Reflecting the close ties between the India–Israel startup ecosystems, the Consulate General of India in San Francisco and the Consulate General of Israel to the Pacific Northwest, in partnership with @VentureDock, organized the 'India–Israel AI–Cybersecurity Connect' in Palo Alto.

The event brought together over 130 AI and cybersecurity startup founders, venture capitalists, and industry leaders for insightful discussions on the future of cybersecurity in the age of AI.

Consul General Dr. K. Srikar Reddy elucidated the burgeoning ties between the India–Israel innovation ecosystems and briefed participants on the progress and preparations for the AI Impact Summit at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.

Consul General Amb. Marco Sermoneta highlighted key milestones in the India–Israel partnership, as well as the growing collaboration in the run-up to the AI Impact Summit in India.

An inspiring keynote address by Shri Jay Chaudhry, CEO of Zscaler, underscored the various facets and challenges of building a cybersecurity startup, enriched with anecdotes from his entrepreneurial journey.

An insightful panel featuring Gadi Bashvitz, CEO of Bright Security; Glen Chisholm, Partner at SYN Ventures; Debanjan Saha, CEO and Founder of DataRobot;Alice Shaff, Co-founder and CEO of Gator Security; and Guru Chahal, Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, moderated by Raj Judge, EVP of Corporate Strategy at Zscaler, delivered a compelling examination of the seismic shifts redefining the cybersecurity landscape in the era of agentic AI. A fireside chat featuring Oren Zeev, Founding Partner of Zeev Ventures, and moderated by Gopi Rangan, Founding Partner at Sure Ventures, offered valuable inroads into the mindset of VCs, while also highlighting the growing partnership between Indian and Israeli founders.