Israel Valley: The Technological Shield of Innovation
VIEW EVENT DETAILSAfternoon Presentation by Edouard Cukierman and Yair Shamir,
Founding and Managing Partners, Catalyst Investments
Tea/Coffee at 5:00pm
Presentation at 5:30pm
Close at 6:30pm
Israel is a country where startups and innovation thrive, serving as home to numerous research and development centers for multinationals such as Intel, IBM, Microsoft, Cisco and Google. A global leader in cyber and IT security and a pioneer in the industry of unmanned aerial vehicles, it is also a young country which faces many challenges including a lack of natural resources, a landscape characterized by vast desert terrain and unmatched geopolitical challenges and security concerns. The “Technological Shield of Innovation” - originally meant to protect the country - has since become a source of innovation. The success of innovative ideas and solutions has propelled Israel to become the second Silicon Valley of the world. Successful business clusters to spur innovation and human capital investment have created an unparalleled ecosystem for entrepreneurship and innovation. Discussants will explore the main ingredients of Israel’s successful economy as well as explain and analyze the Israeli experience that have influenced and shaped the Israeli mindset, taking into account the role of education, Jewish culture and the army.
Edouard Cukierman is a Founding and Managing Partner at Catalyst Investments, a leading private equity multi-fund-firm in Israel. He is also Chairman of Cukierman & Co. Investment House, one of Israel’s largest boutique advisory firms. He has over two decades of experience in the venture capital and private equity industries in Israel. Prior to managing Catalyst Investments, he was President and CEO of Astra Technological Investments, a venture capital fund. Mr. Cukierman is a board member of Switzerland-based Lamina Technologies, Dorimedia Group as well as Harmon.ie in Israel. He is Chairman of the European Committee of the "High-Tech Industry Association" in Israel. Mr. Cukierman graduated from the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology and holds an MBA from INSEAD, France.
Yair Shamir is a Founding and Managing Partner of Catalyst Investments. He previously served as a Parliament Member and Israel’s Minister of Agriculture. Mr. Shamir was Chairman of Israel’s National Roads Company and Israel Aerospace Industries, Shamir Optical Industry Ltd., and EL AL where he led the airline carrier’s privatization process. Mr. Shamir has served as CEO and Chairman of VCON Telecommunications Ltd., board member of private hi-tech companies, Mobileye (largest Israeli IPO in 2014) and Harmoni.ie, and was a director of Tufin. He was Chairman of the Shalem Center, a research and educational institute and member of the Board of Governors of Technion University. Mr. Shamir graduated from the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology.
Event Details
9 Justice Drive, Admiralty, Hong Kong