Wed 10 April 2024 - Thu 11 April 2024 | 9:00 am - 9:00 pm
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10th-11th April 2024
Glimpsing the Future – Tel Aviv’s Sparks Innovation Summit Returns
The Tel Aviv Sparks Innovation Summit, previously known as DLD, is making a much-anticipated return to Tel Aviv. This festival will be held at the Expo Tel Aviv and various key locations across the city. The event, spearheaded by Yossi Vardi, the father of the startup nation, investor, and chairman of Sparks Tel Aviv, alongside Amir Rapaport, founder of Cybertech Global Conferences, enjoys the support of the Israel Innovation Authority, the Local Government Center, and Tel Aviv University.
This annual event, Tel Aviv Sparks Innovation, will host dozens of groundbreaking startups, participants, and visitors from around the globe, along with top figures from the high-tech world, international investors, thought leaders, and young entrepreneurs. Among the speakers are Einat Guez, CEO of Papaya Global, former Bank of Israel Governor Prof. Karnit Flug, Dror Bin, CEO of the Israel Innovation Authority, Moshe Zviran, Chief of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Division at Tel Aviv University, and more.
In light of the current situation, this year’s conference will feature a special panel dedicated to fostering innovation in the Western Negev. Entrepreneurs from the Gaza envelope will meet with Israel’s high-tech community to discuss challenges, business activities, future investments in the sector, and the promotion of peripheral areas.
Another timely panel will explore the unique technologies of elite military units and their impact on the country’s technological ecosystem. Additionally, discussions will cover topics such as virtual reality, open source, tools for early-stage entrepreneurs, women in high-tech, and more.
The “URBAN HAPPENING” meetups, taking place across the city on April 10-11, will feature over 10 “Science at the Bar” gatherings open to the public as part of URBAN HAPPENING. Lectures, workshops, and panels by leading experts will cover diverse subjects like virtual reality, artificial intelligence, tools for early-stage entrepreneurs, open-source technologies, fundraising, maker workshops, women in high-tech, natural language processing, data science, and more. This event opens a window to the marvel of Israeli technological communities, inviting the wider public to experience the innovation engines of the startup nation up close. For registration, look for the bordeaux cubes on the festival website!
Additionally, city tours (Neve Tzedek, Old Jaffa, and historical heritage sites across the city) are on the agenda. The traditional event that has been a success every year, the Unconference, will take place on the last day of the festival (Friday, April 12). It is an event that brings together high-tech and political leaders alongside the general public, who can also actively participate as speakers. The Unconference stands out for its simplicity, allowing anyone interested to present their chosen topic. This meetup will be held at Microsoft Reactor Midtown Tel Aviv (Menachem Begin 144) from 9:00 AM to 1:30 PM. Additionally, a meetup event for students and graduates to connect with young entrepreneurs will be led by the Koller Faculty of Management at Tel Aviv University.
Yossi Vardi, a technology entrepreneur, Israeli investor, and one of the initiators of the Sparks conference, stated, “This is the 11th time we are hosting the conference, aimed at exposing the Israeli high-tech industry to many international entities (dozens of international delegations). In a period since the war, the conference’s continuation signifies the resilience of the Israeli high-tech industry on the global stage. The event also continues to position Tel Aviv as one of the leading centers worldwide and opens doors for startups and the global industry. On a local level, the conference highlights the importance of strengthening high-tech in the periphery, and we are confident that the connections made during the event will contribute to its ongoing growth.”
Former Bank of Israel Governor Prof. Karnit Flug commented, “Participating in the Tel Aviv Sparks Innovation Summit reflects our commitment to nurturing a culture of innovation that drives economic growth and social advancement.”
The Koller Faculty of Management at Tel Aviv University, a partner in the SPARKS conference, aligns with the values of innovation and entrepreneurship that guide the faculty’s activities in research, teaching, and industry engagement, contributing to the creation of a shared ecosystem.
Prof. Moshe Zviran, former Dean of the Koller Faculty of Management and head of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Division at Tel Aviv University, expressed excitement about participating in this groundbreaking innovation conference. “The event embodies a fruitful international and interdisciplinary dialogue among industry leaders, paving the way for transformative and boundary-breaking ideas. This opportunity will facilitate learning, collaboration, and the drive for a more promising future.”
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