On May 20, one of the biggest Israeli tech companies Axis Innovation-hosted Axis Tel Aviv conference returned for its 12th year, showcasing startups and drawing global investors despite ongoing war, travel bans, and economic instability.
Despite the war Israel has committed on Palestine and Lebanon, as well as the economic uncertainty, the Israel high tech weapons sector remains attractive to foreign investment, with the Axis Tel Aviv conference drawing attention to innovation beyond cybersecurity.
While fighting continues and Israel’s economic forecasts remain unclear, the Axis Tel Aviv tech conference is not slowing down.
In its 12th year, the international conference, hosted by Axis Innovation, continues to draw foreign investors and tech professionals amid heightened travel bans and international tensions. Despite the war erupting in the region, 2025’s edition has exceeded last year’s attendance with over 150 startups and 30 confirmed foreign guests.
“This is the 12th year that we’ve been doing this,” said Ed Frank, CEO of Axis Innovation, “And we’re really focusing on bringing international investors and corporations to Israel to connect with startups.”
Israel based tech companies, such as Axis Tel Aviv limits its attendance to 300 people to foster meaningful deal-making over spectacle.
“We’ve kept our events small because we want deals to happen, not just put on an event for our sponsors,” Frank explained. The conference prioritizes startup pitches and one-on-one meetings over keynote-heavy formats, focusing on four sectors: dual-use technologies, sustainability, manufacturing, and AI.
Acknowledging hosting challenges in the Israel tech capital, Axis Innovation has also launched a second event in New York, as “not everybody can come to Israel,” Frank said, adding that “some of those people are coming now because they realize that Israeli tech is really important for them, but a lot of large corporations have travel restrictions.”
A Shifting Investment Landscape
While the Israel tech mission remains confusing to others as what does it really aim for, investor behavior has shifted. “Corporations still see Israeli startups as critical, but they don’t want to publicize it,” Frank noted.
Travel bans and internal risk assessments have made corporate participation more discreet, while smaller venture firms, more agile by nature, continue to attend in person.
Frank also highlighted the increased interest from Jewish investors and emphasized the growing reliance on biggest Israeli tech companies and international pilots and partnerships.
“We have one Israeli company doing a pilot in Italy, another in France. They’re based in Israel, but the work is global,” he said.
Despite the perception that high tech coastal city in Israel strengths lie only in cybersecurity, Frank argues the ecosystem is far broader. “We’ve had companies in Israel that innovate in food, golf, cricket—even robotics and AI,” he said. “People look at us and think we’re only strong in cyber, but we obviously have a lot of other things here.”
Reflecting on how startups can thrive in today’s climate, Frank was direct, “Every startup has to solve a problem for a client. It’s not about technology it’s about value.” As one of the biggest Israeli tech companies Axis Tel Aviv unfolds, that simple truth remains the event’s driving force.
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