This morning (April 24,2018) representatives of Kauffman Foundation and Start-Up Nation Central opened the trading on the Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) to mark the start of the Kauffman Fellows Israel VC Summit, which is holding for the first thime its international conference in Israel.
Start-Up Nation Central (SNC) was founded in 2012 as a public-benefit (not-for profit) company. It assists 260 companies from 52 countries to successfully connect to the Israeli hi-tech system’s ecosystem, In the period since its founding, these companies have met with some 800 Israeli start-up companies.
SNC’s activities are reflected in the establishment of new innovation centers in Israel, with this having been brought about through the aforementioned contacts, through the signing of commercial agreements, through local investments, through proving the feasibility of technological products, and through engaging local representatives to represent these companies.
Prof. Eugene Kandel, CEO, Start-Up Nation Central: “It’s a new era for the TASE. It’s trying new ideas, bringing in new investors and new partners, and will very shortly become listed and this will allow it to return to be the epicenter of the Israeli capital markets. There’s a clear and fruitful synergy here between the technology innovation side of Israel, and the capital markets side of Israel. Start-Up Nation Central hope to be partners in that.”
Ittai Ben-Zeev, TASE’s CEO: “It’s a great honor for us to open the trading on TASE this morning together with Kauffman Foundation and Start-Up Nation Central, headed by Prof. Eugen Kandel, that have brought more than 250 international investors to Israel. This is an expression of faith in the Israel capital market. Israel has over 6,000 start-up companies. The realization of this enormous potential is part of the objective in becoming a hi-tech exchange. We have seen in recent months that numerous exchanges all over the world have been showing interest in TASE and in Israeli hi-tech companies, and these exchanges want to cooperate with us in giving international exposure to the Israeli hi-tech companies. We are doing our utmost to ease the path for additional companies to list on TASE in order that will be able to prosper and grow here in Israel and become large, significant companies, thereby benefitting the general public and the Israeli economy as a whole”.
Pictured: Prof. Eugene Kandel, CEO, Start-Up Nation Central; Jeff Harbach, CFO, Kauffman Fellows; Ittai Ben-Zeev, TASE’s CEO.
Photo credit: Guy Assyag, for no financial consideration.
