Israel has cemented its status as a globally-recognized hub of financial innovation in recent years, with the country’s fintech sector more than tripling in size from 159 companies in 2012, to some 475 active companies in 2017.
In good news for local talent, nearly 60% of multinational corporations that have invested in the past year are seeking to engage with the domestic innovation scene, according to the report.
In recent years, multinationals have boosted their local presence in Israel, collaborating with both early and late-stage fintech start-ups.
This has continued in the past 18 months, with an estimated 16 global financial services firms establishing a local presence for the first time, or diversifying their activities within the Israeli financial sector.
Major companies investing in local talent include Deutsche Bank, Barclays and Citibank in the banking sector, AXA in the insurance sector, and PayPal, Visa and Mastercard in the payments sector.