Ahead of Jerusalem Day, new data indicates a clear growth trend in the biotechnology sector in Israel’s capital. Currently, around 150 biotech companies operate in Jerusalem, having collectively raised an impressive total of approximately $1.7 billion—representing about 33% of all high-tech investments in the city.

In recent years, biotech has become a strategic growth engine in Jerusalem’s high-tech economy, significantly contributing to employment, innovation, and foreign investment. The sector employs around 2,000 people, many of them professionals in medicine, research, and development. About 50 of the currently active companies (33%) were founded within the last five years—a clear indication of the sector’s acceleration.

Jerusalem’s biotech ecosystem is anchored by some of Israel’s leading research institutions and medical centers, including the Hebrew University, Hadassah Hospital, Shaare Zedek, and ALYN. This infrastructure is further supported by the Jerusalem Municipality, the Jerusalem Development Authority, and entrepreneurship centers that promote innovation throughout the city. Additional financial incentives help attract entrepreneurs and investors from Israel and abroad.

The scientific and clinical network operating in Jerusalem provides fertile ground for the growth of groundbreaking biotech companies, including Brainsway, which leads non-invasive treatments for mental health disorders such as depression and addiction through deep brain magnetic stimulation. BrainQ Technologies combines artificial intelligence technologies for the neurological rehabilitation of patients following brain injuries. Centarix Biotech is developing tools for precise diagnosis of biological aging processes—a key area in the era of personalized medicine. Another Jerusalem-based company, Alpha Tau Medical, has achieved a global breakthrough with an alpha radiation technology developed in the city, used for targeted treatment of resistant cancerous tumors.

Ayala Londner, Director of Business Development at the Jerusalem Development Authority: “Jerusalem offers unique advantages for biotech companies—from strategic proximity to world-leading research institutions, to advanced infrastructure and incentives, all the way to a clear vision of global impact. We view biotech as a significant growth engine for the city—economically, socially, and in terms of public health—with real potential to improve the quality of life for millions in Israel and around the world.”

As part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen its position as a leading biotech hub, Jerusalem will host the MinDstart Hackathon in early June—an international medical hackathon taking place in Israel for the first time. Over the course of 72 hours, approximately 240 participants—including researchers, doctors, students, entrepreneurs, and developers from Israel and abroad—will gather in the city to develop innovative solutions to urgent medical challenges.

The event is an initiative of the company MinDset, in collaboration with the Jerusalem Municipality, the Jerusalem Development Authority, the Israel Medical Association, and medical faculties from across the country. Among the participating and supporting institutions are medical centers such as Ichilov, Hadassah, Assuta Ashdod, and the Northern Medical Center, alongside industry partners like Teva, I-Next, and Ilanot.

The hackathon represents another step in strengthening Jerusalem’s status as a leading biotech city, promoting cross-sector collaboration, scientific innovation, and the advancement of solutions that could shape the future of medicine in Israel and globally.