A long-standing conference focused on investment in Israeli companies will soon hold its first meeting in the United States, aiming to draw at least 300 people to the Fontainebleau hotel in Miami Beach on March 16.
The annual GoForIsrael investment conference has been convening since 1997, mostly in Israel, but also in Europe, Asia, and the United Arab Emirates. The event is set this year for the world’s largest financial market, partly because US investors have been reluctant to travel to Israel amid a war now in ceasefire. The two-year war has cut valuations of Israeli companies, making them more attractive for investment, said financier Edouard Cukierman [pictured above], who leads the group organizing the event.
Organizers chose Miami for the US edition, because South Florida has become a top destination for Israeli companies expanding overseas. About two-thirds of the 400-plus Israeli companies operating in Florida call Miami-Dade County home, according to an economic-impact report released in 2025 by the US-Israel Business Alliance.
“It feels safer right now to hold the conference in Miami,” Cukierman told Refresh Miami from Israel. Asked about finance hub New York City as an option, he said: “Given the demonstrations that have taken place in New York in recent months, many outside of conferences and Israel-related events, Miami feels like a more comfortable setting to host our guests.”
40 companies to present
At the Miami Beach meeting, some 40 Israeli companies will present, each seeking some $20 million to $50 million for their latest funding round. About half of those companies operate in high-tech including AI, defense tech and cybersecurity. The other half work in life sciences such as medical devices and biotech. One will receive an award for its high-impact in Israel: Civan Lasers, a maker of high-power lasers being used in Israel’s Iron Beam defense system, Cukierman said.
Organizers aim to draw some 300-400 investors from across the US, representing finance groups from venture capital to hedge funds, family offices to high-net worth individuals. They will be invited to join venture-capital groups from Israel to co-fund the presenting companies.
Cukierman is promoting the presenting enterprises through an online platform his group created three years ago called Catalyst Investors’ Club (CIC). The platform lets accredited investors join funding rounds led by venture-capital groups to fund later-stage startups. The investors can co-invest, sometimes as little as $25,000, in ventures that already have international sales.
“Investors can go on the CIC platform, cherry-pick among the presenting companies before the conference, and then, arrange a face-to-face meeting with the CEO or founders at the event,” Cukierman said. “That’s a big advantage of having this platform.”
CIC plans to open a small Miami office soon to promote companies on its platform, both from Israel and other nations, Cukierman said. Ventures on CIC increasingly come from the US and now include such heavyweights as California-based SpaceX and OpenAI.
‘Startup Nation’ focusing more on South Florida
Israel – a country of only 10 million people, just the size of Pennsylvania – has become a hub for global innovation, earning the name “Startup Nation” for its plethora of new businesses. It regularly produces more new tech ventures per person than any nation worldwide and attracts more venture capital per person than any other country, industry reports show. Analysts credit Israel’s strong university system; compulsory military service, which fosters teamwork, responsibility and problem-solving; and ample government support for incubators, accelerators and other elements in the tech ecosystem, among other factors.
With a relatively small domestic market to serve, companies from Israel typically look overseas to expand, often to the US. South Florida has become a key US launchpad, thanks to Miami’s growing role as a tech hub and Latin American gateway; weather similar to Israel’s; and a vibrant Jewish community, the third largest in the US after New York and Los Angeles.
Last year, a South Florida group organized the first Israel Tech Week in Miami, dovetailing the annual eMerge Americas conference, South Florida’s premier tech event. A second Israel Tech Week in Miami is planned for April 27 through April 30 this year, with its headquarters at The LAB Miami in Wynwood.
Among Israeli ventures presenting at the GoForIsrael conference in March are Venocare, which makes medical devices to improve access to blood vessels; Addionics, which develops next-generation rechargeable batteries; and Playmaker, which offers a cleat-mounted performance-tracker for soccer players.
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Doreen Hemlock is a journalist who worked years with the South Florida SunSentinel newspaper and before that, in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Peru, Venezuela and Puerto Rico. She holds an MBA from Columbia University, thanks in part to a Knight-Bagehot fellowship. Reach her at [email protected]. Latest posts by Doreen Hemlock (see all)