Ten Israeli healthtech startups visited Philadelphia in early February as part of a collaboration between the University City Science Center and Startup Nation Central (SNC), a nonprofit non-governmental organization that supports startups and the innovation economy in Israel.
The founders participated in programming that showcased resources in Philly and helped them better understand the US market, like how to approach investors. Putting on these events with companies outside the region ultimately spreads the word about Philadelphia and increases the potential for economic development, said Sandra Gomberg, strategic advisor for the Science Center.
“It’s ultimately jobs and economic development for the city of Philadelphia,” Gomberg said. “Many of these companies, while they’re going to start small, they’re going to hire, they’re going to need a place to put down their roots, and we want them to put those roots down here in Philadelphia.”
The startups came to the Science Center for two days to meet various investors interested in healthtech, including local firms like Robin Hood Ventures and Empactful Capital.
Israeli startups have boomed since the beginning of the country’s war with Hamas, raking in more than $3.1 billion in funding as of April 2024. Estie Rosen, digital and global communications senior director at SNC, puts the number even higher: over $12 billion in private funding in 2024.
“Despite the ongoing war and local challenges, Israel’s tech sector continues to evolve into a scale-up powerhouse, reinforcing global investors’ confidence in its innovation ecosystem,” Rosen said.
Meanwhile, Palestinian founders have been forced out of their home countries to keep their companies — and lives — safe. The ongoing conflict continues to take a toll on the sector, and the people in the region, as instability leaves an uncertain future.
The Science Center said it is open to opportunities to partner with other global nonprofits looking to commercialize life sciences and healthcare, but did not specifically name any programs working with Palestinian founders.
“Philadelphia remains a global leader in developing and nurturing ideas and talent, and we’re always eager to maximize opportunities to showcase the region’s strengths,” Kristen Fitch, senior director of marketing at the Science Center, told Technical.ly.
Founders navigate the US business scene
The companies attended sessions about working with US investors, accessing partnerships, and navigating business culture in the US. Founders also had one-on-one meetings with investors and local healthcare stakeholders to ask questions.
“It’s not about them selling themselves,” Gomberg said. “It’s about them asking for guidance and learning so that they can improve their understanding of entering the US healthcare market.”
For example, Tal Shapsa Heiman, cofounder and CEO of palliative care platform Epilog which is based in both North Carolina and Tel Aviv, was specifically looking for partners that her company can build a long-term relationship with.
Heiman already had a history with the Science Center from participating in its Global Market Access Program in 2022. Generally, the ecosystem feels welcoming to new people and her ongoing relationship with the org makes her feel like a part of the community, she said.
“It’s more of a collaborative approach, for me coming from somewhere else that is less like that, it’s huge learning [opportunity],” she said. “It’s very unique to this [region].”
A tour of the US to connect with regional opportunities
This visit was part of a multi-city tour where SNC brought founders to similar startup resource orgs in New York and Chicago before coming to Philadelphia.
Each city offered something different, and ending the tour in Philadelphia allowed startups to slow down and absorb individualized feedback from Philly investors, Eden Eini, ecosystem growth manager at SNC, told Technical.ly.
The Science Center has been connected to SNC for a few years, working on virtual programs that introduce Israeli healthcare startups to the United States market, Gomberg said.
Philly’s research and healthcare environments are reasons why SNC was interested in bringing startups to the Science Center for this program, Eini said. It was an opportunity to meet stakeholders ranging from investors to academics.
“It’s really interesting to see how tech, academia, research, is kind of combined and intertwined together,” Eini said. “That’s really interesting to see as an outsider, how [the] economy grows like that.”
Building a reputation beyond ‘eds and meds’
The Science Center hosts other programs with companies outside the region, like the Capital Readiness Program which is for companies looking for fundraising guidance.
The goal is to help founders see that Philadelphia is willing to invest in innovation, Gomberg said. Partnerships also bring more high-quality companies into the ecosystem and bring more interest to local investors and other local stakeholders like CIC Philadelphia and other resources.
They also want to show that Philadelphia has a startup friendly ecosystem, she said. Introducing founders to Chambers of Commerce, for example, creates those connections.
“It’s not just that we have a lot of eds and meds,” Gomberg said. “We have an environment that is welcoming to innovation that comes from global places.”
Learn more about our U.S. Market Access program.
