Jerusalem, Tel Aviv nab fourth place in list of best global agtech ecosystems
US research firm Startup Genome lists Israeli cities jointly as top location in the Middle East for food technology, trailing only Silicon Valley, New York and London
Luke Tress is a JTA reporter and a former editor and reporter in New York for The Times of Israel.
Tel Aviv and Jerusalem are ranked together as the fourth best startup ecosystem for agricultural technology in a global survey by the research firm Startup Genome.
The study, called the Global Agtech and New Food Ranking, scores cities according to their performance in the field, the availability of funding, startup experience, knowledge, talent and focus.
The two Israeli cities trailed first-place Silicon Valley, New York City and London.
Tel Aviv and Jerusalem are the only locations in the Middle East and North Africa region to score a spot in the list of 35 cities, which was dominated by North America and Europe.
Startup Genome defined agtech as using technology in agriculture and related fields to increase yield, efficiency and profitability by monitoring and analyzing weather, pests, soil and air temperature. New Food covers technology that can be used to boost efficiency and sustainability in designing, producing, choosing, delivering, and consuming food.
Startup Genome is a leading research firm based in San Francisco that has ranked startup ecosystems worldwide in an annual report since 2012. The group ranks Tel Aviv as 7th worldwide, saying its strongest areas are AI, big data, analytics and cybersecurity.
Israel has long been a leader in agricultural technologies such as drip irrigation, and fosters a vibrant food technology industry in areas such as alternative protein.
