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Women in High-Tech 2022
Status Report
Women in High-Tech
2022
2022
2
Women in High-Tech 2022
The Innovation Authority
The Israel Innovation Authority is a Statutory public entity
responsible for Israel’s innovation policy. The Authority
promotes innovation as leverage for inclusive and sustainable
growth, based on of the understanding that innovation is
the most significant growth engine of Israel’s economy. The
Authority strives to strengthen the infrastructure on which
the Israeli knowledge based sector is built while continuously
examining the obstacles and opportunities present in the
Israeli innovation ecosystem. It offers entrepreneurs and
innovation-oriented companies in Israel a variety of financing
and other tools to help them contend with the changing needs
of the competitive world of innovation.
Woman in Tech
An initiative to promote gender equality in high-tech that is
aimed at increasing the number of women employed in the
industryandatcreatingagender-equalworkenvironment.The
initiative focuses on the creation of a professional knowledge
base and on enabling access and sharing it with the high-
tech community via a range of channels, while recognizing
the importance of raising awareness and issuing a call to
action on the part of organizations’ executive and recruiting
divisions. The knowledge infrastructure is based on gathering
and analyzing information from the field and learning from the
Best Practices of high-tech companies and relevant studies
from around the world.
Written and Edited By:
The Economics and Research Division – Israel Innovation Authority
Startup Division – Israel Innovation Authority
Inbal Orpaz – Founder of #WomanInTech
Linguistics and Graphic Design: Calltext
Women in High-Tech 2022
The Innovation Authority
The Israel Innovation Authority is a Statutory public entity
responsible for Israel’s innovation policy. The Authority
promotes innovation as leverage for inclusive and sustainable
growth, based on of the understanding that innovation is
the most significant growth engine of Israel’s economy. The
Authority strives to strengthen the infrastructure on which
the Israeli knowledge based sector is built while continuously
examining the obstacles and opportunities present in the
Israeli innovation ecosystem. It offers entrepreneurs and
innovation-oriented companies in Israel a variety of financing
and other tools to help them contend with the changing needs
of the competitive world of innovation.
Woman in Tech
An initiative to promote gender equality in high-tech that is
aimed at increasing the number of women employed in the
industry and at creating a gender-equal work environment. The
initiative focuses on the creation of a professional knowledge
infrastructure and on enabling access and sharing it with the
high-tech community via a range of channels, while recognizing
the importance of raising awareness and issuing a call to action
on the part of organizations’ executive and financing divisions.
The knowledge infrastructure is based on gathering and
analyzing information from the field and learning from the Best
Practices of high-tech companies and relevant studies from
around the world.
Written and Edited By:
The Economics and Research Division – Israel Innovation Authority
Startup Division – Israel Innovation Authority
Inbal Orpaz – Funder of #WomanInTech
Linguistics and Graphic Design: Calltext
‫אישה‬
‫בהייטק‬
3
Women in High-Tech 2022
T
he Israeli high-tech industry is at the forefront of Israeli innovation and its
achievements set new records every year. Nevertheless, as far as gender equality
is concerned, Israeli high-tech has significant room for improvement. Women
comprise only one third of Israeli high-tech employees, a figure that has remained
constant over time. At each stage of the path to the high-tech industry and subsequently,
within the industry itself, women are a distinct minority. The higher up one examines
the ladder of seniority, the lower the ratio of women startup founders, or partners in
venture capital funds – portraying a discouraging reality. Global comparisons with other
international centers of innovation show that Israel lags behind other countries with low
levels of women entrepreneurs and funding of their companies. Initial encouraging signs
have been witnessed in recent years with increased numbers of women signing up for
academic studies in high-tech professions, an increase in the number of female high-
school students graduating with matriculation certificates in computer studies, and in
other indices, but progress is slow. Processes must be accelerated to reduce the gender
disparity while increasing joint efforts of government and the high-tech industry itself at
each stage.
This report, being published for the first time, aims to lay the foundations of a knowledge
infrastructure that is based on facts and figures in order to gain a deep understanding
of the reality for women in Israeli high-tech and in the paths leading to it. Furthermore,
considering the important role of technological innovation within the Israeli innovation
ecosystem, this report places special emphasis on analyzing the gender aspects of
the Israeli startup arenas, including reference to the ratio of women entrepreneurs, the
sectors in which they choose to establish companies, and their ratio in funding rounds. It
is specifically in light of the impressive flourishing of Israeli high-tech and the significant
levels of capital it has attracted in recent years, that it is important to highlight this weaker
angle of Israeli high-tech.
What is the Path that Leads Women to High-Tech?
Women’s path to the high-tech sector begins at an early stage. Choices made by high
school students have a significant influence on their later professional career and on their
chances of being accepted to the field. For women to become entrepreneurs, to serve in
senior corporate roles, or to progress to investment roles in venture capital funds, they
must first acquire relevant education and training and advance within the industry. To
increase the representation of women in the industry it is therefore important to increase
their relative presence at each stage on the path that leads to high-tech.
The beginning of this path – the 5-study unit matriculation exams in mathematics – is
characterized by a state of near gender equality. The gender gap begins to widen however
during the following years of military service in the development and cyber units that pave
the way of those serving in them to the Israeli innovation sector. Women comprise 23% of
the soldiers serving in these units. The situation is slightly better in academic high-tech
studies where, although the number of female students increased by 64% within the last
decade, their relative share of total students in these subjects has increased only slightly
and women still comprise less than one third of the total number of students.Subsequently,
and as the level of seniority rises, the ratio of women in high-tech industry steadily declines.
4
Women in High-Tech 2022
of all students
for 5-study
units in
mathematics
49.4%
35.5%
of soldiers in military
development and
cyber units during
mandatory service
23%
of undergraduate
degree students in
expanded high-tech
related courses*
30.7%
of all high-tech
employees
33.4%
of all employees
in core technology
positions
28%
of high-tech executives
according to a sample
of Israeli public
technology companies
22.6%
of the partners in the
largest venture capital
funds active in Israel
16.5%
of all CEOs
who founded
startups**
9.4%
of all 5-study units
computer science
students
Women comprise:
** The data relates to 2021 figures or the last available figure
* Between the years 2010-2021
Source: Innovation Authority adaptation of CBS, IDF, and IVC data, and the websites
of the companies and VC funds
Ratio of women in Israeli high-tech starting from high-school
up to the foundation of startup companies
6
4
.
1
% 6
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3
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4
6
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2
5
Women in High-Tech 2022
The worst situation in the high-tech sector from a gender perspective is that of startup
entrepreneurs who constitute the spearhead of Israeli innovation. The present startup
generation – that develop groundbreaking solutions, quickly forge their way forward, and
compete in the global arena – determine the future of Israeli high-tech. Some of them
become large mature companies employing large numbers of workers, some will be bought
by multinational corporations that will use them to establish R&D centers in Israel, and
some will close, but the technological, professional, business, and managerial knowledge
they accumulate will filter down to other places in the Israeli innovation ecosystem.
The human makeup of the people leading these startups who will influence the direction
of Israeli high-tech is thus of great importance. In this report, we focus on the gender
aspects of Israeli technological entrepreneurship out of an understanding that women
entrepreneurs who establish startups recruit more female employees to their companies
and promote more women to senior executive positions.1
Studies even show that founding
teamswithgreatergenderdiversityaremoreinnovativeandraisemorefunding.2
Increasing
the number of women entrepreneurs will therefore have a positive influence in improving
the gender inequality that currently characterizes Israeli high-tech.
The bottom line is a somber one: the ratio of Israeli women entrepreneurs in no way
corresponds to their percentage of the general population. Women are CEOs of only
9.4% of all startups founded in Israel over the past decade. When examining the total
capital invested in Israeli startups, the ratio of women is even lower: only 4.4% of total
investments. Of the partners in Israeli venture capital funds, only 16% are women and of
these, an even lower percentage serve in investment roles. Women take almost no part
in leading the generation of Israeli companies that has grown locally. A sample of Israeli
technology companies that executed IPOs during 2020-2021 as well as veteran Israeli
public technology companies that employ over 1,000 workers, showed that women occupy
only 22.6% of the managerial positions.
The goal of this report is to shed light on the state of women in Israeli entrepreneurship
using up-to-date data that has been analyzed and published by the Innovation Authority
for the first time. The insights arising from the data will ultimately enable the formulation
of programs pertaining to the private and government sectors, however Israeli high-tech
companies and investment funds can already take immediate short-term measures to
improve their own situation in this regard.
Improving the level of gender equality in Israeli technology entrepreneurial activity will
lead to greater diversity in Israeli high-tech through the input of new ideas, varied styles of
management, and a broader entrepreneurial viewpoint. In a reality whereby the Israeli high-
techmarketsuffersfromachronicshortageofworkersandwherewomenareaminorityofall
Israeli high-tech employees and of the students in the relevant academic study courses, the
cultivation of new role models of women CEOs and entrepreneurs to lead these companies
is important, both for their influence on the environment and for encouraging more women
to enter this field. Furthermore, founding teams made up of more women generally create
companies around them with more diverse human capital. In the long-term, this may also
exert a positive influence on reducing the general economic-social gender inequality in Israel.
1	 See a study conducted by the Kauffman Foundation according to which more women entrepreneurs lead to more
women in executive roles and more opportunities for women. The study showed for example that in 50% of the
consumer services companies that have a woman founder, there was a woman in an executive role, compared to
only 10% of the companies in which all the founders were men. According to the Kauffman Federation, teams with
at least at least one woman founder employ 2.5 times the number of female employees.
2	 Data Show that Gender-Inclusive Founding Teams Have Greater Success in Fundraising and Innovation, Kauffman
Fellows
6
Women in High-Tech 2022
Situation Report: On the Way to High-Tech and Startups –
Where are the Women?
1. High-School: Only 35% of those taking 5-study units computer science matric-
ulation exams are women
The picture at the beginning of the road to high-tech seems encouraging: In 2020, almost
half (49.4%) of all the students taking the 5-study unit matriculation exam in mathematics
were women – approximately 9,000 female students. The disparity between the ratios of
male and female students taking the exam narrowed from a situation where 6,100 of all
students taking this matriculation exam in 2016 were women (47.6%). In the Arab sector,
the ratio of female students taking the 5-study unit mathematics exam is significantly
higher – 64.3% of all the students taking the exam. In general, between 2016-2020, the
ratio of students taking the 5-study unit mathematics matriculation exam out of the total
number of students (Jews and Arabs) during that period rose from 13% to 16.9% i.e., the
number of female students taking the exam increased by 1.5 (time and a half) during this
period.
The subjects chosen by students at this stage of their lives influence the fields they will
study later in life. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS),3
30% of the female
students who are eligible for a matriculation certificate in science-oriented subjects
(primarily mathematics and the sciences)4
continue to an academic degree in a STEM
study course.5
The parallel figure for male students stands at 48%. The chance that a
female student who did not graduate with a science-oriented matriculation certificate will
choose to study for a STEM subject academic degree is only 5% (compared to 13% for
male students).
In other words, the tendency of female students who graduate with a matriculation
certificate in math- and science-oriented subjects to continue to undergraduate academic
studies in STEM subjects is six times higher than female students graduating with a
matriculation certificate in other subjects (among male students, this tendency is 3.7 times
higher). The significance of this is that female students’ choice of study subjects at high
school has a much more critical influence on their subsequent career choices than those
of male students. Female students choosing not to study mathematics or science in high
school will probably also not go on to study them later. Data shows that even when female
students do choose to study these subjects at high school level, the chance that they will
later study high-tech subjects is lower than that of male students. The chance of a male
student who studied for a math- and science-oriented high school matriculation certificate
to go on to study STEM subjects at university is 60% higher than that of a female student
in the same study course.
Female students’ choice consequently impacts the gender balance of the potential future
high-tech workforce. An examination of the ratio of female high school students taking
5-study unit matriculation exams in computer science reveals a significant disparity in
comparison with the ratio of male students choosing this subject: only 35.5% of those
taking the exam are women (approx. 3,500 students).This ratio has increased from 31.7% in
2016. Further examination of the data shows that 14.8% of the male students in the Jewish
education system in 2020 took the 5-study unit exam in computer science compared to
only 6.1% of the female students.
3	 Undergraduate students in STEM courses (science and technology) 1995/6-2019/20 (Heb.)
4	 Mathematics at 4- or 5- study unit level and at least one of the other science and technologies subjects (physics,
chemistry, biology, computer science, electronics, and electronic systems).
5	 Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
7
Women in High-Tech 2022
Source: Innovation Authority adaptations of CBS data
2. Military Service: Female Soldiers Fill Only 13% of the Military’s Cyber Roles
Military service in a technology unit is a springboard for the sought-after entry into
the high-tech industry. These units grant those serving in them professional training,
experience, and a network of contacts with other graduates of the unit. The importance
of service in the military's technology units cannot be underestimated and a recent survey
conducted by the Aaron Institute for Economic Policy at Reichman University found that
47% of the employees in developmental positions in growth companies have a technology
background acquired during their military service.6
Nevertheless, the ratio of women serving in technology positions has remained low and
almost unchanged. 31% of those serving in the military’s computer and software roles in
2019 were women.7
However, the ratio of women in mandatory military service serving in
core technology roles – development and cyber – was only 23% of all those serving in these
roles. In practice, therefore, the ratio of female soldiers in the military’s core technology
roles is lower than their ratio in the high-tech industry. IDF figures show that the ratio of
women soldiers serving in cyber roles in 2019 was just 13%.8
Among those serving in the Academic Reserve (Atuda) programs, the picture is a bleak
6	 “What are the professional skills needed from high-tech employees?”, Niron Hashai, Sergei Sumkin, and Ronen Nir,
round table held at the Aaron Institute, March 2022
7	 The IDF too pride in the fact that women fill 50% of the technology roles
8	 The IDF did not provide updated data for this report, despite a request from the Innovation Authority.
64.1%
61.3%
46.8%
37.5%
32.5%
31.3%
31.3%
21.9%
20.4%
19.3%
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Women Comprise 64% of the Senior Education Staff –
But Only 20.4% in Computer Science and Statistics
The ratio of senior female staff members in selected professions at universities and
academic colleges during the academic year (2018-2019)
2
1
8
Women in High-Tech 2022
one: only 15% of all the students in the engineering and exact sciences courses (that
comprise 75% of all those serving in the IDF Academic Reserve) are women.9
3. Academia: The Number of Female Students in High-Tech Subjects Has Increased
by 64% in a Decade – But They Still Comprise Less Than One Third of All Students
The universities and academic colleges are important stations on women’s path to high-
tech. The encouraging trend of the past decade is that, according to the CBS, the number
of women students studying for an undergraduate degree in expanded high-tech related
courses at universities and academic colleges rose by 64% - from 8,686 in the 2010-2011
academic year to 14,211 in the 2019-2020 academic year. Undergraduates are a significant
cadre of potential (as far as their number is concerned) for integrating into the high-
tech industry upon completion of their academic studies. The growth in the number of
male students in expanded high-tech related courses is slower – and the number of male
students rose by 1.2% during the same period. Despite the encouraging trend, female
students comprised only 7.3% of all students in undergraduate degrees in expanded
high-tech related courses. The number of male students during the same academic year
stood at 32,108.
When examining the senior academic staff – those training the future generation of high-
9	 Data presented to the Human Capital for High-Tech Committee, December 2012.
10,000
8,000
6,000
4,000
2,000
0
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
2016 2020
2018
% of Female Students
Total No. of Students / No. of Female Students
31.7% 35.5%
3,488
2,325
3,090
33.1%
5,006
6,235
6,343
The Number and Ratio of Female Students Taking
Computer Science Matriculation Exam Are Growing –
But Slowly
The total number of students taking the 5-study unit matriculation exam in
computer science, according to gender and female students' ratio
1
2
Source: Innovation Authority adaptations of CBS data
9
Women in High-Tech 2022
tech professionals and serving as their role model – at faculties and schools for the relevant
subjects, the reality is no more positive. In the 2018-2019 academic year, the ratio of senior
female staff members stood at 19.3% in the field of physical sciences, and at 20.4% in the
fields of mathematics, statistics, and computer science.10
In engineering and architecture
courses, the ratio of senior female staff members was 21.9%. The representation of women
on the senior staff of departments, the graduates of which generally integrate into the
high-tech industry, is significantly lower than that of other departments where the rate of
women’s employment is higher. For example, in medicine, the ratio stands at 31.3%, social
sciences 46.8%, medical auxiliary professions 61.3%, and education 64.1%.
10	 For the most recent data, see in the link
% of Female Students
Total Number of Students / Number of Female Students
50,000
40,000
30,000
20000
10,000
0
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
2010-2011 2019-2020
2016-2017
2013-2014
24.5% 24.5%
9,115
25.8%
10,758
30.7%
32,108
30,910
28,079
26,732
14,211
8,686
The Number of Female Students Increased by 150%
in a Decade - But Comprise Only 30% of All Students
Number of students at universities and academic colleges in expanded high-tech
related courses, according to gender and ratio of female students
3
Source: Innovation Authority adaptations of CBS data
10
Women in High-Tech 2022
4. The High-Tech Industry: One Third of the Employees are Women – Only 22.6%
of Senior Executives are Women
According to CBS data, the total number of 361,500 high-tech employees in 2021 consisted
of 120,700 women and 240,800 men.11
The ratio of women employed in high-tech has
remained almost unchanged at about one third of the salaried high-tech employees for
at least the last three decades. In 2021, the ratio of women in the industry, including core
technology and other roles (such as marketing, sales, human resources etc.), stood at
33.4% - a ratio that reflects a decline of 0.6% compared to 2020.
The growth rate in the number of men employed in high-tech in 2021 was 50% higher
than that of women – the number of women in the industry grew by 6% compared to an
increase of 9% in the number of men. In 2020 too, the year in which the Covid pandemic
broke out with numerous lockdowns and disrupted activity of the education system that
primarily affected working women, there was a disparity of 80% in the rate of men joining
the high-tech industry compared to that of women (5% and 2.8%, respectively). Analysis
of the multi-year average of the period between 2013-2021 shows that the average yearly
growth rate in the number of women and men in the high-tech industry is almost identical
and stands at 6%. Nevertheless, when comparing the growth in the number of women and
men in high-tech in 2021 to that of the other sectors of the economy, the growth in high-
tech is significantly higher. The economy’s general growth rate in 2021 was 1.1% among
men and 2.4 among women.
11	 Salaried High-Tech Employees, according to economic sector (2011 classification) and gender
% Of Women in
the Industry
Total of High-Tech Employees /
No. of Women High-Tech Employees
400
300
200
100
0
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
2012 2021
2018
2015
33.4%
72.1
143.9
34.9%
90
167.7
33.2%
98.4
197.7
33.4%
120.7
240.8
The Number of Female High-Tech Professionals is
Growing – But Their Ratio Remains Steady
The number of salaried employees in high-tech, according to gender (in thousands)
and the ratio of women high-tech employees
6
Source: Innovation Authority adaptations of CBS data
4
11
Women in High-Tech 2022
The ratio of women employed in core technology jobs fluctuates slightly more but also
maintains a level of 26%-28% of total employees in these positions between 2012-2019
(according to the last available figure from the CBS). The ratio of women employees in
technology roles is largely influenced by the rate of women graduates from the military’s
technology units and high-tech subjects in academia. Until these ratios increase
significantly, it is reasonable to assume that there will be no fundamental change in the
gender makeup of technology jobs in high-tech.
One of the most significant indices in measuring gender equality in high-tech is the ratio of
women that occupy senior executive positions. The number of senior women executives
influences women’s potential to progress to technology entrepreneurship and to other key
positions and influential roles in the Israeli innovation ecosystem. To assess the state of Israeli
high-tech, we conducted an examination of the number of women in senior executive roles
in a sample of mature Israeli technology companies that includes companies that conducted
IPOs relatively recently and veteran Israeli public technology companies.Later in the report,we
discuss in-depth the state of women in startup entrepreneurship while the state of executives
in this sample group relates to the state of women in advanced-stage companies.
Unsurprisingly, the executive teams of mature Israeli technology companies in no way reflect
gender equality. Although only one company out of those sampled had no women on its
executive team, 23% of the companies had only one woman in an executive role. In 79% of the
companies there are no more than three women on the senior executive staff. In total, of the
575 senior executives in the technology companies examined, only 130 (22.6%) are women.
There is great importance to the types of roles filled by the senior women executives. The
figures show that 28.5% of the female executives in the sample work in human resource
management i.e., compared to other roles, the lion’s share of senior women figures in Israeli
high-tech work in this field. In one third of the companies with only one female senior
executive, this woman works in human resource management. In other words, beyond the
fact that women are under-represented in high-tech, and especially in senior executive
roles, when they do occupy such positions, these are generally the less well-paid jobs.12
12	 For example, according to these salary tables from Ethosia website
Over Half of the Companies Have No More Than
Two Women Executives
Distribution of selected Israeli public technology companies, according to the
number of women on their senior executive team
4
1 3 5
2 4 6
15%
4%
32%
0
2% 2%
23% 23%
Source: Innovation Authority adaptations of data from management page on the companies' websites
5
12
Women in High-Tech 2022
The next most common areas for women executives in the sample are legal counsel
(16.2% of the senior women executives) and finances (11.5%). Other relatively common
areas among senior women executives are marketing, business development, and
operations. 6.9% of the senior women executives occupy a product manager role which
falls under the field of technological development but among the companies sampled
there was not even one woman designated as CTO or VP R&D. 6.2% of the senior women
executives are CEOs or company presidents.
The survey was conducted in February 2022 and included 53 mature Israeli technology
companies. Of these, 24 are public Israeli technology companies that employ more than
one thousand workers and 29 are relatively young public technology companies that held
an IPO in the last two years. The survey measured the number of senior men and women
who appear on the companies’ websites.13
13	 For example, on the Management Team, Leadership, Executive Management pages etc.
28.5%
Human
Resources
16.2%
Legal
Counsel
11.5%
Finances
10.8%
Marketing
10%
Business
Development
6.9%
Operations
6.9%
Product
6.2%
CEO and President
3%
Other
The Most Common Role for Senior Women Executives
in High-Tech: Human Resource Management
Distribution of senior women executives in selected Israeli public technology
companies, according to role
5
Source: Innovation Authority adaptations of CBS data
6
13
Women in High-Tech 2022
Less Than One Tenth: Women
Technology Entrepreneurs in Israel
Less Than One Tenth: Women Technology Entrepreneurs in Israel
To clarify the gender situation of technology entrepreneurship in Israel, we analyzed
data relating to 8,668 startups founded between 2010-2021 in which the CEO’s gender
was known. An Israel Innovation Authority adaptation of the data retrieved from the IVC
database reveals that the ratio of women founding and managing startups stood at 9.4%,
representing 819 female CEOs who founded startups.14
When examining startups founded
during this period that are still active, (i.e., have not been closed) where the CEO’s gender is
known, the ratio of female CEOs increases to 10% - 626 women CEOs out of 6,269 startups
founded during the period under discussion.
14	 In this document, we will relate to the number of women CEOs as a figure that represents women’s entrepreneurial
activity.
90.6%
Men
9.4%
Women
Women Lead Less than 10% of the
Startups Founded in the Previous Decade
Distribution of private technology companies founded in Israel
between 2020-2021, according to the CEO's gender
1
Source: Israel Innovation Authority adaptations of IVC data
7
14
Women in High-Tech 2022
Anexaminationofthistrendoverthecourseofadecaderevealsaslightlymoreencouraging
picture: the ratio of women who founded and managed new startups increased each year.
In 2010, women comprised only 5.3% of all the CEOs of new startups founded that year – a
total of only 27. In 2015, this figure had already risen to 9% of the new companies founded
that year with 87 women CEOs leading new startups. Analysis of the data available for 2020
reveals that women serve as the CEO of 12.1% of the startups founded that year (of the
companies where the CEO’s gender is known).15
Despite the growth in the ratio of women entrepreneurs serving as CEOs of new startups,
the number remains extremely low – less than 100 women CEOs of new companies per year.
For example, an examination of the 2019 data reveals that 696 men served as CEOs of new
startups founded that year compared to only 99 women CEOs. The partial figures for 2020
indicate 67 women CEOs of new startups founded that year compared to 485 male CEOs.
In which sectors do women found and manage startups?
The main sector in which Israeli women founded startups during the previous decade
was the content and media sector. Of more than 800 startups founded and managed by
women in the years 2010-2021, 186 (comprising 27.6% of all the female founders) where in
the content and media sector.16
The next most prominent field in which women founded
startups is life sciences sector which attracted 146 women (21.7% of the women CEOs
who founded and managed startups during this period). The next most popular sector is
organizational software and infrastructures (119 women – representing 17.7% of the CEOs).
Two thirds of all women who founded and managed startups, manage companies in one
of these three sectors (compared to 45% of the male CEOs who manage startups in one
of these sectors). Female-led entrepreneurship is therefore focused in a narrow range of
sectors compared to startups founded and managed by men, which is characterized by a
more extensive sectorial distribution.
15	 IVC data on the number of companies opened each year continues to be updated and the known number of
companies founded in 2020 is therefore still partial.
16	 Information regarding the company’s area of activity is available for 81% of all the companies founded between
2010-2021 in which the CEO’s gender was known.
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
2010
5.3%
2020
12.1%
Women
2015
9%
Less Than 100 Startups Founded by Women Each Year:
The Ratio of Women Founding and Managing New
Startups is Slowly Increasing
Ratio of women CEOs of new technology companies founded each year,
where the CEO's gender is known
2
8
Source: Israel Innovation Authority adaptations of IVC data
15
Women in High-Tech 2022
27.6%
Content and Media
21.7%
Life Sciences
17.7%
Organizational
Software and
Infrastructures
11.9%
E-commerce
and
Marketing
7.9%
Agricultural
Technologies
and Food
4.9%
Fintech
2.4%
2.2%
Cyber
1.3%
Industry 4.0
Cleantech
and Energy
0.3%
Defense Technologies
0.9%
Government
and Local
Authorities
1.3%
Smart
Transportation
The Primary Sectors in Which Women Manage Startups
are Content and Media and Life Sciences
Distribution of women CEOs, according to the company's area of activity
3
The ratio and number of women choosing to found startups in popular sectors in Israeli
high-tech such as cyber and fintech is relatively negligible compared to men. For example,
between 2010-2021 women founded and managed less than 50 technology companies
in the cyber and fintech sectors, compared to more than 800 companies founded and
managed by men.
9
Source: Israel Innovation Authority adaptations of IVC data
16
Women in High-Tech 2022
We also examined the gender distribution of the different technology sectors, checking
which sectors had a higher or lower ratio than the industry average of women founders and
CEOs which stood, as mentioned above, at 9.4%. The sectors in which the ratio of women
managing companies that they founded was higher than the industry average and include
life sciences (14.9% of the companies), companies developing technologies for government
and local authorities (13%), and content and media companies (12.6% of the companies).
In the Agritech and food sector, the ratio of women CEOs is 10.2%. In the remaining sectors,
the ratio of women CEOs is less than the industry average: organizational software and
infrastructures (9.1% of the companies), fintech (9%), E-commerce and marketing (8.2%),
cleantech (6.9%), industry 4.0 (5.2%), smart transportation (4.8%), defense technology
(3.2%), and cyber (3%).
Less than 5%: Women Raise Less Money – Primarily During Early Stages
Raising capital enables startups to make their next quantum leaps – to recruit employees,
develop new technologies and products, enter new markets, and to acquire other companies
as part of their growth process. The relative share of the“industry’s fuel”that reaches startups
led by women is therefore very important and enables their continued development.
Examination of funding trends reveals a grim reality: out of 3,636 rounds of investment in
Israeli startups between 2018-2021 where the gender of the company CEO was known, only
281 investment rounds (7.7% of the total number) were in startups led by women CEOs,17
according to Innovation Authority adaptations of IVC data. In other words, the ratio of
investment in startups led by women (7.7%) is lower than the total ratio of startups founded
between 2020-2021 that are led by a woman CEO (9.4%).
17	 In which the CEO’s gender is known. In the period examined here, the CEO’s gender can be identified in 80% of the
investment rounds.
L
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Industry Benchmark
Startup Sectors with the Lowest Representation
of Women: Industry 4.0, Cyber, Smart Transportation,
and Defense Technologies
Ratio of women CEOs, of the total CEO's in the sector whose gender is known
10
Source: Israel Innovation Authority
adaptations of IVC data
17
Women in High-Tech 2022
An examination of the total capital raised by women reveals a worrisome picture: of the
funding rounds where the CEO’s gender and the sum raised are known,18
startups led by
women raised 4% of the total investments while those led by men raised 96%. A further
expression of the disparity in funding between men and women can be seen in the average
and median size of a woman-led startup’s funding round compared to those led by men. The
average size of funding rounds conducted by startups led by women between 2018-2021 was
8.7 million dollars compared to an average size of 17.6 million dollars for startups led by male
CEOs.The median size of the funding rounds drops dramatically: The average median funding
round between 2018-2021 for a startup led by a woman CEO was 1.17 million dollars compared
to 3 million dollars for a startup led by a male CEO – a difference of more than 250%.
It is important to note that during this period, the average size of funding rounds conducted
by startups led by women CEOs increased nearly four-fold from 4.8 million dollars in 2018 to
18.85 million dollars in 2021.19
When examining the change between 2018-2020, women were
in a relatively worse situation as the increase in the size of the average funding round stood
at only 40% for women compared to 80% for men. There was a similar increase (of approx.
420%) in the scope of the average funding round in startups led by male CEOs, from an
average funding round of 8.7 million dollars in 2018 to 36.4 million dollars in 2021. The median
size of funding rounds revealed a similar picture. In other words, there is an increase in the
funding rounds of startups led by women CEOs but not one that is closing the disparity in
relation to the average and median size of funding rounds in male-led companies.
One of the explanations for the significant disparity is that most of the funding rounds
conducted by startups led by women are in early-stage companies – seed investment and
Round A funding – and that the ratio of startups led by women decreases as the funding
rounds progress. Nevertheless, even in the early funding rounds, the size of the average and
median funding in startups managed by women is lower than that in companies managed by
men. For example, in the seed round, the size of the average funding round in startups led by
women CEOs is 1.7 million dollars compared to 2.3 million dollars in those led by male CEOs.
18	 Data on the size of funding is available for approx. 70% of the funding rounds. This figure does not vary based on
the CEO’s gender.
19	 It should be noted that the data for 2021 is expected to update during 2022 and that this figure may therefore change.
96%
Men
4%
Women
5 Only 4% of the Total Capital is Invested
in Startups Led by Women
Distribution of investments, according to the CEO's gender (2018-2021)
11
Source: Israel Innovation Authority adaptations of IVC data
96%
Men
4%
Women
5 Only 4% of the Total Capital is Invested
in Startups Led by Women
Distribution of investments, according to the CEO's gender (2018-2021)
18
Women in High-Tech 2022
Size of Average Funding Round
Size of Median Funding Round
All Funding Rounds
17.6
8.7
All Funding Rounds
3.06
1.17
Seed
2.3
1.7
Seed
0.25
0.06
The Median Funding Round of Startups Led By Male
CEOs is 2.5 Times Larger Than That of Women CEOs
Size of average and median investment rounds, according to gender,
in millions of dollars (2018-2021)
Men
Women
6
Out of the total seed funding rounds in companies where the CEO’s gender was known
between 2018-2020, an average of 8.2% of the investment transactions each year were
in startups led by a woman CEO. However, already in the next funding stage (Round A),
this ratio declined to approximately 7%. From Round B onwards, the average yearly ratio
of investment transactions in companies managed by women was 6.2% of the total
transactions at this stage. In advanced funding rounds (Round D onwards), only a few
companies managed by women successfully completed investment rounds.
12
Source: Israel Innovation Authority adaptations of IVC data
19
Women in High-Tech 2022
Men
Women
22.1%
Up to $1M
7.5%
Over $50M
2.5%
Over $50M 32%
Up to $1M
30%
$1-5M
14.3%
$5-10M
12.2%
$5-10M
26.1%
$10-50M
16.8%
$10-50M
36.5%
$1-5M
Approx. 80% of Investment Rounds In Startups Led By
Women CEOs Are Of 10 Million Dollars Or Less
Distribution according to investment size and gender, in million of dollars
(2018-2020)
13
90.8%
9.2%
$1-5M
93.4%
6.6%
$5-10M
94.9%
5.1%
$10-50M
97.3%
2.7%
Over $50M
89.2%
10.8%
Up to $1M
As Funding Rounds Increase - Women's Share Decreases
Distribution of investment rounds, according to size and gender (2018-2021)
Men
Women
8
An examination of the distribution of all investment rounds in startups led by women CEOs
reveals that 80% of the transactions between 2018-2021 were of 10 million dollars or less.
Among male CEOs, 66% of the transactions were of this size. The investment transactions
in male-led startups are therefore distributed over a wider range of transaction sizes while
the transactions in which investment was made in women-led startups are concentrated
primarily in the lower range of investment round sums. For example, during this period,
five investment transactions over 50 million dollars were identified in startups managed by
women compared to 180 such transactions in startups led by men.
14
Source: Israel Innovation Authority adaptations of IVC data
Source: Israel Innovation Authority adaptations of IVC data
20
Women in High-Tech 2022
Israel Innovation Authority Grants: Less Women Apply but Those
That Do Receive Similar Support to Men
An examination of the requests submitted by women for grants from the various Innovation
Authority incentive programs reveals that the ratio of women submitting such requests
is similar to their ratio in the general entrepreneurial field in Israel. For example, in 2020-
2021, requests submitted by women comprised 15% of all grant requests submitted to
the Ideation ("Tnufa") Program – a dedicated program for early-stage startups that need
to make the transition from idea to ‘Proof of Concept’ (POC). In the incentive programs
for startups in more advanced stages, the ratio of requests submitted by women is even
lower and reflects a trend similar to that in funding raised by women in more advanced
funding stages (also presented in this report). The ratio of female entrepreneurs who apply
for a R&D grant aimed at encouraging innovation and developing new technologies in seed
stage companies stands at 10% of all grants, while for the grant for financing application
of technologies (the Pilots Program), this figure stands at 11% of total requests submitted.
Furthermore, our examination reveals a similar ratio of requests submitted by men and
women that are approved and receiveAuthority support.In other words,no disparity can be
identified in the quality of the requests for support considered by the Innovation Authority.
In the Ideation ("Tnufa") Program, the ratio of requests approved out of total requests
submitted was 26% for both women and men. In the other programs examined there were
15% 11% 10%
Submissions'
Ratio
Approval
Ratio
85% 89% 90%
POC Stage
(Ideation "Tnufa"
Program)
26%
26%
R&D Stage
(R&D Fund Program)
49%
45%
Implementation Stage
(Technological
Innovation With
Government Entities
Program)
19%
21%
Fewer Women Entrepreneurs Request Grants but the
Rate of Approval is Similar for Men and Women
Distribution of requests and approvals of Innovation Authority grants,
according to gender (2021-2022)
Men
Women
9
15
Source: Israel Innovation Authority
15% 11% 10%
Submissions'
Ratio
Approval
Ratio
85% 89% 90%
POC Stage
(Ideation "Tnufa"
Program)
26%
26%
R&D Stage
(R&D Fund Program)
49%
45%
Implementation Stage
(Technological
Innovation With
Government Entities
Program)
19%
21%
Fewer Women Entrepreneurs Request Grants but the
Rate of Approval is Similar for Men and Women
Distribution of requests and approvals of Innovation Authority grants,
according to gender (2021-2022)
Men
Women
9
21
Women in High-Tech 2022
small disparities in request approvals: in grants for startups at the R&D stage, 44.5% of the
requests submitted by women entrepreneurs were approved compared to 49.3% of the
requests submitted by men, and in the Pilots Program for application of technologies, 19%
of the requests submitted by women entrepreneurs were approved compared to 21% of
requests submitted by men.
In 2019, the Israel Innovation Authority began offering a benefit designated specifically for
women entrepreneurs, as part of the R&D Fund (that constitutes the Authority’s primary
investment tool and budget activity). This benefit aimed at assisting women raise funding,
encouraging women entrepreneurs to submit requests for grants, and help them raise
supplementary funding from additional entities. According to the terms of this benefit,
womenentrepreneursinR&Dstageswillbeeligibleforsupportof70%-75%oftheapproved
development budget, compared to 30%-50% for male entrepreneurs who receive the
grant. Moreover, the Authority offers women preferential conditions in other areas such
as the Support for Seed Companies Program in which women entrepreneurs can receive a
grant of up to 50% of the submitted budget compared to 40% for male entrepreneurs, and
in the Authority’s various training programs where a higher financial incentive is awarded
for placing women.
Between Paris and Zurich: Israel is Lagging Behind Other Countries
in Women’s Entrepreneurship
Unsurprisingly, women also fare poorly in other focal points of global entrepreneurship.
Nevertheless, when comparing Israel to the international entrepreneurial hubs, the data
shows that Israel lags behind both in the ratio of women entrepreneurs and in the level
of capital that women raise for startups in their early stages. In practice, of the leading
entrepreneurial ecosystems in Europe and the US, only in Paris and Amsterdam the ratio
of women entrepreneurs is lower than that in Israel (where it stands at 9.4%). In New York,
Silicon Valley, Dublin, Barcelona, London, Stockholm, Boston, Madrid, Helsinki, Berlin and
Zurich, the ratio of women startup entrepreneurs is higher than in Israel.
In the prominent US entrepreneurial ecosystems – to which Israeli innovation aspires –
the ratio of women entrepreneurs is higher than in Israel. According to data published by
Startup Genome and produced for the Innovation Authority, in Silicon Valley, this figure
stands at 12.9%, in Boston 12.8%, and in New York the ratio is even higher, standing at
16.8% of all entrepreneurs. These figures relate to companies founded from 2010 and are
based on data retrieved from CrunchBase database. The figures include those defined as
company Founders or Co-founders, or CEOs.
According to Startup Genome, in the growing European startups scene, women comprise
10.8% of all startup entrepreneurs. The ratio of women entrepreneurs in some of the cities
considered leaders of European entrepreneurship are as follows: London (13%), Paris
(9%), berlin (10.2%), and Stockholm (12.9%). Despite the gradual increase in the ratio
of women entrepreneurs in European startups over the last decade, it still stands at less
than 15% each year. The ratio of women entrepreneurs in Europe is similar to the ratio
of funding raised by startups founded by women: 10% of the total funding for startups
in Europe over the past three years. This ratio remained steady since 2018. Comparisons
show that in European cities, the ratio of investment in early-stage startups founded by
women is higher than in Israel. For example, in London, Stockholm, and Zurich, the ratio
of investment in early-stage startups founded by women is 18%. Even in countries with a
lower ratio of women entrepreneurs, the ratio of investment in their startups is higher than
in Israel – in Madrid the rate stands at 19%, in Berlin 15%, and in Paris 12%.
22
Women in High-Tech 2022
Source: Startup Genome
Ratio of Female Startup Founders Out of All Startups
Ratio Of Investments in Early-Stage Startups Founded By Women
B
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New York, Dublin and Barcelona Have the Highest
Ratio of Women Entrepreneurs
The ratio of women entrepreneurs and investment in early-stage startups
founded by women, in selected cities
10
16
23
Women in High-Tech 2022
Investing in Venture Capital: Only 16%
of the firms' Partners are Women
Another of the entrepreneurial ecosystem’s significant and influential elements is that of
venture capital investors. As those controlling the “flow” of investment, these investors
decide which startups will receive funding and therefore contribute significantly to
shaping the Israeli startup arena. To a large degree, the funding they provide to startups
frequently decides which startups will survive and which will be forced to close or change
direction. Furthermore, even after making the investment, venture capital investors still
have an influence over the companies’ decision-making processes because, following their
investment, main investors will receive a place on the startups’ board thereby influencing
their future course.
These reasons and others mean that venture capital funds bear significant responsibility for
improving the state of gender equality in Israeli high-tech. The makeup of the funds’ human
capital and, specifically, the gender of their partners, impact their decisions which, in turn,
influence the gender makeup altogether. An examination conducted in the US by Kauffman
Fellows Research Center (KFRC) that related to the years 2000-2018,20
revealed that in
early-stage investments (seed and A-rounds), women venture capital investors lead twice
as many investment rounds in startups that have a gender-diverse team of founders (i.e.,
that includes a woman entrepreneur) compared to men who lead VC rounds of investment.
These investment patterns and the tendency of female investors to invest more in women
entrepreneursareconsistentandmanifestedinalltheexaminedstartupsectors.Thereport’s
authors therefore emphasized that it is specifically in the early stages of startups that women
investors dramatically increase the chance of women entrepreneurs to raise funding from
them and thereby gain an opportunity to build successful market-leading companies. The
report’s authors estimate that the women investors’personal experience helps them identify
problems and needs, and to understand the size of their potential market.
An examination conducted by Crunchbase assessed the influence of the gender of the
venture capital funds’ founding investors and found that in venture capital funds with a
woman founding partner, 28% of the investment rounds between 2016-October 2021 were
in startups with at least one female entrepreneur.21
In contrast, in venture capital funds
where the founding team consisted solely of men, the ratio of investment in startups with
at least one female entrepreneur dropped to 22%.
20	 Women VCs Invest in Up to 2x More Female Founders - Kauffman Fellows
21	 Female-Founded US Venture Firms On Track To Raise Over $7B In 2021
24
Women in High-Tech 2022
57% of the large large venture capital funds active in Israel have no
female partner
The Israeli venture capital industry is predominantly controlled by male investors who
occupy most of the partner roles – making the decisions about new investments.
According to an Innovation Authority assessment conducted with the report’s publication,
approximately 57% of the large large venture capital funds active in Israel in recent years
failed to appoint a single woman partner. In 31% of the funds, there is at least one female
partner.
The findings further indicate that only 16.5% of the partners in the funds active in Israel are
women – 38 women out of a total of 230 partners in 58 funds examined. It is important to
note that these women are partners in all kinds of roles in the fund and do not serve solely
as investor partners (i.e., the number includes female partners responsible for managing
human resources, legal consultation etc.).22
The assessment was conducted in January 2022 and included a sample of 58 funds. Details
of the partners’ gender were retrieved from the funds’ websites. The funds included in the
sample were graded in the IVC lists of active funds from 2018-2020 as the funds with the
largest investment portfolios as of December 2021 – out of an understanding that these
funds have the widest influence on Israeli entrepreneurship. The list includes both Israeli
and foreign funds that have local offices in Israel or that have partners responsible for
investments in Israel, out of an understanding that the gender of these partners impacts
the status of gender equality in the Israeli startup industry.
The influence of the funds’ lack of gender diversity is also evident in the portfolio of
companies in which they invested. In 39.5% of the funds examined,23
the investment
portfolio lacks even a single startup company with a woman CEO. In another 13.2% of the
funds, the investment portfolio contains one startup led by a woman. In other words, more
than half the large active venture capital funds in Israel have investment portfolios that
contain either no startups led by women or only a single such company. Moreover, 97.4% of
the funds have an investment portfolio in which the ratio of women CEOs is less than 15%
of the portfolio’s CEOs.
An examination conducted by ‘Power in Diversity’ that was published in January 2022
revealed similar results according to which 14.8% of the venture capital fund partners in
Israel are women – 29 women out of 195 partners examined, following an increase of 3% in
the number of women partners in 2021.24
When analyzing the data further, the organization
found that only 9% of the partners in investment roles in the sample (that included 70
funds in Israel) are women – a ratio that has remained almost unchanged despite the
growth in investment activity.
22	 Venture Partners were not sampled or included in this calculation.
23	 Full data on the gender of CEOs in funds’ investment portfolios exists for 66% of the funds sampled.
24	 Women in Startups Report, Power in Diversity, 2021
25
Women in High-Tech 2022
56.9%
0 female
partners
31%
1 female
partner
5.2%
2 female
partners
6.9%
3+ female partners
Only 7% of the VC Funds Have More Than
Two Female Partners
Distribution of the large VC funds active in Israel,
according to the no. of female partners
11
17
18
39%
0%
18%
1-5%
13%
11-15%
26%
6-10%
3%
Over 15%
Approx. 40% Of VC Funds Didn't Invest In Even
1 Female CEO
Distribution of the large VC funds active in Israel,
according to the ratio of women CEOs in their portfolio
12
Source: Israel Innovation Authority adaptation of data from VC Funds' websites
Source: Israel Innovation Authority adaptation of data from VC Funds' websites
56.9%
0 female
partners
31%
1 female
partner
5.2%
2 female
partners
6.9%
3+ female partners
Only 7% of the VC Funds Have More Than
Two Female Partners
Distribution of the large VC funds active in Israel,
according to the no. of female partners
11
39%
0%
18%
1-5%
13%
11-15%
26%
6-10%
3%
Over 15%
Approx. 40% Of VC Funds Didn't Invest In Even
1 Female CEO
Distribution of the large VC funds active in Israel,
according to the ratio of women CEOs in their portfolio
12
26
Women in High-Tech 2022
65% of American VC Funds Have No Female Investor Partner
According to the VC Human Capital Survey conducted by Deloitte, the National Venture
Capital Association (NVCA), and ‘Venture Forward’, 16% of the investor partners in the US
in 2020 were women.25
The ratio of female investor partners in the US has slowly increased
in recent years: from 11% in 2016, to 14% in 2018, and 16% in the last survey. The 2021
‘All In’ Report showed similar results.26
Nevertheless, alongside the slow improvement,
according to VC Human Capital Survey, 65% of American VC funds still have no female
investor partner. In 2018, this figure stood at 68%. In 75% of the investment entities that
reported having female investor partners, there is only one such partner. It is important to
note that women comprise 45% of the VC funds’ human capital however most of these
serve in administrative roles (965 of the employees in these roles are women) and in
auxiliary investment roles such as investor relations and public relations. Among all those in
investment roles (not just partners), 23% were women. In funds specializing in investment
in startups in growth stages, the ratio of women in investment roles is especially low.
25	 VC Human Capital Survey, powered by NVCA, Venture Forward, and Deloitte
26	 All In: Female Founders in the US VC Ecosystem, 2021. Pitchbook, Beyond the Million, J.P.Morgan
25%
10%
2+ female partners
1 female partner
No female partner
65%
Only 10% of American VC Funds Have at Least
Two Female Partners
Distribution of American VC funds, according to the no. of their female partners (2020)
13
19
Source: VC Human Capital Survey, powered by NVCA, Venture Forward, and Deloitte
19
27
Women in High-Tech 2022
An encouraging sign noted by the report’s authors was that women comprised 33% of
those in junior investment roles, a ratio that is gradually increasing. This would suggest
that, in the future, more women with relevant experience will be able to progress to
partner positions. Another encouraging process over the past decade is related to
the increase in activity of private female angels investing in early-stage startups.
According to the 2021 ‘All In’ Report, the number of female angels in the US rose from
less than 100 in 2010 to nearly 1,000 today (895 according to 2021 data). The report’s
authors attribute the growth in the number of female angels since 2018 to the #MeToo
Movementwhichtheyclaimalsoincreasedthefemaleangels’tendencytoinvestinwomen
entrepreneurs. In 2021, nearly 30% of the female angels’ investments were designated
for startups founded by women – a continuation of an upward trend that began in 2017
(when this figure stood at 20%). There is no official information in Israel about female
angels’ investments in startups, among others because these are private investments by
individuals under no obligation to reveal information about their investment activity, but
their number is estimated to be relatively small.
of the funds' employees
of the investor partners
of those in all
investment roles
of junior investment
employees
16%
33%
23%
45%
In the US, 45% of VC Fund
Employees Are Women -
But Only 16% Of The Partners
14
of the funds' employees
of the investor partners
of those in all
investment roles
of junior investment
employees
16%
33%
23%
45%
In the US, 45% of VC Fund
Employees Are Women -
But Only 16% Of The Partners
14
20
Source: VC Human Capital Survey, powered by NVCA, Venture Forward, and Deloitte
Women in High-Tech 2022
28
Summary and Recommendations
What Can Be Done to Improve Gender Equality in Israeli High-Tech?
In this report, we have presented an up-to-date situation report describing the
representation of women at different stages pertaining to their employment in the Israeli
innovation ecosystem. A wide range of reasons leads to a low number of women in high-
tech, from social paving young women not to choose these subjects in academic studies,
the difficulty of women high-tech professions to build a career alongside a family, and a
lack of role models.27
In the field of entrepreneurship, where we saw that less than 10% of
startups’ CEOs are women, the problems only intensify. Women report disparities related
to the male work environment and bias of male investors, a lack of women in decision
making positions, and a networking gap that negatively impacts women.28
Nevertheless what can be done
ToimprovethelevelofgenderequalityinIsraelihigh-tech,effortmustbemadeateachofthe
stages surveyed in this report (and in other areas that, for lack of space, were not included).
An interdepartmental government team is presently formulating recommendations for
addressing the problem of human resources in the high-tech industry and to increase its
number of employees. This team is addressing a significant portion of the issues presented
in this report and will submit its conclusions and recommendations later this year.
Below are some preliminary directions of action that stem from the
conclusions and insights presented in this report:
Encouraging young women to choose mathematics, technology, and science studies in
high school.
	Increasing the number of women serving in core technology roles in the military,
including development and cyber.
	Increasing the number of women in academic study courses relevant for integrating
into the high-tech industry.
Focusing government attention on employing women in high-tech training programs.
	Increasing the number of senior women staff members in academic departments
relevant to high-tech professions.
Operating programs to reduce unconscious gender bias in the variety of entities involved
in the field and in the designated training programs.
	Promoting supportive regulation in the labor market that will ease the integration of
women, especially mothers, into high-tech.
Promoting women to executive positions – from junior management.
Maximizing women’s entrepreneurial potential for those interested in this direction.
	Expanding the Innovation Authority’s efforts to encourage women to apply for the
various investment avenues.
Appointing women to partner roles in venture capital funds.
27	 Women in Tech Survey 2020: Challenges and Opportunities for Increasing Women’s High-Tech Employment,
Woman in High-Tech and Scale Up Velocity
28	 Women in Scientific and Technological Entrepreneurship, Samuel Neaman Institute, September 2019.
29
Women in High-Tech 2022

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Women in High-Tech Report - 2022

  • 1. 1 Women in High-Tech 2022 Status Report Women in High-Tech 2022 2022
  • 2. 2 Women in High-Tech 2022 The Innovation Authority The Israel Innovation Authority is a Statutory public entity responsible for Israel’s innovation policy. The Authority promotes innovation as leverage for inclusive and sustainable growth, based on of the understanding that innovation is the most significant growth engine of Israel’s economy. The Authority strives to strengthen the infrastructure on which the Israeli knowledge based sector is built while continuously examining the obstacles and opportunities present in the Israeli innovation ecosystem. It offers entrepreneurs and innovation-oriented companies in Israel a variety of financing and other tools to help them contend with the changing needs of the competitive world of innovation. Woman in Tech An initiative to promote gender equality in high-tech that is aimed at increasing the number of women employed in the industryandatcreatingagender-equalworkenvironment.The initiative focuses on the creation of a professional knowledge base and on enabling access and sharing it with the high- tech community via a range of channels, while recognizing the importance of raising awareness and issuing a call to action on the part of organizations’ executive and recruiting divisions. The knowledge infrastructure is based on gathering and analyzing information from the field and learning from the Best Practices of high-tech companies and relevant studies from around the world. Written and Edited By: The Economics and Research Division – Israel Innovation Authority Startup Division – Israel Innovation Authority Inbal Orpaz – Founder of #WomanInTech Linguistics and Graphic Design: Calltext Women in High-Tech 2022 The Innovation Authority The Israel Innovation Authority is a Statutory public entity responsible for Israel’s innovation policy. The Authority promotes innovation as leverage for inclusive and sustainable growth, based on of the understanding that innovation is the most significant growth engine of Israel’s economy. The Authority strives to strengthen the infrastructure on which the Israeli knowledge based sector is built while continuously examining the obstacles and opportunities present in the Israeli innovation ecosystem. It offers entrepreneurs and innovation-oriented companies in Israel a variety of financing and other tools to help them contend with the changing needs of the competitive world of innovation. Woman in Tech An initiative to promote gender equality in high-tech that is aimed at increasing the number of women employed in the industry and at creating a gender-equal work environment. The initiative focuses on the creation of a professional knowledge infrastructure and on enabling access and sharing it with the high-tech community via a range of channels, while recognizing the importance of raising awareness and issuing a call to action on the part of organizations’ executive and financing divisions. The knowledge infrastructure is based on gathering and analyzing information from the field and learning from the Best Practices of high-tech companies and relevant studies from around the world. Written and Edited By: The Economics and Research Division – Israel Innovation Authority Startup Division – Israel Innovation Authority Inbal Orpaz – Funder of #WomanInTech Linguistics and Graphic Design: Calltext ‫אישה‬ ‫בהייטק‬
  • 3. 3 Women in High-Tech 2022 T he Israeli high-tech industry is at the forefront of Israeli innovation and its achievements set new records every year. Nevertheless, as far as gender equality is concerned, Israeli high-tech has significant room for improvement. Women comprise only one third of Israeli high-tech employees, a figure that has remained constant over time. At each stage of the path to the high-tech industry and subsequently, within the industry itself, women are a distinct minority. The higher up one examines the ladder of seniority, the lower the ratio of women startup founders, or partners in venture capital funds – portraying a discouraging reality. Global comparisons with other international centers of innovation show that Israel lags behind other countries with low levels of women entrepreneurs and funding of their companies. Initial encouraging signs have been witnessed in recent years with increased numbers of women signing up for academic studies in high-tech professions, an increase in the number of female high- school students graduating with matriculation certificates in computer studies, and in other indices, but progress is slow. Processes must be accelerated to reduce the gender disparity while increasing joint efforts of government and the high-tech industry itself at each stage. This report, being published for the first time, aims to lay the foundations of a knowledge infrastructure that is based on facts and figures in order to gain a deep understanding of the reality for women in Israeli high-tech and in the paths leading to it. Furthermore, considering the important role of technological innovation within the Israeli innovation ecosystem, this report places special emphasis on analyzing the gender aspects of the Israeli startup arenas, including reference to the ratio of women entrepreneurs, the sectors in which they choose to establish companies, and their ratio in funding rounds. It is specifically in light of the impressive flourishing of Israeli high-tech and the significant levels of capital it has attracted in recent years, that it is important to highlight this weaker angle of Israeli high-tech. What is the Path that Leads Women to High-Tech? Women’s path to the high-tech sector begins at an early stage. Choices made by high school students have a significant influence on their later professional career and on their chances of being accepted to the field. For women to become entrepreneurs, to serve in senior corporate roles, or to progress to investment roles in venture capital funds, they must first acquire relevant education and training and advance within the industry. To increase the representation of women in the industry it is therefore important to increase their relative presence at each stage on the path that leads to high-tech. The beginning of this path – the 5-study unit matriculation exams in mathematics – is characterized by a state of near gender equality. The gender gap begins to widen however during the following years of military service in the development and cyber units that pave the way of those serving in them to the Israeli innovation sector. Women comprise 23% of the soldiers serving in these units. The situation is slightly better in academic high-tech studies where, although the number of female students increased by 64% within the last decade, their relative share of total students in these subjects has increased only slightly and women still comprise less than one third of the total number of students.Subsequently, and as the level of seniority rises, the ratio of women in high-tech industry steadily declines.
  • 4. 4 Women in High-Tech 2022 of all students for 5-study units in mathematics 49.4% 35.5% of soldiers in military development and cyber units during mandatory service 23% of undergraduate degree students in expanded high-tech related courses* 30.7% of all high-tech employees 33.4% of all employees in core technology positions 28% of high-tech executives according to a sample of Israeli public technology companies 22.6% of the partners in the largest venture capital funds active in Israel 16.5% of all CEOs who founded startups** 9.4% of all 5-study units computer science students Women comprise: ** The data relates to 2021 figures or the last available figure * Between the years 2010-2021 Source: Innovation Authority adaptation of CBS, IDF, and IVC data, and the websites of the companies and VC funds Ratio of women in Israeli high-tech starting from high-school up to the foundation of startup companies 6 4 . 1 % 6 1 . 3 % 4 6 . 8 % 3 7 . 5 % 3 2 . 5 % 3 1 . 3 % 3 1 . 3 % 2 1 . 9 % 2 0 . 4 % 1 9 . 3 % ‫ך‬ ‫ו‬ ‫נ‬ ‫י‬ ‫ח‬ ‫ם‬ ‫י‬ ‫י‬ ‫א‬ ‫ו‬ ‫פ‬ ‫ר‬ ‫ר‬ ‫ז‬ ‫ע‬ ‫ת‬ ‫ו‬ ‫ע‬ ‫ו‬ ‫צ‬ ‫ק‬ ‫מ‬ ‫ל‬ ‫ו‬ ‫ה‬ ‫י‬ ‫נ‬ ‫ה‬ ‫י‬ ‫ע‬ ‫ד‬ ‫מ‬ ‫ו‬ ‫ם‬ ‫י‬ ‫ק‬ ‫ס‬ ‫ע‬ ‫ה‬ ‫א‬ ‫ו‬ ‫פ‬ ‫ר‬ ‫ה‬ ‫ק‬ ‫י‬ ‫ט‬ ‫ס‬ ‫י‬ ‫ט‬ ‫ט‬ ‫ס‬ , ‫ה‬ ‫ק‬ ‫י‬ ‫ט‬ ‫מ‬ ‫ת‬ ‫מ‬ ‫ב‬ ‫ש‬ ‫ח‬ ‫מ‬ ‫ה‬ ‫י‬ ‫ע‬ ‫ד‬ ‫מ‬ ‫ו‬ ‫ה‬ ‫ר‬ ‫ב‬ ‫ח‬ ‫ה‬ ‫י‬ ‫ע‬ ‫ד‬ ‫מ‬ ‫ם‬ ‫י‬ ‫ט‬ ‫פ‬ ‫ש‬ ‫מ‬ ‫ת‬ ‫ו‬ ‫ל‬ ‫כ‬ ‫י‬ ‫ר‬ ‫ד‬ ‫א‬ ‫ו‬ ‫ה‬ ‫ס‬ ‫ד‬ ‫נ‬ ‫ה‬ ‫ם‬ ‫י‬ ‫י‬ ‫ג‬ ‫ו‬ ‫ל‬ ‫ו‬ ‫י‬ ‫ב‬ ‫י‬ ‫ע‬ ‫ד‬ ‫מ‬ ‫ם‬ ‫י‬ ‫י‬ ‫ל‬ ‫ק‬ ‫י‬ ‫ז‬ ‫י‬ ‫פ‬ ‫ם‬ ‫י‬ ‫ע‬ ‫ד‬ ‫מ‬ 2 0 . 4 % ‫ק‬ ‫ר‬ ‫ו‬ - ‫ך‬ ‫ו‬ ‫נ‬ ‫י‬ ‫ח‬ ‫ב‬ ‫ר‬ ‫י‬ ‫כ‬ ‫ב‬ ‫ה‬ ‫ל‬ ‫ג‬ ‫ס‬ ‫ה‬ ‫מ‬ 6 4 % ‫ת‬ ‫ו‬ ‫ו‬ ‫ה‬ ‫מ‬ ‫ם‬ ‫י‬ ‫ש‬ ‫נ‬ ‫ה‬ ‫ק‬ ‫י‬ ‫ט‬ ‫מ‬ ‫ת‬ ‫מ‬ ‫ו‬ ‫ב‬ ‫ש‬ ‫ח‬ ‫מ‬ ‫ה‬ ‫י‬ ‫ע‬ ‫ד‬ ‫מ‬ ‫ב‬ ‫ת‬ ‫ו‬ ‫י‬ ‫מ‬ ‫ד‬ ‫ק‬ ‫א‬ ‫ת‬ ‫ו‬ ‫ל‬ ‫ל‬ ‫כ‬ ‫מ‬ ‫ו‬ ‫ת‬ ‫ו‬ ‫א‬ ‫ט‬ ‫י‬ ‫ס‬ ‫ר‬ ‫ב‬ ‫י‬ ‫נ‬ ‫ו‬ ‫א‬ ‫ב‬ ‫ם‬ ‫י‬ ‫ר‬ ‫ח‬ ‫ב‬ ‫נ‬ ‫ת‬ ‫ו‬ ‫ע‬ ‫ו‬ ‫צ‬ ‫ק‬ ‫מ‬ ‫ב‬ ‫ר‬ ‫י‬ ‫כ‬ ‫ב‬ ‫ה‬ ‫ל‬ ‫ג‬ ‫ס‬ ‫ב‬ ‫ם‬ ‫י‬ ‫ש‬ ‫נ‬ ‫ה‬ ‫ר‬ ‫ו‬ ‫ע‬ ‫י‬ ‫ש‬ ) 2 0 1 9 - 2 0 1 8 ( ‫ם‬ ‫י‬ ‫ד‬ ‫ו‬ ‫מ‬ ‫י‬ ‫ל‬ ‫ה‬ ‫ת‬ ‫נ‬ ‫ש‬ ‫ב‬ 2
  • 5. 5 Women in High-Tech 2022 The worst situation in the high-tech sector from a gender perspective is that of startup entrepreneurs who constitute the spearhead of Israeli innovation. The present startup generation – that develop groundbreaking solutions, quickly forge their way forward, and compete in the global arena – determine the future of Israeli high-tech. Some of them become large mature companies employing large numbers of workers, some will be bought by multinational corporations that will use them to establish R&D centers in Israel, and some will close, but the technological, professional, business, and managerial knowledge they accumulate will filter down to other places in the Israeli innovation ecosystem. The human makeup of the people leading these startups who will influence the direction of Israeli high-tech is thus of great importance. In this report, we focus on the gender aspects of Israeli technological entrepreneurship out of an understanding that women entrepreneurs who establish startups recruit more female employees to their companies and promote more women to senior executive positions.1 Studies even show that founding teamswithgreatergenderdiversityaremoreinnovativeandraisemorefunding.2 Increasing the number of women entrepreneurs will therefore have a positive influence in improving the gender inequality that currently characterizes Israeli high-tech. The bottom line is a somber one: the ratio of Israeli women entrepreneurs in no way corresponds to their percentage of the general population. Women are CEOs of only 9.4% of all startups founded in Israel over the past decade. When examining the total capital invested in Israeli startups, the ratio of women is even lower: only 4.4% of total investments. Of the partners in Israeli venture capital funds, only 16% are women and of these, an even lower percentage serve in investment roles. Women take almost no part in leading the generation of Israeli companies that has grown locally. A sample of Israeli technology companies that executed IPOs during 2020-2021 as well as veteran Israeli public technology companies that employ over 1,000 workers, showed that women occupy only 22.6% of the managerial positions. The goal of this report is to shed light on the state of women in Israeli entrepreneurship using up-to-date data that has been analyzed and published by the Innovation Authority for the first time. The insights arising from the data will ultimately enable the formulation of programs pertaining to the private and government sectors, however Israeli high-tech companies and investment funds can already take immediate short-term measures to improve their own situation in this regard. Improving the level of gender equality in Israeli technology entrepreneurial activity will lead to greater diversity in Israeli high-tech through the input of new ideas, varied styles of management, and a broader entrepreneurial viewpoint. In a reality whereby the Israeli high- techmarketsuffersfromachronicshortageofworkersandwherewomenareaminorityofall Israeli high-tech employees and of the students in the relevant academic study courses, the cultivation of new role models of women CEOs and entrepreneurs to lead these companies is important, both for their influence on the environment and for encouraging more women to enter this field. Furthermore, founding teams made up of more women generally create companies around them with more diverse human capital. In the long-term, this may also exert a positive influence on reducing the general economic-social gender inequality in Israel. 1 See a study conducted by the Kauffman Foundation according to which more women entrepreneurs lead to more women in executive roles and more opportunities for women. The study showed for example that in 50% of the consumer services companies that have a woman founder, there was a woman in an executive role, compared to only 10% of the companies in which all the founders were men. According to the Kauffman Federation, teams with at least at least one woman founder employ 2.5 times the number of female employees. 2 Data Show that Gender-Inclusive Founding Teams Have Greater Success in Fundraising and Innovation, Kauffman Fellows
  • 6. 6 Women in High-Tech 2022 Situation Report: On the Way to High-Tech and Startups – Where are the Women? 1. High-School: Only 35% of those taking 5-study units computer science matric- ulation exams are women The picture at the beginning of the road to high-tech seems encouraging: In 2020, almost half (49.4%) of all the students taking the 5-study unit matriculation exam in mathematics were women – approximately 9,000 female students. The disparity between the ratios of male and female students taking the exam narrowed from a situation where 6,100 of all students taking this matriculation exam in 2016 were women (47.6%). In the Arab sector, the ratio of female students taking the 5-study unit mathematics exam is significantly higher – 64.3% of all the students taking the exam. In general, between 2016-2020, the ratio of students taking the 5-study unit mathematics matriculation exam out of the total number of students (Jews and Arabs) during that period rose from 13% to 16.9% i.e., the number of female students taking the exam increased by 1.5 (time and a half) during this period. The subjects chosen by students at this stage of their lives influence the fields they will study later in life. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS),3 30% of the female students who are eligible for a matriculation certificate in science-oriented subjects (primarily mathematics and the sciences)4 continue to an academic degree in a STEM study course.5 The parallel figure for male students stands at 48%. The chance that a female student who did not graduate with a science-oriented matriculation certificate will choose to study for a STEM subject academic degree is only 5% (compared to 13% for male students). In other words, the tendency of female students who graduate with a matriculation certificate in math- and science-oriented subjects to continue to undergraduate academic studies in STEM subjects is six times higher than female students graduating with a matriculation certificate in other subjects (among male students, this tendency is 3.7 times higher). The significance of this is that female students’ choice of study subjects at high school has a much more critical influence on their subsequent career choices than those of male students. Female students choosing not to study mathematics or science in high school will probably also not go on to study them later. Data shows that even when female students do choose to study these subjects at high school level, the chance that they will later study high-tech subjects is lower than that of male students. The chance of a male student who studied for a math- and science-oriented high school matriculation certificate to go on to study STEM subjects at university is 60% higher than that of a female student in the same study course. Female students’ choice consequently impacts the gender balance of the potential future high-tech workforce. An examination of the ratio of female high school students taking 5-study unit matriculation exams in computer science reveals a significant disparity in comparison with the ratio of male students choosing this subject: only 35.5% of those taking the exam are women (approx. 3,500 students).This ratio has increased from 31.7% in 2016. Further examination of the data shows that 14.8% of the male students in the Jewish education system in 2020 took the 5-study unit exam in computer science compared to only 6.1% of the female students. 3 Undergraduate students in STEM courses (science and technology) 1995/6-2019/20 (Heb.) 4 Mathematics at 4- or 5- study unit level and at least one of the other science and technologies subjects (physics, chemistry, biology, computer science, electronics, and electronic systems). 5 Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
  • 7. 7 Women in High-Tech 2022 Source: Innovation Authority adaptations of CBS data 2. Military Service: Female Soldiers Fill Only 13% of the Military’s Cyber Roles Military service in a technology unit is a springboard for the sought-after entry into the high-tech industry. These units grant those serving in them professional training, experience, and a network of contacts with other graduates of the unit. The importance of service in the military's technology units cannot be underestimated and a recent survey conducted by the Aaron Institute for Economic Policy at Reichman University found that 47% of the employees in developmental positions in growth companies have a technology background acquired during their military service.6 Nevertheless, the ratio of women serving in technology positions has remained low and almost unchanged. 31% of those serving in the military’s computer and software roles in 2019 were women.7 However, the ratio of women in mandatory military service serving in core technology roles – development and cyber – was only 23% of all those serving in these roles. In practice, therefore, the ratio of female soldiers in the military’s core technology roles is lower than their ratio in the high-tech industry. IDF figures show that the ratio of women soldiers serving in cyber roles in 2019 was just 13%.8 Among those serving in the Academic Reserve (Atuda) programs, the picture is a bleak 6 “What are the professional skills needed from high-tech employees?”, Niron Hashai, Sergei Sumkin, and Ronen Nir, round table held at the Aaron Institute, March 2022 7 The IDF too pride in the fact that women fill 50% of the technology roles 8 The IDF did not provide updated data for this report, despite a request from the Innovation Authority. 64.1% 61.3% 46.8% 37.5% 32.5% 31.3% 31.3% 21.9% 20.4% 19.3% E d u c a t i o n A u x i l i a r y M e d i c a l P r o f e s s i o n s B u s i n e s s a n d M a n a g e m e n t M e d i c i n e M a t h e m a t i c s , S t a t i s t i c s , a n d C o m p u t e r S c i e n c e s S o c i a l S c i e n c e L a w E n g i n e e r i n g a n d A r c h i t e c t u r e B i o s c i e n c e s P h y s i c a l S c i e n c e s Women Comprise 64% of the Senior Education Staff – But Only 20.4% in Computer Science and Statistics The ratio of senior female staff members in selected professions at universities and academic colleges during the academic year (2018-2019) 2 1
  • 8. 8 Women in High-Tech 2022 one: only 15% of all the students in the engineering and exact sciences courses (that comprise 75% of all those serving in the IDF Academic Reserve) are women.9 3. Academia: The Number of Female Students in High-Tech Subjects Has Increased by 64% in a Decade – But They Still Comprise Less Than One Third of All Students The universities and academic colleges are important stations on women’s path to high- tech. The encouraging trend of the past decade is that, according to the CBS, the number of women students studying for an undergraduate degree in expanded high-tech related courses at universities and academic colleges rose by 64% - from 8,686 in the 2010-2011 academic year to 14,211 in the 2019-2020 academic year. Undergraduates are a significant cadre of potential (as far as their number is concerned) for integrating into the high- tech industry upon completion of their academic studies. The growth in the number of male students in expanded high-tech related courses is slower – and the number of male students rose by 1.2% during the same period. Despite the encouraging trend, female students comprised only 7.3% of all students in undergraduate degrees in expanded high-tech related courses. The number of male students during the same academic year stood at 32,108. When examining the senior academic staff – those training the future generation of high- 9 Data presented to the Human Capital for High-Tech Committee, December 2012. 10,000 8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000 0 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% 2016 2020 2018 % of Female Students Total No. of Students / No. of Female Students 31.7% 35.5% 3,488 2,325 3,090 33.1% 5,006 6,235 6,343 The Number and Ratio of Female Students Taking Computer Science Matriculation Exam Are Growing – But Slowly The total number of students taking the 5-study unit matriculation exam in computer science, according to gender and female students' ratio 1 2 Source: Innovation Authority adaptations of CBS data
  • 9. 9 Women in High-Tech 2022 tech professionals and serving as their role model – at faculties and schools for the relevant subjects, the reality is no more positive. In the 2018-2019 academic year, the ratio of senior female staff members stood at 19.3% in the field of physical sciences, and at 20.4% in the fields of mathematics, statistics, and computer science.10 In engineering and architecture courses, the ratio of senior female staff members was 21.9%. The representation of women on the senior staff of departments, the graduates of which generally integrate into the high-tech industry, is significantly lower than that of other departments where the rate of women’s employment is higher. For example, in medicine, the ratio stands at 31.3%, social sciences 46.8%, medical auxiliary professions 61.3%, and education 64.1%. 10 For the most recent data, see in the link % of Female Students Total Number of Students / Number of Female Students 50,000 40,000 30,000 20000 10,000 0 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% 2010-2011 2019-2020 2016-2017 2013-2014 24.5% 24.5% 9,115 25.8% 10,758 30.7% 32,108 30,910 28,079 26,732 14,211 8,686 The Number of Female Students Increased by 150% in a Decade - But Comprise Only 30% of All Students Number of students at universities and academic colleges in expanded high-tech related courses, according to gender and ratio of female students 3 Source: Innovation Authority adaptations of CBS data
  • 10. 10 Women in High-Tech 2022 4. The High-Tech Industry: One Third of the Employees are Women – Only 22.6% of Senior Executives are Women According to CBS data, the total number of 361,500 high-tech employees in 2021 consisted of 120,700 women and 240,800 men.11 The ratio of women employed in high-tech has remained almost unchanged at about one third of the salaried high-tech employees for at least the last three decades. In 2021, the ratio of women in the industry, including core technology and other roles (such as marketing, sales, human resources etc.), stood at 33.4% - a ratio that reflects a decline of 0.6% compared to 2020. The growth rate in the number of men employed in high-tech in 2021 was 50% higher than that of women – the number of women in the industry grew by 6% compared to an increase of 9% in the number of men. In 2020 too, the year in which the Covid pandemic broke out with numerous lockdowns and disrupted activity of the education system that primarily affected working women, there was a disparity of 80% in the rate of men joining the high-tech industry compared to that of women (5% and 2.8%, respectively). Analysis of the multi-year average of the period between 2013-2021 shows that the average yearly growth rate in the number of women and men in the high-tech industry is almost identical and stands at 6%. Nevertheless, when comparing the growth in the number of women and men in high-tech in 2021 to that of the other sectors of the economy, the growth in high- tech is significantly higher. The economy’s general growth rate in 2021 was 1.1% among men and 2.4 among women. 11 Salaried High-Tech Employees, according to economic sector (2011 classification) and gender % Of Women in the Industry Total of High-Tech Employees / No. of Women High-Tech Employees 400 300 200 100 0 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% 2012 2021 2018 2015 33.4% 72.1 143.9 34.9% 90 167.7 33.2% 98.4 197.7 33.4% 120.7 240.8 The Number of Female High-Tech Professionals is Growing – But Their Ratio Remains Steady The number of salaried employees in high-tech, according to gender (in thousands) and the ratio of women high-tech employees 6 Source: Innovation Authority adaptations of CBS data 4
  • 11. 11 Women in High-Tech 2022 The ratio of women employed in core technology jobs fluctuates slightly more but also maintains a level of 26%-28% of total employees in these positions between 2012-2019 (according to the last available figure from the CBS). The ratio of women employees in technology roles is largely influenced by the rate of women graduates from the military’s technology units and high-tech subjects in academia. Until these ratios increase significantly, it is reasonable to assume that there will be no fundamental change in the gender makeup of technology jobs in high-tech. One of the most significant indices in measuring gender equality in high-tech is the ratio of women that occupy senior executive positions. The number of senior women executives influences women’s potential to progress to technology entrepreneurship and to other key positions and influential roles in the Israeli innovation ecosystem. To assess the state of Israeli high-tech, we conducted an examination of the number of women in senior executive roles in a sample of mature Israeli technology companies that includes companies that conducted IPOs relatively recently and veteran Israeli public technology companies.Later in the report,we discuss in-depth the state of women in startup entrepreneurship while the state of executives in this sample group relates to the state of women in advanced-stage companies. Unsurprisingly, the executive teams of mature Israeli technology companies in no way reflect gender equality. Although only one company out of those sampled had no women on its executive team, 23% of the companies had only one woman in an executive role. In 79% of the companies there are no more than three women on the senior executive staff. In total, of the 575 senior executives in the technology companies examined, only 130 (22.6%) are women. There is great importance to the types of roles filled by the senior women executives. The figures show that 28.5% of the female executives in the sample work in human resource management i.e., compared to other roles, the lion’s share of senior women figures in Israeli high-tech work in this field. In one third of the companies with only one female senior executive, this woman works in human resource management. In other words, beyond the fact that women are under-represented in high-tech, and especially in senior executive roles, when they do occupy such positions, these are generally the less well-paid jobs.12 12 For example, according to these salary tables from Ethosia website Over Half of the Companies Have No More Than Two Women Executives Distribution of selected Israeli public technology companies, according to the number of women on their senior executive team 4 1 3 5 2 4 6 15% 4% 32% 0 2% 2% 23% 23% Source: Innovation Authority adaptations of data from management page on the companies' websites 5
  • 12. 12 Women in High-Tech 2022 The next most common areas for women executives in the sample are legal counsel (16.2% of the senior women executives) and finances (11.5%). Other relatively common areas among senior women executives are marketing, business development, and operations. 6.9% of the senior women executives occupy a product manager role which falls under the field of technological development but among the companies sampled there was not even one woman designated as CTO or VP R&D. 6.2% of the senior women executives are CEOs or company presidents. The survey was conducted in February 2022 and included 53 mature Israeli technology companies. Of these, 24 are public Israeli technology companies that employ more than one thousand workers and 29 are relatively young public technology companies that held an IPO in the last two years. The survey measured the number of senior men and women who appear on the companies’ websites.13 13 For example, on the Management Team, Leadership, Executive Management pages etc. 28.5% Human Resources 16.2% Legal Counsel 11.5% Finances 10.8% Marketing 10% Business Development 6.9% Operations 6.9% Product 6.2% CEO and President 3% Other The Most Common Role for Senior Women Executives in High-Tech: Human Resource Management Distribution of senior women executives in selected Israeli public technology companies, according to role 5 Source: Innovation Authority adaptations of CBS data 6
  • 13. 13 Women in High-Tech 2022 Less Than One Tenth: Women Technology Entrepreneurs in Israel Less Than One Tenth: Women Technology Entrepreneurs in Israel To clarify the gender situation of technology entrepreneurship in Israel, we analyzed data relating to 8,668 startups founded between 2010-2021 in which the CEO’s gender was known. An Israel Innovation Authority adaptation of the data retrieved from the IVC database reveals that the ratio of women founding and managing startups stood at 9.4%, representing 819 female CEOs who founded startups.14 When examining startups founded during this period that are still active, (i.e., have not been closed) where the CEO’s gender is known, the ratio of female CEOs increases to 10% - 626 women CEOs out of 6,269 startups founded during the period under discussion. 14 In this document, we will relate to the number of women CEOs as a figure that represents women’s entrepreneurial activity. 90.6% Men 9.4% Women Women Lead Less than 10% of the Startups Founded in the Previous Decade Distribution of private technology companies founded in Israel between 2020-2021, according to the CEO's gender 1 Source: Israel Innovation Authority adaptations of IVC data 7
  • 14. 14 Women in High-Tech 2022 Anexaminationofthistrendoverthecourseofadecaderevealsaslightlymoreencouraging picture: the ratio of women who founded and managed new startups increased each year. In 2010, women comprised only 5.3% of all the CEOs of new startups founded that year – a total of only 27. In 2015, this figure had already risen to 9% of the new companies founded that year with 87 women CEOs leading new startups. Analysis of the data available for 2020 reveals that women serve as the CEO of 12.1% of the startups founded that year (of the companies where the CEO’s gender is known).15 Despite the growth in the ratio of women entrepreneurs serving as CEOs of new startups, the number remains extremely low – less than 100 women CEOs of new companies per year. For example, an examination of the 2019 data reveals that 696 men served as CEOs of new startups founded that year compared to only 99 women CEOs. The partial figures for 2020 indicate 67 women CEOs of new startups founded that year compared to 485 male CEOs. In which sectors do women found and manage startups? The main sector in which Israeli women founded startups during the previous decade was the content and media sector. Of more than 800 startups founded and managed by women in the years 2010-2021, 186 (comprising 27.6% of all the female founders) where in the content and media sector.16 The next most prominent field in which women founded startups is life sciences sector which attracted 146 women (21.7% of the women CEOs who founded and managed startups during this period). The next most popular sector is organizational software and infrastructures (119 women – representing 17.7% of the CEOs). Two thirds of all women who founded and managed startups, manage companies in one of these three sectors (compared to 45% of the male CEOs who manage startups in one of these sectors). Female-led entrepreneurship is therefore focused in a narrow range of sectors compared to startups founded and managed by men, which is characterized by a more extensive sectorial distribution. 15 IVC data on the number of companies opened each year continues to be updated and the known number of companies founded in 2020 is therefore still partial. 16 Information regarding the company’s area of activity is available for 81% of all the companies founded between 2010-2021 in which the CEO’s gender was known. 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% 2010 5.3% 2020 12.1% Women 2015 9% Less Than 100 Startups Founded by Women Each Year: The Ratio of Women Founding and Managing New Startups is Slowly Increasing Ratio of women CEOs of new technology companies founded each year, where the CEO's gender is known 2 8 Source: Israel Innovation Authority adaptations of IVC data
  • 15. 15 Women in High-Tech 2022 27.6% Content and Media 21.7% Life Sciences 17.7% Organizational Software and Infrastructures 11.9% E-commerce and Marketing 7.9% Agricultural Technologies and Food 4.9% Fintech 2.4% 2.2% Cyber 1.3% Industry 4.0 Cleantech and Energy 0.3% Defense Technologies 0.9% Government and Local Authorities 1.3% Smart Transportation The Primary Sectors in Which Women Manage Startups are Content and Media and Life Sciences Distribution of women CEOs, according to the company's area of activity 3 The ratio and number of women choosing to found startups in popular sectors in Israeli high-tech such as cyber and fintech is relatively negligible compared to men. For example, between 2010-2021 women founded and managed less than 50 technology companies in the cyber and fintech sectors, compared to more than 800 companies founded and managed by men. 9 Source: Israel Innovation Authority adaptations of IVC data
  • 16. 16 Women in High-Tech 2022 We also examined the gender distribution of the different technology sectors, checking which sectors had a higher or lower ratio than the industry average of women founders and CEOs which stood, as mentioned above, at 9.4%. The sectors in which the ratio of women managing companies that they founded was higher than the industry average and include life sciences (14.9% of the companies), companies developing technologies for government and local authorities (13%), and content and media companies (12.6% of the companies). In the Agritech and food sector, the ratio of women CEOs is 10.2%. In the remaining sectors, the ratio of women CEOs is less than the industry average: organizational software and infrastructures (9.1% of the companies), fintech (9%), E-commerce and marketing (8.2%), cleantech (6.9%), industry 4.0 (5.2%), smart transportation (4.8%), defense technology (3.2%), and cyber (3%). Less than 5%: Women Raise Less Money – Primarily During Early Stages Raising capital enables startups to make their next quantum leaps – to recruit employees, develop new technologies and products, enter new markets, and to acquire other companies as part of their growth process. The relative share of the“industry’s fuel”that reaches startups led by women is therefore very important and enables their continued development. Examination of funding trends reveals a grim reality: out of 3,636 rounds of investment in Israeli startups between 2018-2021 where the gender of the company CEO was known, only 281 investment rounds (7.7% of the total number) were in startups led by women CEOs,17 according to Innovation Authority adaptations of IVC data. In other words, the ratio of investment in startups led by women (7.7%) is lower than the total ratio of startups founded between 2020-2021 that are led by a woman CEO (9.4%). 17 In which the CEO’s gender is known. In the period examined here, the CEO’s gender can be identified in 80% of the investment rounds. L i f e S c i e n c e s 14.9% 9.4% C o n t e n t & M e d i a 12.6% C l e a n t e c h & E n e r g y 6.9% I n d u s t r y 4 . 0 5.2% S m a r t T r a n s p o r t a t i o n 4.8% D e f e n s e T e c h n o l o g i e s 3.2% C y b e r 3% G o v e r n m e n t & L o c a l A u t h o r i t i e s 13% F i n t e c h 9% O r g a n i z a t i o n a l S o f t w a r e a n d I n f r a s t r u c t u r e s 9.1% E - c o m m e r c e & M a r k e t i n g 8.2% Industry Benchmark Startup Sectors with the Lowest Representation of Women: Industry 4.0, Cyber, Smart Transportation, and Defense Technologies Ratio of women CEOs, of the total CEO's in the sector whose gender is known 10 Source: Israel Innovation Authority adaptations of IVC data
  • 17. 17 Women in High-Tech 2022 An examination of the total capital raised by women reveals a worrisome picture: of the funding rounds where the CEO’s gender and the sum raised are known,18 startups led by women raised 4% of the total investments while those led by men raised 96%. A further expression of the disparity in funding between men and women can be seen in the average and median size of a woman-led startup’s funding round compared to those led by men. The average size of funding rounds conducted by startups led by women between 2018-2021 was 8.7 million dollars compared to an average size of 17.6 million dollars for startups led by male CEOs.The median size of the funding rounds drops dramatically: The average median funding round between 2018-2021 for a startup led by a woman CEO was 1.17 million dollars compared to 3 million dollars for a startup led by a male CEO – a difference of more than 250%. It is important to note that during this period, the average size of funding rounds conducted by startups led by women CEOs increased nearly four-fold from 4.8 million dollars in 2018 to 18.85 million dollars in 2021.19 When examining the change between 2018-2020, women were in a relatively worse situation as the increase in the size of the average funding round stood at only 40% for women compared to 80% for men. There was a similar increase (of approx. 420%) in the scope of the average funding round in startups led by male CEOs, from an average funding round of 8.7 million dollars in 2018 to 36.4 million dollars in 2021. The median size of funding rounds revealed a similar picture. In other words, there is an increase in the funding rounds of startups led by women CEOs but not one that is closing the disparity in relation to the average and median size of funding rounds in male-led companies. One of the explanations for the significant disparity is that most of the funding rounds conducted by startups led by women are in early-stage companies – seed investment and Round A funding – and that the ratio of startups led by women decreases as the funding rounds progress. Nevertheless, even in the early funding rounds, the size of the average and median funding in startups managed by women is lower than that in companies managed by men. For example, in the seed round, the size of the average funding round in startups led by women CEOs is 1.7 million dollars compared to 2.3 million dollars in those led by male CEOs. 18 Data on the size of funding is available for approx. 70% of the funding rounds. This figure does not vary based on the CEO’s gender. 19 It should be noted that the data for 2021 is expected to update during 2022 and that this figure may therefore change. 96% Men 4% Women 5 Only 4% of the Total Capital is Invested in Startups Led by Women Distribution of investments, according to the CEO's gender (2018-2021) 11 Source: Israel Innovation Authority adaptations of IVC data 96% Men 4% Women 5 Only 4% of the Total Capital is Invested in Startups Led by Women Distribution of investments, according to the CEO's gender (2018-2021)
  • 18. 18 Women in High-Tech 2022 Size of Average Funding Round Size of Median Funding Round All Funding Rounds 17.6 8.7 All Funding Rounds 3.06 1.17 Seed 2.3 1.7 Seed 0.25 0.06 The Median Funding Round of Startups Led By Male CEOs is 2.5 Times Larger Than That of Women CEOs Size of average and median investment rounds, according to gender, in millions of dollars (2018-2021) Men Women 6 Out of the total seed funding rounds in companies where the CEO’s gender was known between 2018-2020, an average of 8.2% of the investment transactions each year were in startups led by a woman CEO. However, already in the next funding stage (Round A), this ratio declined to approximately 7%. From Round B onwards, the average yearly ratio of investment transactions in companies managed by women was 6.2% of the total transactions at this stage. In advanced funding rounds (Round D onwards), only a few companies managed by women successfully completed investment rounds. 12 Source: Israel Innovation Authority adaptations of IVC data
  • 19. 19 Women in High-Tech 2022 Men Women 22.1% Up to $1M 7.5% Over $50M 2.5% Over $50M 32% Up to $1M 30% $1-5M 14.3% $5-10M 12.2% $5-10M 26.1% $10-50M 16.8% $10-50M 36.5% $1-5M Approx. 80% of Investment Rounds In Startups Led By Women CEOs Are Of 10 Million Dollars Or Less Distribution according to investment size and gender, in million of dollars (2018-2020) 13 90.8% 9.2% $1-5M 93.4% 6.6% $5-10M 94.9% 5.1% $10-50M 97.3% 2.7% Over $50M 89.2% 10.8% Up to $1M As Funding Rounds Increase - Women's Share Decreases Distribution of investment rounds, according to size and gender (2018-2021) Men Women 8 An examination of the distribution of all investment rounds in startups led by women CEOs reveals that 80% of the transactions between 2018-2021 were of 10 million dollars or less. Among male CEOs, 66% of the transactions were of this size. The investment transactions in male-led startups are therefore distributed over a wider range of transaction sizes while the transactions in which investment was made in women-led startups are concentrated primarily in the lower range of investment round sums. For example, during this period, five investment transactions over 50 million dollars were identified in startups managed by women compared to 180 such transactions in startups led by men. 14 Source: Israel Innovation Authority adaptations of IVC data Source: Israel Innovation Authority adaptations of IVC data
  • 20. 20 Women in High-Tech 2022 Israel Innovation Authority Grants: Less Women Apply but Those That Do Receive Similar Support to Men An examination of the requests submitted by women for grants from the various Innovation Authority incentive programs reveals that the ratio of women submitting such requests is similar to their ratio in the general entrepreneurial field in Israel. For example, in 2020- 2021, requests submitted by women comprised 15% of all grant requests submitted to the Ideation ("Tnufa") Program – a dedicated program for early-stage startups that need to make the transition from idea to ‘Proof of Concept’ (POC). In the incentive programs for startups in more advanced stages, the ratio of requests submitted by women is even lower and reflects a trend similar to that in funding raised by women in more advanced funding stages (also presented in this report). The ratio of female entrepreneurs who apply for a R&D grant aimed at encouraging innovation and developing new technologies in seed stage companies stands at 10% of all grants, while for the grant for financing application of technologies (the Pilots Program), this figure stands at 11% of total requests submitted. Furthermore, our examination reveals a similar ratio of requests submitted by men and women that are approved and receiveAuthority support.In other words,no disparity can be identified in the quality of the requests for support considered by the Innovation Authority. In the Ideation ("Tnufa") Program, the ratio of requests approved out of total requests submitted was 26% for both women and men. In the other programs examined there were 15% 11% 10% Submissions' Ratio Approval Ratio 85% 89% 90% POC Stage (Ideation "Tnufa" Program) 26% 26% R&D Stage (R&D Fund Program) 49% 45% Implementation Stage (Technological Innovation With Government Entities Program) 19% 21% Fewer Women Entrepreneurs Request Grants but the Rate of Approval is Similar for Men and Women Distribution of requests and approvals of Innovation Authority grants, according to gender (2021-2022) Men Women 9 15 Source: Israel Innovation Authority 15% 11% 10% Submissions' Ratio Approval Ratio 85% 89% 90% POC Stage (Ideation "Tnufa" Program) 26% 26% R&D Stage (R&D Fund Program) 49% 45% Implementation Stage (Technological Innovation With Government Entities Program) 19% 21% Fewer Women Entrepreneurs Request Grants but the Rate of Approval is Similar for Men and Women Distribution of requests and approvals of Innovation Authority grants, according to gender (2021-2022) Men Women 9
  • 21. 21 Women in High-Tech 2022 small disparities in request approvals: in grants for startups at the R&D stage, 44.5% of the requests submitted by women entrepreneurs were approved compared to 49.3% of the requests submitted by men, and in the Pilots Program for application of technologies, 19% of the requests submitted by women entrepreneurs were approved compared to 21% of requests submitted by men. In 2019, the Israel Innovation Authority began offering a benefit designated specifically for women entrepreneurs, as part of the R&D Fund (that constitutes the Authority’s primary investment tool and budget activity). This benefit aimed at assisting women raise funding, encouraging women entrepreneurs to submit requests for grants, and help them raise supplementary funding from additional entities. According to the terms of this benefit, womenentrepreneursinR&Dstageswillbeeligibleforsupportof70%-75%oftheapproved development budget, compared to 30%-50% for male entrepreneurs who receive the grant. Moreover, the Authority offers women preferential conditions in other areas such as the Support for Seed Companies Program in which women entrepreneurs can receive a grant of up to 50% of the submitted budget compared to 40% for male entrepreneurs, and in the Authority’s various training programs where a higher financial incentive is awarded for placing women. Between Paris and Zurich: Israel is Lagging Behind Other Countries in Women’s Entrepreneurship Unsurprisingly, women also fare poorly in other focal points of global entrepreneurship. Nevertheless, when comparing Israel to the international entrepreneurial hubs, the data shows that Israel lags behind both in the ratio of women entrepreneurs and in the level of capital that women raise for startups in their early stages. In practice, of the leading entrepreneurial ecosystems in Europe and the US, only in Paris and Amsterdam the ratio of women entrepreneurs is lower than that in Israel (where it stands at 9.4%). In New York, Silicon Valley, Dublin, Barcelona, London, Stockholm, Boston, Madrid, Helsinki, Berlin and Zurich, the ratio of women startup entrepreneurs is higher than in Israel. In the prominent US entrepreneurial ecosystems – to which Israeli innovation aspires – the ratio of women entrepreneurs is higher than in Israel. According to data published by Startup Genome and produced for the Innovation Authority, in Silicon Valley, this figure stands at 12.9%, in Boston 12.8%, and in New York the ratio is even higher, standing at 16.8% of all entrepreneurs. These figures relate to companies founded from 2010 and are based on data retrieved from CrunchBase database. The figures include those defined as company Founders or Co-founders, or CEOs. According to Startup Genome, in the growing European startups scene, women comprise 10.8% of all startup entrepreneurs. The ratio of women entrepreneurs in some of the cities considered leaders of European entrepreneurship are as follows: London (13%), Paris (9%), berlin (10.2%), and Stockholm (12.9%). Despite the gradual increase in the ratio of women entrepreneurs in European startups over the last decade, it still stands at less than 15% each year. The ratio of women entrepreneurs in Europe is similar to the ratio of funding raised by startups founded by women: 10% of the total funding for startups in Europe over the past three years. This ratio remained steady since 2018. Comparisons show that in European cities, the ratio of investment in early-stage startups founded by women is higher than in Israel. For example, in London, Stockholm, and Zurich, the ratio of investment in early-stage startups founded by women is 18%. Even in countries with a lower ratio of women entrepreneurs, the ratio of investment in their startups is higher than in Israel – in Madrid the rate stands at 19%, in Berlin 15%, and in Paris 12%.
  • 22. 22 Women in High-Tech 2022 Source: Startup Genome Ratio of Female Startup Founders Out of All Startups Ratio Of Investments in Early-Stage Startups Founded By Women B a r c e l o n a N e w Y o r k C i t y S i l i c o n V a l l e y H e l s i n k i B e r l i n Z u r i c h I s r a e l P a r i s A m s t e r d a m L o n d o n D u b l i n B o s t o n S t o c k h o l m M a d r i d 16.8% 13.6% 13.5% 13% 12.9% 12.9% 12.8% 9.3% 8% 9% 10.8% 10.2% 10% 12.5% 18% 18% 16% 17% 13% 18% 12% 8% 8% 12% 15% 15% 18% 19% B a r c e l o n a N e w Y o r k C i t y S i l i c o n V a l l e y H e l s i n k i B e r l i n Z u r i c h I s r a e l P a r i s A m s t e r d a m L o n d o n D u b l i n B o s t o n S t o c k h o l m M a d r i d New York, Dublin and Barcelona Have the Highest Ratio of Women Entrepreneurs The ratio of women entrepreneurs and investment in early-stage startups founded by women, in selected cities 10 16
  • 23. 23 Women in High-Tech 2022 Investing in Venture Capital: Only 16% of the firms' Partners are Women Another of the entrepreneurial ecosystem’s significant and influential elements is that of venture capital investors. As those controlling the “flow” of investment, these investors decide which startups will receive funding and therefore contribute significantly to shaping the Israeli startup arena. To a large degree, the funding they provide to startups frequently decides which startups will survive and which will be forced to close or change direction. Furthermore, even after making the investment, venture capital investors still have an influence over the companies’ decision-making processes because, following their investment, main investors will receive a place on the startups’ board thereby influencing their future course. These reasons and others mean that venture capital funds bear significant responsibility for improving the state of gender equality in Israeli high-tech. The makeup of the funds’ human capital and, specifically, the gender of their partners, impact their decisions which, in turn, influence the gender makeup altogether. An examination conducted in the US by Kauffman Fellows Research Center (KFRC) that related to the years 2000-2018,20 revealed that in early-stage investments (seed and A-rounds), women venture capital investors lead twice as many investment rounds in startups that have a gender-diverse team of founders (i.e., that includes a woman entrepreneur) compared to men who lead VC rounds of investment. These investment patterns and the tendency of female investors to invest more in women entrepreneursareconsistentandmanifestedinalltheexaminedstartupsectors.Thereport’s authors therefore emphasized that it is specifically in the early stages of startups that women investors dramatically increase the chance of women entrepreneurs to raise funding from them and thereby gain an opportunity to build successful market-leading companies. The report’s authors estimate that the women investors’personal experience helps them identify problems and needs, and to understand the size of their potential market. An examination conducted by Crunchbase assessed the influence of the gender of the venture capital funds’ founding investors and found that in venture capital funds with a woman founding partner, 28% of the investment rounds between 2016-October 2021 were in startups with at least one female entrepreneur.21 In contrast, in venture capital funds where the founding team consisted solely of men, the ratio of investment in startups with at least one female entrepreneur dropped to 22%. 20 Women VCs Invest in Up to 2x More Female Founders - Kauffman Fellows 21 Female-Founded US Venture Firms On Track To Raise Over $7B In 2021
  • 24. 24 Women in High-Tech 2022 57% of the large large venture capital funds active in Israel have no female partner The Israeli venture capital industry is predominantly controlled by male investors who occupy most of the partner roles – making the decisions about new investments. According to an Innovation Authority assessment conducted with the report’s publication, approximately 57% of the large large venture capital funds active in Israel in recent years failed to appoint a single woman partner. In 31% of the funds, there is at least one female partner. The findings further indicate that only 16.5% of the partners in the funds active in Israel are women – 38 women out of a total of 230 partners in 58 funds examined. It is important to note that these women are partners in all kinds of roles in the fund and do not serve solely as investor partners (i.e., the number includes female partners responsible for managing human resources, legal consultation etc.).22 The assessment was conducted in January 2022 and included a sample of 58 funds. Details of the partners’ gender were retrieved from the funds’ websites. The funds included in the sample were graded in the IVC lists of active funds from 2018-2020 as the funds with the largest investment portfolios as of December 2021 – out of an understanding that these funds have the widest influence on Israeli entrepreneurship. The list includes both Israeli and foreign funds that have local offices in Israel or that have partners responsible for investments in Israel, out of an understanding that the gender of these partners impacts the status of gender equality in the Israeli startup industry. The influence of the funds’ lack of gender diversity is also evident in the portfolio of companies in which they invested. In 39.5% of the funds examined,23 the investment portfolio lacks even a single startup company with a woman CEO. In another 13.2% of the funds, the investment portfolio contains one startup led by a woman. In other words, more than half the large active venture capital funds in Israel have investment portfolios that contain either no startups led by women or only a single such company. Moreover, 97.4% of the funds have an investment portfolio in which the ratio of women CEOs is less than 15% of the portfolio’s CEOs. An examination conducted by ‘Power in Diversity’ that was published in January 2022 revealed similar results according to which 14.8% of the venture capital fund partners in Israel are women – 29 women out of 195 partners examined, following an increase of 3% in the number of women partners in 2021.24 When analyzing the data further, the organization found that only 9% of the partners in investment roles in the sample (that included 70 funds in Israel) are women – a ratio that has remained almost unchanged despite the growth in investment activity. 22 Venture Partners were not sampled or included in this calculation. 23 Full data on the gender of CEOs in funds’ investment portfolios exists for 66% of the funds sampled. 24 Women in Startups Report, Power in Diversity, 2021
  • 25. 25 Women in High-Tech 2022 56.9% 0 female partners 31% 1 female partner 5.2% 2 female partners 6.9% 3+ female partners Only 7% of the VC Funds Have More Than Two Female Partners Distribution of the large VC funds active in Israel, according to the no. of female partners 11 17 18 39% 0% 18% 1-5% 13% 11-15% 26% 6-10% 3% Over 15% Approx. 40% Of VC Funds Didn't Invest In Even 1 Female CEO Distribution of the large VC funds active in Israel, according to the ratio of women CEOs in their portfolio 12 Source: Israel Innovation Authority adaptation of data from VC Funds' websites Source: Israel Innovation Authority adaptation of data from VC Funds' websites 56.9% 0 female partners 31% 1 female partner 5.2% 2 female partners 6.9% 3+ female partners Only 7% of the VC Funds Have More Than Two Female Partners Distribution of the large VC funds active in Israel, according to the no. of female partners 11 39% 0% 18% 1-5% 13% 11-15% 26% 6-10% 3% Over 15% Approx. 40% Of VC Funds Didn't Invest In Even 1 Female CEO Distribution of the large VC funds active in Israel, according to the ratio of women CEOs in their portfolio 12
  • 26. 26 Women in High-Tech 2022 65% of American VC Funds Have No Female Investor Partner According to the VC Human Capital Survey conducted by Deloitte, the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA), and ‘Venture Forward’, 16% of the investor partners in the US in 2020 were women.25 The ratio of female investor partners in the US has slowly increased in recent years: from 11% in 2016, to 14% in 2018, and 16% in the last survey. The 2021 ‘All In’ Report showed similar results.26 Nevertheless, alongside the slow improvement, according to VC Human Capital Survey, 65% of American VC funds still have no female investor partner. In 2018, this figure stood at 68%. In 75% of the investment entities that reported having female investor partners, there is only one such partner. It is important to note that women comprise 45% of the VC funds’ human capital however most of these serve in administrative roles (965 of the employees in these roles are women) and in auxiliary investment roles such as investor relations and public relations. Among all those in investment roles (not just partners), 23% were women. In funds specializing in investment in startups in growth stages, the ratio of women in investment roles is especially low. 25 VC Human Capital Survey, powered by NVCA, Venture Forward, and Deloitte 26 All In: Female Founders in the US VC Ecosystem, 2021. Pitchbook, Beyond the Million, J.P.Morgan 25% 10% 2+ female partners 1 female partner No female partner 65% Only 10% of American VC Funds Have at Least Two Female Partners Distribution of American VC funds, according to the no. of their female partners (2020) 13 19 Source: VC Human Capital Survey, powered by NVCA, Venture Forward, and Deloitte 19
  • 27. 27 Women in High-Tech 2022 An encouraging sign noted by the report’s authors was that women comprised 33% of those in junior investment roles, a ratio that is gradually increasing. This would suggest that, in the future, more women with relevant experience will be able to progress to partner positions. Another encouraging process over the past decade is related to the increase in activity of private female angels investing in early-stage startups. According to the 2021 ‘All In’ Report, the number of female angels in the US rose from less than 100 in 2010 to nearly 1,000 today (895 according to 2021 data). The report’s authors attribute the growth in the number of female angels since 2018 to the #MeToo Movementwhichtheyclaimalsoincreasedthefemaleangels’tendencytoinvestinwomen entrepreneurs. In 2021, nearly 30% of the female angels’ investments were designated for startups founded by women – a continuation of an upward trend that began in 2017 (when this figure stood at 20%). There is no official information in Israel about female angels’ investments in startups, among others because these are private investments by individuals under no obligation to reveal information about their investment activity, but their number is estimated to be relatively small. of the funds' employees of the investor partners of those in all investment roles of junior investment employees 16% 33% 23% 45% In the US, 45% of VC Fund Employees Are Women - But Only 16% Of The Partners 14 of the funds' employees of the investor partners of those in all investment roles of junior investment employees 16% 33% 23% 45% In the US, 45% of VC Fund Employees Are Women - But Only 16% Of The Partners 14 20 Source: VC Human Capital Survey, powered by NVCA, Venture Forward, and Deloitte
  • 28. Women in High-Tech 2022 28 Summary and Recommendations What Can Be Done to Improve Gender Equality in Israeli High-Tech? In this report, we have presented an up-to-date situation report describing the representation of women at different stages pertaining to their employment in the Israeli innovation ecosystem. A wide range of reasons leads to a low number of women in high- tech, from social paving young women not to choose these subjects in academic studies, the difficulty of women high-tech professions to build a career alongside a family, and a lack of role models.27 In the field of entrepreneurship, where we saw that less than 10% of startups’ CEOs are women, the problems only intensify. Women report disparities related to the male work environment and bias of male investors, a lack of women in decision making positions, and a networking gap that negatively impacts women.28 Nevertheless what can be done ToimprovethelevelofgenderequalityinIsraelihigh-tech,effortmustbemadeateachofthe stages surveyed in this report (and in other areas that, for lack of space, were not included). An interdepartmental government team is presently formulating recommendations for addressing the problem of human resources in the high-tech industry and to increase its number of employees. This team is addressing a significant portion of the issues presented in this report and will submit its conclusions and recommendations later this year. Below are some preliminary directions of action that stem from the conclusions and insights presented in this report: Encouraging young women to choose mathematics, technology, and science studies in high school. Increasing the number of women serving in core technology roles in the military, including development and cyber. Increasing the number of women in academic study courses relevant for integrating into the high-tech industry. Focusing government attention on employing women in high-tech training programs. Increasing the number of senior women staff members in academic departments relevant to high-tech professions. Operating programs to reduce unconscious gender bias in the variety of entities involved in the field and in the designated training programs. Promoting supportive regulation in the labor market that will ease the integration of women, especially mothers, into high-tech. Promoting women to executive positions – from junior management. Maximizing women’s entrepreneurial potential for those interested in this direction. Expanding the Innovation Authority’s efforts to encourage women to apply for the various investment avenues. Appointing women to partner roles in venture capital funds. 27 Women in Tech Survey 2020: Challenges and Opportunities for Increasing Women’s High-Tech Employment, Woman in High-Tech and Scale Up Velocity 28 Women in Scientific and Technological Entrepreneurship, Samuel Neaman Institute, September 2019.