Ripples from the Iran war are extending into Miami’s tech sector.
The first U.S. edition of an annual conference focused on investing in Israeli companies has been rescheduled from March 16 until October in Miami Beach, organizers of the GoForIsrael investment conference said.
“The conference has been postponed to Oct. 26, as it was not possible to secure flights for the 40 Israeli companies scheduled to attend and participate in the planned one-on-one meetings with 200 investors,” said financier Edouard Cukierman [pictured above], who leads the Israel-based group organizing the event.
In all, more than 70 people from Israel were set to travel to the March conference at the Fontainebleau hotel, including leaders of such finance groups as Catalyst Investments.
Since the United States and Israel launched joint airstrikes on Iran on Feb. 28, killing Iran’s supreme leader and other Iranian officials, conflict has spread in the region, leaving hundreds more dead. Air travel has been disrupted in the Persian Gulf, Israel and beyond.
The GoForIsrael investment conference has been convening since 1997, mostly in Israel, but also in Europe, Asia, and the United Arab Emirates. Organizers opted for a U.S. edition this year to bring Israeli companies directly to the world’s largest financial market.
They chose South Florida as the venue, because greater Miami has become a top destination for Israeli companies expanding abroad. The ventures are lured by 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, among other factors.
Organizers had selected some 40 Israeli companies to present at the March 16 event, with about half in such high-tech areas as AI and cybersecurity and half in life-sciences including biotech. Each is seeking some $20 million to $50 million for their latest funding round to grow internationally.
Israel – a country of only 10 million people, just the size of Pennsylvania – has been dubbed “Startup Nation” for its plethora of new ventures, the most per capita of any country worldwide, industry reports show.
Meanwhile, a South Florida group is planning its second Israel Tech Week in Miami for April 27 through April 30 this year, with headquarters at The LAB Miami in Wynwood.
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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)