Three surprising tech and work hubs in Jerusalem

In recent years, Jerusalem has seen an influx of high-tech companies. In fact, the industry has come to define certain areas of the city. This is especially true for Har Hotzfim, home to Intel and Mobileye and dozens of others; and the JVP Quarter near Baka and The First Station complex, home to OurCrowd and others. And since it opened downtown in 2017, WeWork has spurred yet another hub of startup entrepreneurs and professionals. While these may be the most well-known landmarks of Jerusalem’s high tech scene, the city is home to a surprising number of other creative tech and co-working hubs.  One of the most interesting locations is BotanicHub at the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens. This is an outdoor space shaded by trees and situated along a small creek where professionals, entrepreneurs and students can work at spacious wooden desks. This work hub is just one part of Hubitus, a non-profit working toward urban sustainability in the city. Another unexpected place of tech innovation is in the Talpiot neighorhood’s industrial zone, where the PICO complex buzzes with high tech entrepreneurs. But it’s not just a work space. PICO regularly brings together tech leaders, and hosts meetups for writers, social activists and others. In addition, there are programs for children, where they learn about business, robotics, outer space and more. It is also home to the venture capital firm PICO Partners, co-founded by serial entrepreneur Elie Wurtman, who also founded the PICO workspace and kids programs. PICO Partners now invests in early stage startups and has offices in Tel Aviv and New York, in addition to its home base in Talpiot. The upper floors of Jerusalem’s Central Bus Station, home to Urban Place, has also emerged as one of the fastest-growing work spaces popular with high tech and other entrepreneurs. The popular co-working space, home to many startups, has recently expanded its space by more than 50%, and will provide office space for the Israeli home of Israeli-American startup Triple Whale, which provides services to e-commerce businesses. Like the Botanical Gardens and Talpiot, the city’s bus station is not usually associated with business and high tech. But all of these places reflect the growing presence of the tech economy, and show how it’s reshaping the city. All of these spaces often offer networking and other events, so are definitely worth being in touch with for those who want to learn more about Jerusalem’s entrepreneurial side.