CyberTech Global Tel Aviv 2026 this week celebrated massive milestones for the country’s booming sector, against the backdrop of the return from Gaza of the final Israeli hostage, Ran Gvili, marking 843 days since Oct. 7, 2023.
The summit included global attendees and cyber powerhouses such as NVIDIA, Check Point, Wiz and more. Speakers and attendees addressed feelings of national momentum even as discussions highlighted escalating threats to Israel’s critical infrastructure, particularly seaports like Ashdod, which handle a massive share of the nation’s trade and remain prime targets of hybrid warfare.
“The strength of this community, the strength of this industry and the resilience of the people in it, [are] the reason why this sector is so successful,” said Asaf Zamir, former Deputy Mayor of Tel Aviv, in his opening remarks. “It’s exactly the same reason that the Israeli people could go through these years and survive and flourish and still have hope and still believe in a better future.”
A record-breaking year for Israeli cyber
The conference comes after a record year for Israeli cyber startups, which raised $8.27 billion—a 110% increase compared to 2024. “It’s a new dawn for Israel. We can work on recovering going forward, and, as always, our force bringing us forward will be the tech industry,” added Zamir.
Per IVC data released alongside the event, there are 597 active cybersecurity companies in Israel, up from 546 companies in 2024. Most are small, up to 20 employees, and at early revenue stages. An overwhelming majority of cybersecurity companies focus on software (92.8%). “It is evident that the market is almost entirely skewed toward software and enterprise infrastructure solutions, while hardware and semiconductor domains remain marginal,” according to the report.
Exit values for Israeli cybersecurity companies in 2025 totaled approximately $72.6 billion, representing an increase of more than 1,500% compared to $4.4 billion in 2024. This is mainly due to record-making deals such as Google’s acquisition of Wiz, Palo Alto’s acquisition of CyberArk and ServiceNow’s acquisition of Armis (all currently signed but not yet completed).
These deals underscore Israel’s strong foundations in the global cyber race, even amid domestic risks tied to infrastructure and regional tensions.
Attack of the ports
Showcasing this resilience was a fireside chat featuring Ashdod Port’s board chairman Shaul Schneider, moderated by former INCD director general Yigal Unna.
Schneider emphasized the port’s centrality: Eighty percent of global goods move by sea, while Israel (effectively an “island economy”) relies on seaports for 99% of imports. Ashdod manages 14% of all cargo entering and leaving the country, and faces a staggering volume of attacks. “I can tell you that the numbers are enormous, and sometimes you cannot even understand the impact of 100,000 attacks per week,” said Schneider.
Despite relentless attempts to disrupt operations during the war, he confirmed that the port remained fully functional thanks to new dedicated cyber teams, close collaboration with the National Cyber Directorate (INCD) and a shift in mindset.
“We have to close an academic gap that is here because whatever people learned and studied about cybersecurity and cyber generally is not the same as what’s facing the maritime and supply chain challenges,” he added, highlighting work being done through an innovation hub that has engaged over 120 startups, with around 15 becoming suppliers and 10 receiving direct equity investments.
In partnership with Ben-Gurion University and INCD, Ashdod is launching an MBA in risk management focused on maritime cybersecurity, AI and tech solutions, initially for port employees, with plans for a broader B.A. program.
This focus on maritime resilience, intertwined with the final hostage recovery, symbolized closure after years of trauma, enabling a collective “new dawn.” The timing amplified messages of how tech is used as a force for national strength amid adversity.
Noa Argamani’s return to education and tech
This theme of healing through innovation peaked in a fireside chat between former hostage Noa Argamani, who was held in Gaza for 246 days, and Ben-Gurion University President Daniel Chamovitz.
Argamani, a fourth-year Information Systems Engineering student at BGU specializing in AI, data science and machine learning, spoke about Gvili’s return shortly after the news broke.
“To know that the last hostage... came to Israel to close the circle is really meaningful... It’s a time for us to move on and to start with our healing,” she said.
Inspired pre-Oct. 7 by projects like neural interfaces, specifically citing Elon Musk’s brain-chip demos, she returned to her studies just months after rescue, determined to graduate with her peers and reclaim “normalcy.”
“The only thing that I want to do is to start my own business in Israel, advancing startups here to make sure that people look at Israel as not just a country at war, but as an independent country with a good economy. This is how we will win,” she said.
Her story mirrored Ashdod’s approach: using adversity to drive tech progress, education and economic independence.
A showcase of startups
In the main arena, a myriad of startups and companies presented their solutions and software to an audience from around the world. Companies like Lasso Security, Salvador Tech, and Zeroport all displayed alongside other enterprises across the entire stack.
Sponsors of the three-day event included Island, Zero Networks, CyberIL, Tel Aviv Tech, Next October and others.
