MIXiii Health-Tech.IL Conference Opens, Highlighting Israeli Biotech Resilience
Jerusalem, March 4, 2025 – The MIXiii Health-Tech.IL conference, a prominent international event for life sciences innovation, commenced this morning at the Jerusalem International Convention Center. The gathering underscores the global confidence in Israeli innovation, evident in the strong participation of 1,700 attendees from 32 countries. This confidence is further supported by impressive investment data, even amid the ongoing war.
Concurrent with the conference, the Israel Advanced Technology Industries Association (IATI) and the Innovation Authority, in collaboration with PwC, released the yearly Life Sciences Report. The report confirmed a robust 25% increase in investments in Israeli companies, reaching approximately $2.7 billion. It also revealed a 37% surge in new life sciences companies established in 2024, and four Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) in the United States, a stark contrast to none in 2023.
Karin Mayer Rubinstein, CEO and President of the Israel Advanced Technology Industries Association (IATI), noted the industry’s strength: “Since October 7, the war in Israel has been fought on three critical fronts—the military operation… the battle for global public opinion, and the effort to ensure the stability of the Israeli economy. And on the economic front – we are proving our strength.” She added, “Thanks to uncompromising determination, around-the-clock work, and the joint efforts of everyone, the Israeli high-tech industry continues to adapt, innovate, and push the country forward.”
Despite the challenging circumstances, the Israeli biomedical industry has demonstrated remarkable resilience. There have been accelerated developments in rehabilitation medicine, including breakthroughs in DNA technologies for identification, smart prosthetics, and advanced medical equipment to treat the wounded. The Innovation Authority supported these advancements with grants totaling half a billion shekels, with over half allocated to medical equipment companies.
Karin Mayer Rubinstein, CEO and President of the Israel Advanced Technology Industries Association (IATI)
“MIXiii has grown to become the largest healthcare conference in the Middle East,” stated Yaacov Michlin, the conference chairman. “Despite dealing with uncertainty… we managed to create an exceptional platform. I am proud to share that we have over 1,700 participants… an exciting and packed agenda. Despite the backdrop of the ‘Iron Swords’ war… investments in Israeli life sciences companies grew significantly.” He added “$2.7 billion was raised in 2024. An increase of over 25% from last year. As well as 4 initial public offerings and 4 exits exceeding $300 million.”
The two-day conference aims to position Israel as a technological leader in life sciences. It facilitates crucial connections between Israeli companies and international investors. Organized by IATI, the meeting comes at a critical time, with foreign investments in Israeli biotech representing 58% of the total investments in the field, reflecting the global recognition of Israeli innovation.
The conference program includes professional sessions covering key industry topics such as innovative rehabilitation technologies, breakthroughs in cancer treatments, and advanced ophthalmology technologies. Additionally, a startup competition, in partnership with EY, will showcase promising life sciences companies in Israel.
Key Points from the Life Sciences Report:
- A recovery in investments and fundraising in the life sciences field in Israel during 2024.
- A 37% increase in the number of newly established life sciences companies.
- Growth in the total number of fundraising transactions both in public and private companies, though the average amount per transaction decreased to approximately $10 million.
- Private investments in life sciences firms totaled over $2 billion in 2024, with foreign investors contributing $1.2 billion, or 58% of the total.
- While Israeli investors’ share is lower than foreign investors, their total investment increased by about 62% compared to 2023.
- Venture capital funds account for about 84% of total private investments this year, amounting to about $1.7 billion.
- 2024 marks the fifth consecutive year with at least one transaction exceeding half a billion dollars, and this year’s transaction is amongst the top ten acquisition deals in the entire high-tech sector.
- Most public life sciences companies turn to the United States stock market for funding. The growth in fundraising on U.S. stock exchanges, especially NASDAQ, continued in 2024 with a total of $637 million raised, up 47% from 2023.
- Following a halt in IPOs last year, there were four IPOs of Israeli companies in the U.S. in 2024, while the number of follow-on fundraising transactions this year is similar to that of last year. On the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, there were no new offerings of companies from the life sciences sector for the third consecutive year in 2024. However, the total follow-on fundraising jumped about 9-fold this year, reaching a total of about $19 million.
