Start-Up Nation to create new companies in 24 hours during COVID-19
The online 24-hour ‘boot camp’ brings together over 50 mentors and is held in partnership with the Tel Aviv Municipality and Google for StartUps.
By HAGAY HACOHENCXP Consulting CEO Tania Amar in a previous Bootcamp. The current 24h challenge is meant for French speaking as well as English speaking Israelis(photo credit: Courtesy)
Hundreds of bright, hi-tech talents will remotely participate in 24 hours of an online “boot camp” this Tuesday, hoping to make the contacts, and gaining the needed skills, to turn their dream into an innovative company. Held by Start-Up Nation in cooperation with 20 other partners, among them the Tel-Aviv Municipality, Google for StartUps and Microsoft for StartUps, the event includes some of the biggest names in the field such as OurCrowd CEO Jon Medved and Likud MK Nir Barkat, the hope is that by Wednesday evening, 100 new companies will be born. Barkat was a successful hi-tech businessman before entering politics. He will be joined by Tel Aviv Councilwoman Ofira Yochanan Wolk.The entire day will be aired from the WeWork Hazerem location in Tel Aviv. The Tel Aviv Municipality and Google for StartUps are among the boot camp’s partners. What will it look like? The hundreds of applicants will be divided according to their fields such as ag-tech, ed-tech or cyber and given inspiring lectures, attend five sprint sessions and gain mentoring from some of the leading people in their fields.Ten teams will be picked at the end of the 24 hours event to pitch at a larger, future gathering in front of early-stage investors. Held in English, the event is geared up to include immigrants (olim) as well as native-born Israelis. Yossi Dan, the man behind the concept, said that the goal is "to assist hundreds of talented individuals affected by the COVID-19 economy... for free," a press release on behalf of Start-Up Nation said. With a great deal of experience under his belt in the field of boot camps, Dan reshaped the concept with the goal of helping hundreds of skilled hi-tech people who are currently out of work.English-speaking immigrants aren't the only ones considered for this boot camp.One of the founding members is French-speaker Tania Amar, who worked with leading hi-tech firms in France and in Israel, including French energy firm Cogeme.She is also a member of the Gvahim board of directors, an NGO that supports skilled immigrants wishing to build a life in Israel.
