The “German-Israeli Growth Accelerator”, GIGA for short, is intended to bring the two startup metropolises of Munich and Tel Aviv closer together. Israeli Vice Consul General in Munich, Jonathan Glick, oversees the program on the Israeli side and answered a few questions about GIGA, Tel Aviv, and Munich.
Ten German and ten Israeli students and young entrepreneurs each develop their startup ideas during the three-month program. Finally, the participants pitch to investors in Tel Aviv. The program is initiated by Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship (SCE) the Munich University of Applied Sciences, the FOM University and the Consulate General of the State of Israel. Google supports the initiative.
Dear Mr. Glick, what do you expect from GIGA?
We're optimistic but not overly enthusiastic. We expect three things from the first GIGA batch:
- At least one participating startup should continue to operate internationally.
- Startups that participated in the program but stopped working on their product engage in a new project or startup. Once you get hooked on entrepreneurship, you'll stick with it for life!
- We want to show that there is great potential in bringing together entrepreneurial thinking in Germany and Israel.
“Cyber security boom continues”
In which fields and industries do you see the greatest potential for disruptive startups in the coming years?
"Years" is a pretty long time in the startup world. I wouldn't commit to just years. 🙂
But my prediction for the near future: I believe the boom in cybersecurity will continue. This is partly because the number of cyber threats is growing, and partly because the world is changing—more and more devices are connected and producing more and more data that needs to be protected.
This leads to another area: AI and Big Data. The more devices are connected and generate data, the more important data analysis becomes. The difference between raw and valuable data lies in the analysis and AI.
What insights did you gain from the existing program “Bavaria Israel Partnership Accelerator” (BIPA) and how does GIGA benefit from this?
GIGA is the next step after BIPA. At BIPA, young entrepreneurs and students experience the "startup feeling." GIGA takes participants to the next level, toward the finish line, so to speak: true entrepreneurship.
Our most important takeaway from BIPA is that Germans and Israelis are very different. What makes us different is what makes us a great team. Following BIPA, we believe that Germans and Israelis complement each other and form winning teams in the long run.
International flair connects Munich and Tel Aviv
What do the startup cities of Tel Aviv and Munich have in common? How can the startup scenes in both cities benefit from each other?
As a Tel Aviv native and now a Munich resident, I believe that both cities have, above all, an international flair in common. Since both are economic centers and attract many expats, there is a strong international influence in both Munich and Tel Aviv. This multicultural and international atmosphere enables diversity and promotes entrepreneurship.
I think Tel Aviv can particularly benefit from the industrial strength of Munich and its surroundings. And I believe Munich can benefit from the highly developed ecosystem in Tel Aviv and the general Israeli risk appetite.
Apart from GIGA and BIPA, how do you think Israeli and German companies can become more closely connected?
On the German side, I believe that small and medium-sized enterprises can benefit greatly from Israeli innovation. Small and medium-sized enterprises dominate the German and often international market with their excellent products. I am convinced that German small and medium-sized enterprises can further expand their market lead by engaging with Israeli innovation—be it in analytics, cybersecurity, or another area.
Israeli companies still neglect Germany as Go-to-market and see the country more as part of the European single market. I think that's wrong, because Germany, together with the other DACH countries, forms a market with approximately 110 million people—and, of course, because of the great industrial potential of cooperation in Germany. The economic value of a go-to market is not limited to sales opportunities. The value also extends to joint ventures, joint R&D, and M&A.
“Munich residents know how to live”
There are obviously huge differences in the daily lifestyle between Munich and Tel Aviv. What do you like most about living in Munich? What do you miss about living in Israel?
What I love about Munich is that it's so relaxed. There's very little traffic, personal safety is high—and those parks! I recently met an Israeli who put it well: Munich residents know how to live.
I miss the food and the beach in Tel Aviv. Tel Aviv is a very culinary city; the choices are endless. The street food in Tel Aviv is fantastic, give it a try!
Thank you for the interview!
Note: We conducted the interview in English. The original English text is available here.
