Waze co-founder says government endangering Israel’s future as a tech hub

Waze co-founder and former CEO Noam Bardin warns that the country’s internal rifts and government attempts to undermine democracy are endangering Israel’s ecosystem as a technological hub.

“When I look at the progress of the Israeli ecosystem, I don’t see risks regarding technological advancement — it will continue to grow and succeed — the only thing that can stop us is ourselves,” says Bardin. “The judicial reform taking place these days is putting our democracy under attack.”

“The only risk is that we become a non-democratic and non-liberal society,” he cautions.

Reflecting on the sale of the navigation app to US tech giant Google in 2013, Bardin says Waze was a testament that Israel can build world-class products, while Google’s most recent $32 billion deal to buy cyber unicorn Wiz shows that local entrepreneurs can build industry-defining businesses based in Israel.

“This is the moment when we are transitioning from a nation that nurtures startups to one that grows strong and successful global tech companies,” Barden notes. “This must not stop.”