Some 150 startups had been created by way of IDF reserve veterans, 18x Elite Have an effect on, the entrepreneurship program curious about selling corporations based by way of former infantrymen, printed at its one-year anniversary tournament on Sunday.
Those constitute a very powerful a part of Israel’s 1,000 reported new initiatives, in step with estimates from the Innovation Authority, which additionally accounts for secretive startups with out public seed investment rounds.
Compared, in step with the authority’s newest file, some 500 startups pursued seed investment rounds in 2024, whilst 178 did so within the first part of 2025.
This system helped the marketers elevate over $15 million in funding because it was once created ultimate 12 months, with the corporations led by way of former infantrymen who fought within the ultimate wars in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran.
“We believe the same focus and mission-oriented mindset that epitomizes an elite soldier can, with the right support, make an extraordinary entrepreneur,” said Mike Silberg, Managing Director and Founder, 18X Elite Impact.
Mike Silberg, Founder of 18X Elite Impact addressing the audience at the Summit. (credit: Benny Rotlevy)
“Veterans often find reintegration into civilian life complicated. Through our work at 18X, we are trying to help lift that burden. Our program helps reservists find and develop the energy and expertise within them, channeling it into entrepreneurship. This restores purpose and creates camaraderie, while at the same time unlocking successful business ideas and job opportunities,” he added.
The program’s “Summit Day,” which marked the one-year anniversary, was held on Sunday in Tel Aviv in collaboration with the Innovation Authority and hosted by leading Israeli law firm Arnon Tadmor-Levy.
During the summit, 12 selected startups from the program presented their projects to an audience of top-tier venture capitalists, industry leaders, and government officials.
High-tech industry leaders coaching IDF reservists
The program helped the reservists create their new startups, thanks in part to its network of 400 investors who actively participate.
Among their leading figures are Nadir Izrael, CTO and Co-Founder of Armis; Noam Bardin, former CEO of Waze; Aviv Kohavi, Former IDF Chief of Staff; and Daniel Bernard, a veteran tech investor.
Kohavi, in particular, personally mentored Or Ben-Shabat, CEO & Founder of DCA (Digital Combat Academy). “Mentoring a reservist like Or through 18x Elite Impact has shown me that this same excellence is now the engine of our civilian resilience,” he said.
“Seeing Or translate the leadership he displayed in combat into a tangible contribution to the Israeli economy is deeply moving. Our reservists defended the state with their lives; now, through entrepreneurship, they are building its future,” he added.
Bernard, who also worked as a mentor in the program, explained that the best founders are those who can navigate uncertainty with total composure. “These reservists have been tested in ways few civilians will ever experience. My role is simply to provide the framework and the network; the grit and the vision are already there,” he commented.
