Top firms to meet tech experts during "Hamburg meets Tel Aviv"

9 December 2021

Experts from both Israel and Hamburg to meet on Zoom from December 14-15, 2021

The "Hamburg meets Tel Aviv" digital event is set to bring together top Hanseatic firms with promising Tel Aviv-based technology start-ups from December 14-15, 2021. Organized by Hamburg Invest and the German-Israeli Chamber of Commerce (AHK), the event features keynotes, panels and pitches on female entrepreneurship, AI in logistics and the investment culture in Germany and Israel. Registrations are now possible for the meet to be held on Zoom. Israel has the world’s highest start-up density per capita with over 6,500 fledgling companies start-ups and Hamburg is keen on innovation

Event to boost bilateral relations

Dr. Rolf Strittmatter, Managing Director of Hamburg Invest, remarked: "Israel is one of the world's leading start-up hubs. 'Hamburg meets Tel Aviv' is a great opportunity to bring together top-class newcomers in technology with established companies in Hamburg," Many links between Hamburg and Tel Aviv are already in place. Digital workshops offer an important means of staying in touch and maintaining international connections during the ongoing pandemic, he added.

Empowering female founders and investment cultures

Women account for only 17.7 per cent of founders in Germany and only 15 per cent in Israel, organisers said. Hamburg and Israel began co-operating in November to increase this percentage. The digital meeting begins at 9 a.m. (CET) on December 14 with a talk on "Female Founders Connect - why Gender matters in Entrepreneurship". Female start-up experts and entrepreneurs including Hilla Ovil-Brenner, Managing Director of Techstars Tel Aviv, and Miriam Schütt, founder and CEO of Sofa Concerts, will pitch their businesses in 12min.me keynotes (max. 12 minutes keynote, six minutes Q&A). An interactive panel entitled "Unpacking the Investment Cultures in Israel and Germany" (10:30 a.m. CET) will highlight stereotypes and differences in the investment culture in Israel and Germany. Experienced VCs will share practical tips and give insight into launching start-ups on foreign markets.

Matchmaking with Israeli AI logistics start-ups

Events on December 15 will focus on artificial intelligence (AI) in the logistics industry under the motto of “Challenges in Modern Logistics: The Role of AI in transforming the Industry". The keynote speakers include Johannes Berg, Managing Director of Digital Hub Logistics, Elisabeth Weißbecker, Project Manager of the Artificial Intelligence Center Hamburg e.V., and Nir Gahr, Project Manager of the Artificial Intelligence Center Hamburg e.V. Nir Gartzman, joint founder and Managing Partner of The Dock, will discuss how AI is changing the logistics industry. Four Israeli AI logistics start-ups will later present their companies in eight-minute presentations to industrialists in Hamburg. The participating companies include Deutsche Post DHL Group and Volkswagen Group Logistics.

sb/pb