2 services - Your way to the premier league
5 reasons why you should start your SOC2 journey
- It is no longer "nice to have", but a must for SaaS service providers. In the last year we saw a significant increase in the demand for SOC2 compliance from SaaS service providers. In the current business ecosystem, a SOC2 report can be a deal breaker if it cannot be provided immediately to a client asking for it.
- It's a long journey. Normally it takes months to comply with the different SOC2 requirements. It's not only technical security aspects, but also demonstrating management's commitment to ethics, policies and procedures, understanding of your risks and responding to them, monitoring activities, and much more. It takes time to build these processes and controls.
- It can save you a lot of time. If you're familiar with long security questionnaires for each potential client, you will be interested to know you can save a lot of time by showing these clients your SOC2 report, which normally covers the vast majority of their concerns.
- It opens a lot of doors. Demonstrating compliance with SOC2 on your website, for example, can potentially expose you to new clients and industries.
5. It will help you reduce security risks. Complying with SOC2 is also important for you to make sure you protect your system and your clients' data and to reduce potential risks and threats.
For more information please contact:
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| Lior Mistriel
PwC | Partner | Digital Audit
Risk Assurance Services
Email: lior.mistriel@pwc.com
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What: Supporting the future of the Startup Nation, IronBiz is an impact-driven initiative dedicated to empowering early-stage Israeli startups. Founded by startup veterans Liran Krispin, Ofer HaCohen, and Liron Cohen Yanay, IronBiz accelerates over 80 startups through hands-on mentorship, strategic advice, pitch training, and global networking.
Beyond advice, IronBiz activates its partnerships with 20 leading venture capitalists, universities, law firms, and other ecosystem players. IronBiz runs exclusive pitch events to showcase promising startups to prominent angel and seed investors, mainly from the US and Europe. With local funding options constrained, these global connections provide startups a pathway to capital.
By supporting startups today with strategic and practical direction, IronBiz strengthens the startup nation for tomorrow. Ironbiz deconstructs complex concepts through an entrepreneurial lens, outlining realistic steps founders can immediately act on. Join IronBiz in securing Israel's continued leadership in global innovation.
How: For more information, please visit IronBiz, visit our LinkedIn, or contact Liron Cohen Yanay, +972 54-830-0728
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Feel free to reach out for any question or comment:
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Itamar Brod
Hi-Tech Business Development
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You should not act upon the information contained in this publication without obtaining independent professional advice. No representation or warranty (express or implied) is given as to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained in this publication, and, to the extent permitted by law, Kesselman & Kesselman, PricewaterhouseCoopers Advisory Ltd., their members, employees and agents do not accept or assume any liability, responsibility or duty of care for any consequences of you or anyone else acting, or refraining to act, in reliance on the information contained in this publication or for any decision based on it.
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