The vibrant and dynamic Israeli high-tech scene has made a major impact across the world. Israeli companies continue to astonish the markets with a spectrum of disruptive technologies, ranging from advanced healthcare solutions to fintech and security software, and new sustainable technologies that are transforming global food production.
In Israel, the fusion of cutting-edge technological expertise, and a sense that anything is possible, unleashed a tsunami of entrepreneurial energy over the last few decades. The most successful Israeli startups experienced exponential growth and are now traded on the world’s biggest stock exchanges.
Israel has always punched above its weight in pretty much every field, and high-tech is no exception. Brands such as navigational aid Waze and Sodastream are now household names around the world, and there are Israeli companies that are world leaders such as Teva which is one of the largest generic pharmaceutical companies, and ICL Group which is one of the biggest fertilizer companies.
We’ve listed ten of the top Israeli companies that are making a global impact and delivering innovative products and life-changing services to millions of people around the world.
1. AudioCodes (NASDAQ: AUDC), (TASE: AUDC)
AudioCodes is a global company based in Israel’s Airport City business hub. The company provides advanced communication software and products for businesses and service providers around the world. Over 60% of major telecommunications companies use AudioCodes products. The company also provides One Voice for Microsoft 365. AudioCodes was founded in 1993 and was one of the first Israeli high-tech companies to become a major international force. The highly successful AudioCodes business model is built around a partner network of over a thousand resellers in more than a hundred different countries. AudioCodes has a truly global reach and dominates its technological and market niches. The company also invests heavily in new AI-driven products at its Israeli R&D center. AudioCodes is a superb example of an Israeli company that leveraged its technological expertise to become a global market leader.
2. Wix.com (NASDAQ: WIX)
Wix.com's user-friendly website-building platform has over 200 million fans, including small businesses, entrepreneurs, and creative professionals. Wix has made it so easy for people to create their own website without coding knowledge. The Tel Aviv based company (also a Russell 1000 component) has a mission to empower people to create an online presence and grow their own businesses. Wix technology is opening up the digital economy by providing individual entrepreneurs and startups with accessible, affordable, and convenient ways to establish an online business and compete with larger companies. Wix is a highly dynamic company that has made several strategic acquisitions since it went public in November 2013. Acquisitions include DeviantArt, Inkforg, and Modalyst, as well as a number of other e-commerce and business solution apps. Although Wix’s key business is providing website platforms, it clearly has major ambitions in the field of online retail and is a company that may well surprise a lot of people as it expands further in the medium-term.
3. ICL Group (NYSE: ICL), (TASE: ICL)
ICL is a leading global specialty minerals company and one of the biggest fertilizer companies in the world, with over 13,000 employees and 24 R&D centers worldwide. This company is creating a positive impact every day with its innovative solutions for food, agriculture, and industrial products. ICL's innovative fertilizers and crop nutrition solutions are helping to increase crop yields, improve plant quality, and enhance soil fertility. ICL is committed to implementing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals including Zero Hunger, and their innovative FoodTech and AgTech solutions are helping to make food security a reality for millions of people around the world. Agmatix, a start-up AgTech business owned by ICL is transforming the role of Agtech with its revolutionary technology platform that turns agronomic big data into powerful models and insights. ICL also created the Planet Startup Hub, a Food Tech and Agtech accelerator to bring innovative ideas to market. ICL products are used by farmers, agronomists, and food producers in over 100 countries, including China, India, and Brazil.
4. Check Point (NASDAQ: CHKP)
The security company Check Point was founded in Ramat Gan in 1993 by Gil Schwed and other veterans of the IDF Unit 8200. Check Point has a worldwide reputation for protecting businesses and governments from cyber threats and data breaches. The company has 6,000 employees and a presence in over 70 countries, and its technology is used by thousands of organizations worldwide. Check Point clients include Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, healthcare providers, and other organizations that hold sensitive data. Check Point's innovative software and hardware provides reliable protection across the entire IT spectrum. As online threats (and official regulatory demands) grow, Cyber security is something that no company or organization can neglect. Any company that holds sensitive data has to invest in up to date protection and Check Point is a global leader in the field. With revenues of over $17 billion and technological dominance in its field, Check Point is a massive Israeli success story.
5. Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries (NYSE: TEVA), (TASE: TEVA)
Teva (Hebrew for nature) is a multinational pharmaceutical company based in Tel Aviv and is a component of the TA-35 Index. Teva’s mission is to improve access to affordable medicines and promote global health, mainly through the marketing of generic medicines. Teva products are used by millions of patients worldwide, including in the US, Europe, and developing countries. Teva's generic drugs are helping to reduce the cost of healthcare, increase access to life-saving medications, and improve the quality of life for millions of people. Teva can trace its roots back to the Jerusalem of the Ottoman Empire, but now has a worldwide presence and over 35,000 employees. New technology is driving a revolution in healthcare and Teva will be at the forefront of providing affordable solutions to patients around the world. They have just announced FDA approval of UZEDY™ a treatment for Schizophrenia in adults, just another example of Teva having a global impact on lives!
6. Netafim Private Enterprise
Netafim is an Israeli company that manufactures irrigation equipment and crop management technologies and software. Netafim draws on the Israeli experience of greening the desert to promote sustainable agriculture practices and conserve water resources across the world. Their technology is used by farmers in over 110 countries, including the US, China, and India. Netafim's smart irrigation solutions are utilizing the latest technological advances to help reduce water waste, improve crop yields, and empower farmers and agronomists, especially those who are farming marginal lands, or facing the challenges of climate change. Unusually for a major company with revenues in excess of $1bn, Netafim is partly owned by a Kibbutz (Kibbutz Hatzerim is a 20% stakeholder in the company).
7. Amdocs (NASDAQ: DOCS)
Amdocs is a Russell 1000 component company with an unlikely origin. The company began life as an offshoot of the Israeli phone directory company Golden Pages. Amdocs grew rapidly on the strength of its revolutionary billing software and then diversified into new sectors, including the nascent mobile sector. This strategic move allowed Amdocs to go public, trading on the NYSE, and eventually Nasdaq. Amdocs is now based in the US but maintains a strong presence in Israel. Amdocs software and services are highly valued by clients in the communications, media, and financial service industries. The Amdocs Corporate Social Responsibility program contributed to a major relief operation following the 2020 eruption of the Taal Volcano in the Philippines.
8. OrCam Private Enterprise
OrCam is located in Jerusalem’s Har Hotzvim neighborhood. They are an amazing company that is using groundbreaking technology to improve the quality of life for visually impaired people. OrCam artificial devices are designed to be worn unobtrusively with ordinary glasses and to read and verbalize text for users. OrCam technology is making a real difference in the quality of life of millions of people around the world. Visually impaired people, who previously faced major restrictions and limitations, due to their disability are achieving greater independence. OrCam wearers are accessing information and functioning in their daily environments far more effectively. OrCam’s innovative use of technology to transform people’s quality of life is set to improve even further as they invest in more advanced R&D, including AI driven algorithms.
9. Payoneer (NASDAQ: PAYO)
Payoneer is a financial services company that provides secure and convenient online money transfers and digital payment services for customers across the world. It also offers its customers working capital. The company was founded in 2005 by Yuval Tal and attracted major investors, including Naftali Bennett who went on to serve as the Prime Minister of Israel. Payoneer specializes in cross-border B2B payments and its scalable services are popular with major companies that need to make mass payments. Although Payoneer numbers giant companies like Google, Amazon, and Walmart as clients, it offers a user-friendly service to businesses of all sizes, as well as prepaid debit cards and virtual bank account numbers in local currencies.
10. Lightricks Private Enterprise
Lightricks is a Jerusalem software company that develops mobile device video and image editing apps. Its apps have been downloaded over 500 million times and are mainly offered on a freemium basis. Lightricks was founded in 2013 and is regarded as a classic example of a bootstrapped company that grew out of nothing more than a genius concept and the enthusiasm and energy of its five co-founders (all students at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem). Lightricks has offices in the EU, UK, and US but remains true to its origins with the corporate HQ in Jerusalem. The company currently has over 450 employees and is best known for its popular Facetune selfie-editing app.
The global investment landscape may have shifted recently, and new startups face more challenges than they did just a few years ago, but the Israeli appetite for new ventures is undiminished. The new generation of Israeli entrepreneurs is adapting, innovating, and transforming obstacles into opportunities. As the technological revolution of the 2020s unfolds, the one certainty is that the Israeli high-tech and business sectors will have a global influence out of all proportion to their numbers.
This article was written in cooperation with Jacobo Weizenblut