• News

Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA), in partnership with the Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation (Bird Foundation) and the Israeli Embassy, Washington, D.C.’s Economic and Trade Mission, hosted a U.S.-Israel Innovation Summit on March 16, 2023, in Tysons, Virginia. With more than 100 people in attendance, the event featured a delegation of Israeli company representatives who presented innovative and strategic solutions to highlight partnerships and market acceleration opportunities in the homeland security, smart building, and cybersecurity industry sectors.

“It was an honor to host our Israeli partners in person to learn more about how Israeli companies are advancing their mission at home and abroad,” said Victor Hoskins, president and CEO of FCEDA. “We are here to be a conduit, to help these companies connect with the world-class innovation, cybersecurity and tech ecosystems that exist here in Northern Virginia. We are here to help them tap into the incredible U.S. market opportunity,” he continued. “We offer unparalleled access to the world’s largest customers and key decision-makers, and a highly educated regional workforce of six million people. These are just some of the main reasons why dozens of Israeli companies have already expanded their operations to Fairfax County.”

Left to right: Asher Kotz, Manager International Business Investment, Fairfax County EDA; Andrea Yonah, Director Business Development East Coast, BIRD Foundation; Natalie Gutman-Chen, Minister of Economic & Trade Affairs, Embassy of Israel, Washington D.C.; Dalia Palchick, Providence District Supervisor, Fairfax County; Aisha Espey, Director of Commerce, Head of Life Science; Victor Hoskins, CEO and President, Fairfax County EDA (FCEDA photo)

The event kicked off with welcoming remarks by Asher Kotz, Manager, International Business Investment, Cybersecurity and Israel, FCEDA; followed by opening remarks by Victor Hoskins, President and CEO, FCEDA; Dalia Palchik, Providence District Supervisor, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors; Natalie Gutman-Chen, Minister of Economic and Trade Affairs, Embassy of Israel, Washington, D.C.; and Andrea Yonah, Director of Business Development, East Coast and Midwest, BIRD Foundation.

“BIRD is proud to be a part of such a dynamic community committed to fostering the highest-impact innovation and collaboration between the U.S. and Israel to enhance the safety and security of both nations,” said Andrea Yonah, Director of Business Development, East Coast and Midwest, BIRD Foundation.

During the first session, Israeli companies pitched their technologies in a “Shark Tank”-like fashion with Ms. Yonah as moderator to a panel of experts: Michael Dent, Chief Information Security Officer, Fairfax County Government; Seth Abrams, Chief Technology Officer, Homeland Security Solutions, Leidos; and Don Maclean, Chief Compliance Officer, TD SYNNEX Public Sector.

Left to right: Ilan Zachar, SVP and CTO, CARR Properties; Serene Almomen, Ph. D., CEO, Attune; Lisa Roger, CIO, Dewberry; Chris Lettiere, Director, Data Center Operations, CoreSite; Bob Mazer, Founder, Smart City Works & Co-founder and president, Flexnode (FCEDA photo)

The featured companies and representatives included:

• Cyber 2.0 provides total defense against the spread of cyber-attacks within organizational networks. — Guy Tessler, Vice President, U.S.A. Business Development
• Easy Aerial develops and manufactures autonomous and remotely operated military-grade drone-in-a-box solutions designed to go above and beyond – even in the most hostile environments. — Tuvi Cohen, Vice President of Enterprise Programs
• HolistiCyber assists corporations in defending themselves from the new phase of evolution in Cyber threats -not only in volume, but in the level of sophistication. — Moshe Ishai, Co-Founder and COO
• MAGOS develops and manufactures Perimeter Surveillance Radars which can easily plugin into any existing video surveillance system and provide 24/7 reliable long-range detection and tracking in all weather conditions. — Yaron Zussman, General Manager, America
• MS Tech is a designer, manufacturer and innovator of advanced sensors. — Mauricio Alvarez, Director of Marketing
• Sixdof Space has an optical tracking approach offering long-awaited breakthroughs in speed/latency, accuracy and power.– Mark Goldfarb, CEO and Co-Founder

“I was privileged to be part of the inspiring event connecting Israeli and U.S. minds, discussing how technology can unite us in striving for a brighter future while promoting safety and well-being around the world,” said Tuvi Cohen, Vice President of Enterprise Programs, Easy Aerial. “I was very impressed by the technological progress and the innovative approach of Fairfax County Economic Development Authority. For all Israeli tech companies, if you are looking for a new ‘U.S. home’ this is the place to be!”

Left to right: Asher Kotz, Manager International Business Investment, Fairfax County EDA; Ilan Zachar, SVP and CTO, CARR Properties; Don McLean, Chief Compliance Officer, TD SYNNEX Public Sector; Seth Abrams, CTO, Homeland Security Solutions, Leidos; Michael Dent, Chief Security Information Officer, Fairfax County  Government (FCEDA photo)

The attendees also had the opportunity to watch a panel discussion on ” ConTech Trends Technology and Cybersecurity.” With Robert Mazer, Founder, Smart City Works as the moderator, the panelists consisted of Ilan Zachar, Senior Vice President & Chief Technology Officer, CARR Properties; Lisa Roger, Chief Information Officer, Dewberry; Chris Lettiere, Director, Data Center Operations, CoreSite; and Serene Almomen, CEO and Co-Founder, Attune.

“We have had a long and successful history of working with Israeli companies here in the U.S. and have continuously represented Israeli companies for 30+ years. However, due to the COVID lockdowns and related issues, we have not been able to build relationships the way we used to,” said Richard E. Owen, Vice President of Business Development, ADI Technologies. “This event was a welcomed sign that things are hopefully, returning to normal.  I am anxious to follow up with the contacts made and look forward to cultivating new opportunities and creating new Fairfax County businesses, as a result of attending this event.”

Fairfax County’s business community features nine Fortune 500 headquarters, leading government contractors, as well as the global headquarters for companies such as Hilton, Mars, and Capital One. In Fiscal Year 2022, companies with presence in Fairfax County were awarded $34.6 billion in U.S. Federal government contracts. As a hub for more than 8,800 technology businesses, Fairfax County has a plethora of emerging business opportunities in segments such as AI, cybersecurity, defense, homeland security, cloud, smart city, and sustainability. Along with its strength in government and defense technology, Fairfax County’s diverse ecosystem includes business opportunities in communications, financial, healthcare, and more.

FCEDA has maintained an office in Israel since 2004, serving as a go-to resource for Israeli companies interested in expanding into the U.S. market. More than 35 Israel companies currently have operations in Fairfax County, including Amdocs, Armis Security, Cellebrite, Elbit Systems of America, Israel Aerospace Industry, Mellanox – NVIDIA, Checkmarx, Forescout, SimilarWeb, D-FEND Solutions, Priority Software, and VERINT. Fairfax County is conveniently accessible to Washington Dulles International Airport, which has direct flights to Tel Aviv on United Airlines.

“The U.S.-Israel alliance continues to strengthen bringing opportunities for funding and market acceleration for Israeli companies looking to enter the U.S. market. We are committed to introduce the Israeli companies to the local business community to facilitate market opportunities,” said Mr. Kotz. “We look forward to working with more companies on their expansion plans.”

(FCEDA photo)

For more information on the unparalleled opportunities that Fairfax County has to offer to Israeli companies considering expansion to the U.S., visit www.fairfaxcountyeda.org and contact Mr. Asher Kotz at Akotz (at) fceda.org.