Scout. Connect. Integrate.
Open Innovation in Israel
Israeli innovation is right here. You just need to know where to look and how to approach it. Israel has one of the most advanced AgriFood Tech and Climate Tech ecosystems in the world: alternative proteins, precision agriculture, functional ingredients, water treatment, biostimulants and soil health. For a food, ag or wine & spirits company, ignoring it means letting competitors pull ahead.
Who it’s for
Heads of Innovation. R&D Directors. Open Innovation managers. Strategy Directors. Sustainability and ESG teams at food, agriculture and wine & spirits companies.
Services
Your competitors in the US, Europe and Asia are already here. Big Tech, PepsiCo, Bayer, Syngenta: they’re recruiting startups, running pilots and building partnerships. Every month you wait is one more partnership they can lock in, and one less opportunity for you.
Here’s how to tap into Israel’s innovation ecosystem:
Innovation Discovery Sprint
Map the innovations that matter for your strategy.
Innovation Connect & Deal
Meet the right startups and structure a first agreement.
Innovation Partner
Ongoing, structured access to the innovation ecosystem.
OFFER A | 3-4 WEEKS
Innovation Discovery Sprint
Map the innovations that matter for your strategy.
You keep hearing about Israeli innovation but don’t know where to start, or which startups are actually relevant to you. Sifting through 700+ companies to find the 10 that matter takes time you don’t have.
- A clear scope for your priority innovation areas: technology readiness (TRL), regulatory constraints, target markets
- A map of Israeli startups and technologies in your sector, built through my local network (incubators, R&D centers, investors, industry experts…), well beyond public databases
- A shortlist of 10 to 20 startups, each with a detailed profile: technology, development stage, fit with your industrial and regulatory constraints
- A clear recommendation on the 3 to 5 companies to meet first, with next steps
Months of research saved. Well-argued choices to present internally. A clear, actionable view going into the next phase.
OFFER B | 6-8 WEEKS
Innovation Connect & Deal
Meet the right startups and structure a first agreement.
You’ve defined your innovation priorities and you’re ready to act. You need a carefully prepared field mission, packed with qualified meetings, so you leave with concrete commitments.
Visits to innovation hubs and centers, meetings with university researchers, and conversations with multinationals working on your topics. You leave with a structured view of existing solutions and strong arguments to speed up your roadmap internally.
5 to 10 qualified startups, vetted and ready to engage. Every meeting is prepared to quickly assess technology, industrial and team fit. You won’t come back empty-handed.
Understand what makes the Startup Nation tick: a culture that accepts failure and builds resilience, a different relationship with risk, and close ties between the military, academia and industry. You come back with the insight to decide where and how to invest.
An open call on a specific challenge, followed by a pitch session for your teams, in person or online. The best-fit partner moves straight into collaboration. You save 6 to 12 months on your usual innovation cycle.
Guided attendance at AgriFood Tech Week, Agrivest and FoodTechIL. In 3 to 5 days, you meet the decision-makers and technologies behind tomorrow’s deals.
- Full preparation 3 to 4 weeks ahead: startup selection and pre-qualification, custom agenda, briefing packs
- End-to-end facilitation on the ground: I join every meeting and translate cultural codes in real time
- A full debrief when you’re back: summary, assessment of each startup, roadmap for next steps
A mission organized from A to Z. Concrete commitments when you get home. Momentum that keeps going.
In the 3 to 4 weeks that follow, I help you structure the first contractual documents: NDA, letter of intent, POC framework.
OFFER C
Innovation Partner or Fractional Head of Innovation
Ongoing, structured access to the innovation ecosystem.
Your innovation strategy is set. The challenges are long-term and need to be managed over time. You can’t afford to miss early signals, or let competitors lock in the partnerships that will make the difference five years from now. But you don’t want to open a local office or hire a dedicated person either.
Kick-off: weeks 1 to 3
- A review of your current partnerships, a map of the hubs and incubators most relevant to your priorities, and scouting priorities agreed with your R&D and innovation teams.
Every month
- New startups scouted against your strategic priorities, each with a qualified profile and a clear call: meet, watch, or pass.
Ongoing
- Active follow-up on your POCs and partnerships: check-ins, coordination, resolving cultural or contractual friction.
Every two months
- Structured reporting: innovation dashboard, project progress, competitive analysis, early signals.
Key events
- Representation and intel at key industry events (e.g., Agrivest, FoodTechIL, AgriFood Tech Week). Pre-event briefing and targeted debrief.
The equivalent of a dedicated Open Innovation role in Israel, without the HR constraints or fixed costs. A structured pipeline, fed continuously. Partnerships that move forward month after month.
Reduce your financial exposure
Concrete programs can co-fund your partnerships with Israeli companies. I help you identify and activate them.
BIRD Foundation: supports joint R&D between US and Israeli companies. Funding covers up to 50% of development costs, up to $1.5 million per project.
Horizon Europe: Israel has been associated with EU research programs since 1996. European companies can build co-development consortia with Israeli partners and access direct EU funding.
Not sure which format fits your goals?
Let’s take 30 minutes to review your roadmap and find the right approach together.