Tel Aviv and Berlin partner to boost innovation, startup culture

Israeli and German cities sign startup exchange deal to encourage collaboration between tech hubs.

By JULIE STEIGERWALD
Updated: OCTOBER 13, 2015 16:32
Tel Aviv and Berlin aerial views (photo credit: REUTERS)
Tel Aviv and Berlin aerial views
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Tel Aviv and Berlin have moved to advance ties with the signing Monday of an agreement to promote a collaboration of innovation between the two technology hubs.
The deal comes as Israel and Germany mark 50 years since establishing diplomatic relations in 1965.
Under the framework of the partnership between Israel’s “Startup City” and the German capital, Berlin Mayor Michael Müller and Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai launched a startup exchange program between the two metropolises.
Hosted by the municipally-run Tel Aviv Global company and the public-private organization Berlin Partner for Business and Technology, the new collaboration is set to provide components in both cities such as free co-working spaces, support for globalizing start-ups, visa support, advertising resources, connections within respective ecosystems and access to relevant events.
Hila Oren, CEO and founder of Tel Aviv Global, lauded the partnership and states that she is “looking forward to welcoming German entrepreneurs to our nonstop City."
“Tel Aviv is the Startup City of the Startup Nation, and we see a huge amount of foreign companies looking to be part of the amazingly innovative culture we have here,” she says. Andrea Joras, managing director of Berlin Partner for Business and Technology, boasts that "everything is possible" with the collaboration between the "two cities that are so dynamic and full of young people with creative spirit."
“Berlin and Tel Aviv are both vibrant hotspots for the international startup scene," she says. "Startups from Berlin can benefit from the exchange program because they get the opportunity to get in contact with high-innovative companies and investors from Tel Aviv."
"Startups from Tel Aviv can start their international strategy entering the European market from out of Berlin and get in touch with German industry."
Also on Monday, during a pitch event to choose the first Tel Aviv startups to participate in the exchange, Israeli 3D printing services startup Pzartech won the first bid to venture to Berlin.
Berlin plans to host a total of five Israeli startups for 10-day exchange experiences.
Pzartech co-found Jeremie Brabet-Adonajlo says his company looks forward to working with German manufactures in the Berlin ecosystem and hopes the opportunity will lead to collaborations with companies there.