IDF Reservists Founded 150 Startups Raising Over $15 Million

An entrepreneurship program for IDF reservists and veterans said its participants created 150 startups and raised over $15 million in investment since the program began last year. The announcement came at the program's one-year anniversary summit held on Sunday in Tel Aviv.

The event took place in collaboration with the Innovation Authority and was hosted by the Israeli law firm Arnon Tadmor-Levy. The 150 startups represent a notable share of an estimated 1,000 new projects reported in Israel, according to the Innovation Authority.

That total includes secretive startups that have not announced public seed funding rounds. By comparison the authority's latest report showed about 500 startups pursued seed funding rounds in 2024 while 178 did so in the first half of 2025. The companies were founded by former soldiers who served in the conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.

The program connects participants with a network of 400 investors. Twelve selected startups from the program presented their projects during the summit to an audience of venture capitalists, industry leaders and government officials. A program official said the same focus and mission-oriented mindset that defines an elite soldier can, with the right support, make an extraordinary entrepreneur.

The official added that veterans often find reintegration into civilian life complicated and that the program seeks to help lift that burden by channeling their energy and expertise into entrepreneurship. The program restores purpose and creates camaraderie while unlocking successful business ideas and job opportunities, the official said.