Israel is the “Start-Up Nation.” Just 60 years old with a population of 7.1 million, surrounded by enemies, in a constant state of war since its founding, with no natural resources, Israel produces more start-up companies than large, peaceful, and stable nations like Japan, China, India, Korea, Canada and the UK and has emerged as a model of entrepreneurialism that countries at all stages of development have tried to replicate.
A new book by Dan Senor and Saul Singer, Start-Up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle, explores the culture behind Israel’s economic success.
Israel has the highest density of tech start-ups in the world. More importantly, these start-ups attract more venture capital dollars per person than any country — 2.5 times the U.S., 30 times Europe, 80 times India, and 300 times China. Israel has more companies on the tech-oriented NASDAQ than any country outside the U.S., more than all of Europe, Japan, Korea, India, and China combined.
But it’s not just about start-ups. Scratch almost any major tech company — Intel, Microsoft, Google, Cisco, Motorola, and so on — and you will find that Israeli talent and technology play a major role in keeping these multinational companies on the cutting edge.
The tiny country has more scientists, engineers, and start-ups, per capita, than any other nation in the world. Numerous Israeli firms have been acquired by multinationals including Google, IBM, and HP.