Israeli startups open Manhattan ‘kibbutz,’ as tech scene grows despite Mamdani
Israeli tech leaders in New York City announced the formation of a new hub in Chelsea as the country’s tech scene continues to grow, despite growing political hostility to Israel in the city from Mayor Zohran Mamdani and other elected officials.
The new center, called “Hakibbutz NYC,” will be the first “permanent home” for Israeli startups, organizers said in a statement. It will host events including investor gatherings, roundtable discussions, professional networking events, and meetings between Israeli tech staff and U.S. corporations, the statement said. The project is a collaboration between Hakibbutz, an Israeli workspace hub, and Israeli Mapped in NY, a platform that tracks and connects Israeli startups in the city.
Guy Franklin, the head of Israeli Mapped in NY, said the space on 26th Street will span 18,000 square feet, with plans to expand further. Private sources are funding the project, and there is no government involvement from Israel, the U.S. or New York, he said. “Our goal is that no Israeli company arriving in New York should have to start from scratch. Instead, they should be able to immediately connect with a network of founders, investors, customers, and business partners.”
New York is a major destination for Israeli startups. The domestic Israeli market is small, and companies that wish to expand must look abroad for customers, business partners, investors and employees. The United States is the largest accessible market for many products. New York is far closer to Israel than California, and fewer time zones separate them, and of course the city is home to large Jewish and Israeli communities.
Israeli Mapped in NY counts around 470 Israeli technology companies in New York.
Franklin told The Times of Israel that around 50 Israeli startups have set up operations in the city in the past 12 months. “More and more companies are establishing a permanent presence in New York, hiring local teams, and managing their U.S. growth from here,” he said. A report by the United States-Israel Business Alliance last year counted nearly 600 Israeli-founded companies in New York City, including firms not involved in technology, like restaurants.
Those companies have created more than 27,000 jobs and generated billions in revenue in the city. There are 20 Israeli-founded “unicorns,” or companies worth more than $1 billion, based in the city, the report said.
Jewish Telegraphic Agency