Israeli Tech: can we predict the Future?

Photo credit: Ministry of Tourism

Over the last 30 years, the world has seen an increase in innovation unprecedented in both pace and magnitude. From the personal computer to the internet, from mobile phones to virtual reality. Advancement has been so rapid that no matter our age, we have all grown up in a world radically different to the one our parents came from.

The big question is: what will our world look like 30 years from now?

While no one can predict this with certainty, there are surely hints to be found if we search in the right places.

I believe that the answer lies in a young and vibrant country, with a true melting pot of cultures and an indefatigable attitude of positivity. I believe that just as Israel contains a myriad of archaeological treasures that reveal an ancient past, so too does she hold the clues to our exciting future.

What do I mean exactly?

Consider the world’s last period of rapid growth and innovation- a time that was possibly comparable in impact to what we’re experiencing now- the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century. From the invention and commercial use of the steam engine, grew new industries and revolutionary technologies; inventions such as the Telephone and Electricity, that have had a profound impact to this day.

What’s fascinating is that many of these new technologies were unrelated to the revolution of the manufacturing process- or even to the steam engine itself!

Keep in mind the conditions before the Industrial Revolution: for example, from 1730 to 1749, the percentage of children in London dying before their 5th birthday was a frightening 74.5%. From 1810 to 1829 however, this number plummeted to 31.8%.

So what changed? Why, from a relatively stagnant pace of growth and innovation for hundreds of years, was the world suddenly changing before our very eyes? From photography to light bulbs, the “impossible” was now a daily reality.

What changed, was a Mindset.

An expansion of possibilities and horizons, a willingness to discover, a celebration of innovation, a desire to challenge the status quo.

This mindset is the one prevailing in Israel today.

A lot has been written about the reasons for Israel’s “Start Up” culture and mindset of innovation, but a quote from Guy Kawasaki sums it up, when comparing the country to Singapore:

Israel has five million people, six million entrepreneurs, and fifteen million opinions. Singapore has five million people, six entrepreneurs, and one opinion

Our company, Kibo Mobile Tech, is situated at the heart of Israel’s “Silicon Wadi”. Every conversation I hear, from the boardroom to the bathroom, is centered around pushing the boundaries of tech and innovation; around creating something new, something that will change what tomorrow will look like. Everything is challenged, and the confident attitude is that we will change the world, no matter what.

These conversations are not unique to our company- all over Tel Aviv there are nightly meetups, tech talks and hackathons. Jerusalem is experiencing a start-up renaissance, with companies like OurCrowd, and Siftech, and with MassChallenge launching there soon. Beer Sheva is a tech hub, Yokneam, Haifa, Herzlia Pituach- the innovation mindset is flourishing.

It was this change in mindset that created the conditions for rapid innovation during the Industrial Revolution; that forged a future beyond anything people expected. It is this mindset that surely lays the foundations for tomorrow’s reality.

Nowhere is this more evident than here in Israel. To see what tomorrow will look like, come see Israel today.