Israeli high-tech in the 60s is still based on the defense industries. Israel’s missile program takes its first steps with the development of the Jericho in cooperation with the French company Dessault. In the 70s, the Jericho-2 began to be developed in cooperation—according to foreign sources—with Iran, which was then governed by the Shah. Based on knowledge gathered during the missile program’s short existence, Israel in turn developed the Shavit, a dual-stage launcher, used to launch the Ofek technological and defense research satellites into space.
The post-Six-Day War French embargo forced Israel to independently develop fighter planes and various weapons systems. This turn of events had great significance for the evolution of Israeli high-tech. During the 60s a number of high-tech civilian companies, which later came to constitute the framework of the high-tech industry that we recognize today, were formed.
1962 - The first Israeli start-up came into being when Elron Industries founded by Uzia Galil. The company, which manufactured electronic devices, received initial funding of $160,000 from the Recanati family, and a venture capital fund belonging to Laurence and David Rockefeller, the first of its kind in the US.
1963 - M.L.L., a software house, was formed, becoming one of Israel’s first software producers.
1964 - Motorola Israel. The first subsidiary of Motorola International outside the U.S. was established in Israel.
1966 - Elron's Uzia Galil suggests to Ministry of Defense director-general Shimon Peres that Rafael's accumulated know-how should be integrated with that of Elron to create a jointly held company dealing in computers for military and civilian applications. And so, Elbit comes into being.
1968 - The Aurec Group. Aurec was formed by Morris Kahan and ITT, after the partners won a tender from the Ministry of Communications to publish a Yellow Pages Telephone Directory. In 1973, Kahan acquired Aurec’s stake in ITT. In 1979, after Aurec won a tender to publish telephone directories, the company decided to form Aurec Information, which later became Amdocs, in order to set up a computing system for the project.
1968 - Efi Arazi founds Scitex, which provides computerized printing solutions to both the textile and military industries.
1969 Uzia Galil and partner Avraham Sohemi found Elscint. Initially, the company sells nuclear physics lab equipment but shortly afterwards begins making nuclear scanners with medical applications.
Published by Israel's Business Arena on May 3, 2001.