When Israel needed water in the desert, we pioneered irrigation technology. In the face of non-traditional threats, we have become a cyber empire. After the October 7 tragedy, Israel still faces many new challenges. These challenges are new to Israelis, but all too familiar to many countries that experience natural and man-made disasters. Sadly, these disasters are increasing in frequency and severity.
The terrifying experience that October 7 forced upon us could either shatter us or lead to the development of the most powerful impact technology ecosystem the world has ever seen, changing the trajectory of our universe forever. There is a gender. This is not an easy opportunity to seize, but I believe we need to give it our all. This is an opportunity to help our recovery process, play a role in addressing global challenges, and provide an incredible economic engine if we execute. right. Disasters will never go away, but our innovative responses can turn adversity into opportunity.
Much has been written about Israel as a startup nation, a technological miracle in the Middle East with more startups per capita than anywhere else on earth.
Israel's technology ecosystem is understandably focused on areas such as cyber, fintech, and enterprise solutions. And for good reason. This ecosystem grew under the influence of foreign technology leaders and venture capitalists with corporate, military, and financial backgrounds, and was fueled by innovations by the IDF. This influence paved the way for Israel's founders to focus on issues affecting businesses and institutions in the United States and Western society. It's a smart approach given the economic opportunities in these areas and the first-hand experience of the ecosystem veterans we've been able to mentor. We provide funding and support entrepreneurs who are tackling problems we know about.
October 7th and the events that followed thrust all Israelis into uncharted territory. Despite battling mistrust and a government that is not trusted and not functioning ideally, Israelis and their allies around the world continue to build on history as one of the best community responses to disasters. We have taken actions that we believe will be remembered. CEOs became philanthropists, conference halls became donation centers, volunteers were organized to replace workers drafted into the reserves, and amazing amounts of donations were raised.
Not surprisingly, we also witnessed an unusual spike in ad hoc “emergency” hacks. New technology solutions help identify and track people in distress, provide rapid response documentation solutions in the field, leverage CRM for data management of displaced persons, and identify missing and abducted people. It was developed for the purpose of utilizing AI.
As Israel moves from emergency response to recovery, we are beginning to see a similar innovative spirit in addressing long-term recovery issues.
innovative recovery
One example is Citizen AI, a fintech startup that leverages a financial education platform to help individuals and organizations understand their rights and navigate complex benefit systems. Entitlement enforcement and fiscal consolidation are not new issues in Israel (and around the world), but the current influx of people in need and new programs are bringing focus and clarity to what is needed. There is.
In the agricultural sector, programs such as ReGrow Israel are not only focused on building what has been destroyed, but also seize the opportunity to build more advanced, technology-enabled and resilient agricultural ecosystems. Masu. These programs not only strengthen the food system that sustains the country and supports the livelihoods of farming families and other businesses along the value chain, but also provide critical insights and learnings to energize agtech companies. It has potential.
Innovation is proliferating in the field of physical and mental health. In places like Israel, with so many individuals trying to recover and reintegrate into society, and dozens of others surrounding them, this can only mean one thing: more This is a groundbreaking idea and solution.
As an example, at the Lev Hasharon Mental Health Center, cutting-edge technology such as VR is being used to improve mental health patients in departments such as hospitalization, day care, and clinics specializing in sexual trauma and psychological support for children and young people. included in the care plan. . Feedback from patients has been very positive, with approximately 70% reporting significantly reduced anxiety and stress levels.
All these programs and ideas didn't come out of thin air. They were bred and incubated through the incredible ecosystem of impact technologies that already exist in Israel. But this needs to change because they are a minority, underfunded and undersupported. Now is the time to double down on these opportunities as these sectors grow globally and create more demand.
This could be a defining moment for Israel's technology ecosystem and national economy, or it could be a significant missed opportunity. We must accept this terrible disaster and the challenges it has forced us to experience and make the best of it. solve. Innovate. build. And scale up for the greater good and benefit of all.
To make this happen, everyone must play a role. There is much work to be done. We fill knowledge gaps about new markets, fund experiments, and bring together people who are not used to collaborating with each other, such as social workers, engineers, NGO leaders, investors, nurses, and salespeople. We need to come together. We bring interdisciplinary knowledge and experience to the table.
We built PollyLabs to bridge the technology gap and exponentially accelerate solutions to the world's most pressing needs. Like everyone, October 7th put us all through a difficult time, both personally and professionally. It also highlighted the tremendous opportunity for Israel to build and heal itself and others like never before. Take on this role. We were created for this.
Bar Pereg is the CEO of PollyLabs. Alina Shkolnikov is Chief Partnerships Officer at PollyLabs and a board member of the Devorah Forum.
