The FORD Innovation Center in Israel has announced that it will support a startup accelerator for graduates of the IDF's 8200 Intelligence Unit in developing entrepreneurs who develop advanced technological solutions for significant social and environmental challenges.
In the "8200 Impact" accelerator, accepted startups receive five months of intensive training, including workshops, lectures, and events with successful entrepreneurs, mentors, professional services, free consulting, and connection with investors and alumni in Israel and around the world.
At the end of the program, the startups join the alumni startup community and continue to receive business development services and the opportunity to join unique follow-up programs, including the Seed2A program of the 8200 Alumni Association and the Calling2Scale program of the EU Innovation Institute.
So far, graduates of the program have raised over $58 million and created over 160 jobs.
The accelerator is supported by twelve partners in the local business ecosystem, including, Hapoalim Bank, Doral Energy, Partner, Nashitz-Brands-Amir Law Firm, Amdocs, Harel Insurance Company, MFI Initiative, Nefesh Benefesh, the Tel Aviv- Jaffa Municipality, the Jewish Federation of New York, ICL and IMED.
FORD's Innovation Center, headed by Col. (res.) Boaz Hartal plays a key role in promoting Israeli technology in a number of sectors and including them in Ford's products and services. The center will support the accelerator with the support of the FORD Fund.
"We are pleased and excited to collaborate with the impact program of the 8200 alumni association. FORD Fund supports diverse programs around the world, and for the first time also operates in Israel through the company's growing innovation center in Tel Aviv," said Hartal. "It is a great privilege for us to partner with the 8200 alumni association, a unit whose alumni lead some promising companies that work with us, whom we help to integrate optimally within Ford's products and services worldwide."
"We welcome Ford and FORD Fund to join onboard the list of companies and public bodies that support 8200 Impact, which is one of the flagship programs in the technology axis of the 8200 Alumni Association," said Chen Shmilo, the director of 8200 Impact. "The spearhead in the development of new and advanced technologies will help entrepreneurs in the field of technological impact to accelerate their activities and thus turn Israel from a startup nation into an impact nation."