Australian investors eye Israel’s agritech innovation boom

Australian venture capitalists are increasingly looking to Israel's agritech, climate, and energy transition sectors for investment opportunities, moving beyond traditional areas like cyber and defense. Next76, a co-venture by Bandera Capital and Foxglove Capital, was established two years ago to focus exclusively on Israeli companies. David Solsky, an operating partner at Bandera, noted that despite recent challenges, "the economy has continued to be strong. That Israel is the Start-Up Nation and the Scale-Up Nation keeps getting validated." He added that a post-October 7 consensus among Australian Jews has spurred greater support for Israel, including investment. Solsky believes that while there is "a lot of noise from a relatively small part of Australian society" regarding tensions, many Australian companies and investors are open to Israeli innovation. The upcoming Jerusalem Post Australia Summit on November 19 in Sydney aims to connect Israeli companies with Australian investors, with Australia seen as a potential stepping-stone for Israeli firms entering the US market, particularly in sectors like agritech and low-carbon fuels.