HiCenter Ventures

HiCenter Ventures is a municipal investment fund and accelerator established in 2008 in Haifa, Israel, at the initiative of the Haifa Economic Corporation and the Haifa Municipality, with support from the Israel Innovation Authority. The fund is fully owned by the Economic Company of Haifa Ltd, which is wholly owned by the municipality, and is led by CEO Lior Hanuka, who brings over 20 years of experience in investments and venture capital. HiCenter's mission is to accelerate the entrepreneurial and technological ecosystem in Haifa by connecting early-stage deep tech, BlueTech, and DefenseTech startups with public and private capital. Since 2020, HiCenter has invested in over 100 technology startups that have collectively raised more than NIS 1 billion (approximately $300 million) in additional capital. In 2025 alone, HiCenter invested in 24 startups (19 new and 5 follow-on), and portfolio companies raised approximately $90 million. The fund provides selected companies with a direct investment of NIS 300,000 through Phantom Units, with an option for an additional NIS 100,000. Portfolio companies include BioFishency (aquaculture technology), FVMat (aerospace and defense), and GoTrack (logistics). Nine maritime-related companies received support in 2025 as part of the Blue Economy initiative. Beyond direct investment, HiCenter operates HiFund, an investment platform connecting approximately 1,200 private angel investors with Haifa-based startups, and runs an Angel Investors Training Course in collaboration with the Technion. The fund also manages HiCenter Power Computing, a national High-Performance Computing and AI services initiative. HiCenter focuses on post-proof-of-concept ventures with proven innovative technology and strong interdisciplinary founding teams, and plans to expand its mandate into defense-related technologies.