Rise, a physical and virtual global community for fintech innovation, is to launch in Tel Aviv in March 2016; new site will host the country's first cohort of the Barclays Accelerator, powered by Techstars

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Following its global launch in New York in July, Barclays has today announced plans to bring Rise to Israel. Rise is a network of physical spaces and a virtual global community designed to pioneer the future of financial technology (fintech). The new site, which will open its doors in Tel Aviv in March 2016, follows the already opened London, Manchester and New York Rise hubs and the recently announced Cape Town location.

Rise Tel Aviv will provide a physical site for innovative fintech companies, offering a co-working environment, world class event spaces and meeting rooms. The new site, located on Ehad Ha'am Street, will also house Israel's first Barclays Accelerator, a 13-week programme for fintech and cyber security startups, run in partnership with Techstars.

'At Barclays we are actively embracing the opportunities and expertise of the startup ecosystem. With Rise and our Accelerator programme we are able to help translate emerging technologies into what could be the future of financial services. We're excited about the prospect of tapping into Tel Aviv's hot-bed of innovation, connecting some of the world's most active innovators.' said Derek White, Barclays Chief Design and Digital Officer.

'As the leading investment bank in Israel, we are extremely happy about launching Rise in Israel,' said Len Rosen, Barclays Israel's CEO. 'We are highly focused on the Israeli technology investment banking opportunity, and Rise will give us the opportunity to leverage our relationships and experience to contribute to the growth of early stage fintech and cyber companies and to expand the Israeli technology ecosystem.'

The Barclays Accelerator in Tel Aviv will provide 10 companies focused on fintech and cyber security innovation with the opportunity to participate in intensive networking, mentoring and development, with the option of spending part of the programme at other Barclays Accelerator global sites. Two prior cohorts have completed the programme in London, with a further one currently underway in New York.

Greg Rogers, Executive Director, Techstars said: 'This Tel Aviv programme represents a milestone for us. Not only does it connect our partnership with Barclays across four continents, it is also the launch of Techstars in Israel. We are pleased to announce Liron Rose, a successful Israeli entrepreneur and investor, as Managing Director.'

Entrepreneurs and startup companies from around the world can apply for the Barclays Accelerator programme in Tel Aviv now at www.barclaysaccelerator.com. Applications will close on 2 January 2016 with the programme beginning in March 2016. An external demo day, where the companies will be able to showcase their fintech and cyber security innovations, is scheduled for June 2016.

Notes to editors

About Techstars

Techstars is a global ecosystem that empowers entrepreneurs to bring new technologies to market wherever they choose to live. With dozens of mentorship-driven accelerator programs and thousands of community programs worldwide, Techstars exists to support the world's most promising entrepreneurs throughout their lifelong journey, from inspiration to IPO. Techstars provides access to tens of thousands of community leaders, founders, mentors, investors, and corporate partners, allowing entrepreneurs to accelerate the pace of innovation and Do More Faster™. Techstars supports every stage of the entrepreneurial journey - from early stage grassroots community development to more formal opportunities that provide education, experience, acceleration, funding and beyond.

About Barclays

Barclays is an international financial services provider engaged in personal, corporate and investment banking, credit cards and wealth management with an extensive presence in Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia. Barclays' purpose is to help people achieve their ambitions - in the right way.

With 325 years of history and expertise in banking, Barclays operates in over 50 countries and employs over 130,000 people. Barclays moves, lends, invests and protects money for customers and clients worldwide.

For further information about Barclays, please visit our website www.barclays.com.

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