Fifteen Israeli-born or Israeli-connected entrepreneurs with documented Texas businesses across Dallas real estate, Houston restaurants and Austin technology.
Fifteen Israeli-born or Israeli-connected entrepreneurs have documented business operations in Texas, spanning Dallas real estate, Houston restaurants, and Austin technology and automotive companies. According to the Texas Economic Development Corporation, Israeli companies completed 33 foreign direct investment projects in Texas from January 2011 to December 2023, representing about $2.69 billion in capital investment and nearly 5,000 jobs.
Last updated: December 23, 2026
How strong is the Israeli business presence in Texas?
The Israeli business presence in Texas is measurable and spread across several industries. While Florida draws attention for luxury condominiums, hotels and hospitality, Texas offers a different mix of commercial property, energy, manufacturing, technology and restaurant development.
Austin has become especially attractive to Israeli technology founders. Dallas offers opportunities in real estate investment and financial services, and Houston combines energy, international commerce and a large hospitality market.
The entrepreneurs behind these businesses are not all technology founders. Some have spent decades acquiring American commercial properties, and others have built restaurants that are recognized parts of their cities' dining scenes. Several run companies with customers far beyond Texas and use the state as a headquarters, operating base or investment market.
1. Moshe Azoulay: From El Paso Denim to Dallas Real Estate
Moshe Azoulay, founder of Skyrise Properties, is a Haifa-born entrepreneur who moved from garment manufacturing into Texas commercial real estate. After immigrating to the United States, he settled in El Paso and built American Garment Finishers Corporation, a denim-finishing operation that specialized in the processes used to produce stonewashed jeans.
He began investing in Dallas-area real estate in the early 1980s. In 2000, he established Skyrise Properties with his daughter, Leora Azoulay Short, and the business became the foundation of the family's commercial property investments. According to Skyrise Properties, he is also the majority owner of RF Code, an Austin-based technology company.
His career shows how wealth created in an operating business can fund a diversified portfolio across real estate and technology.
2. Leora Azoulay Short: Managing Skyrise Properties
Leora Azoulay Short is managing partner of Skyrise Properties and helps lead Azoulay Investments, the Azoulay family's commercial real estate business in Dallas. The family business owns and manages commercial real estate in Texas and other markets, and her role includes overseeing investments, property operations and development.
Commercial property investors must weigh acquisition prices, rental income, financing costs, tenant demand and long-term asset values. Successful operators usually build portfolios over decades, and Skyrise shows how an Israeli-founded family business can establish a lasting presence in American real estate.
3. Yehuda Goldman: Co-Founder of GSI Investments
Yehuda Goldman is the Israeli-born co-founder of GSI Investments, a Dallas-Fort Worth multifamily real estate investment and management company founded in 2009. He grew up between Israel and the United States, and after moving to Dallas in 2006 he began managing a multifamily residential property.
That work introduced him to the operating side of American real estate, and he later studied business real estate at the University of Texas at Arlington. In 2009, he co-founded GSI Investments with Naor Shimon to connect investment capital with residential property opportunities, particularly in Texas.
Multifamily investing involves occupancy, maintenance, operating expenses, financing and eventual asset sales. Goldman's hands-on property management experience became part of the company's investment approach.
4. Naor Shimon: Lawyer Turned Property Investor
Naor Shimon is an Israeli-born lawyer and co-founder of GSI Investments, the Dallas-Fort Worth real estate investment and capital management company founded in 2009. He studied law and economics at Bar-Ilan University and worked in the investment industry in Israel, with experience in capital markets, financial analysis and investment risk.
In 2009, he partnered with Yehuda Goldman to launch GSI. The company pairs Goldman's property operating experience with Shimon's financial and legal background. One partner identifies and operates assets, while the other focuses on capital raising, financial structures and investor relationships, a division that helps when attracting international investors to American real estate.
5. Itai Ben Eli: Co-Founder of Houston's Sof Hospitality
Itai Ben Eli is an Israeli-born restaurateur who helped establish Sof Hospitality Group, which runs Doris Metropolitan, Hamsa, Badolina and Októ in Houston. The group began with the upscale steakhouse Doris Metropolitan, which opened in Houston in 2017, and later added Badolina Bakery & Café and Hamsa, a contemporary Israeli restaurant.
In 2024, Sof Hospitality opened Októ, a Mediterranean restaurant in Houston's Montrose neighborhood. Each concept targets a different occasion: Doris Metropolitan offers premium steaks and service, Badolina serves bakery items and casual meals, Hamsa focuses on Israeli-inspired shared dishes, and Októ pairs Mediterranean food with a bar-oriented experience.
Ben Eli and business partner Itamar Levy were named semifinalists for a James Beard Foundation Outstanding Restaurateur award in 2024. The group shows how a restaurant company can grow by building complementary brands rather than copying one successful concept.
6. Itamar Levy: Co-Founder of Sof Hospitality
Itamar Levy is a co-founder of Sof Hospitality Group and a business partner of Itai Ben Eli, with a Houston portfolio that includes Doris Metropolitan, Hamsa, Badolina and Októ. Houston has a large and diverse customer base, but restaurant competition is intense, and operators must manage labor, food costs, leases and customer expectations.
Sof Hospitality has pursued differentiation through distinct restaurant identities. Rather than relying only on Israeli cuisine, the group operates concepts spanning steakhouse dining, Mediterranean restaurants and bakery products, so one team's operating expertise reaches several kinds of customers.
7. Sash Kurgan: Culinary Partner Behind Hamsa
Sash Kurgan is an Israeli-born chef and restaurant entrepreneur associated with Houston's modern Israeli dining scene. The Houston Chronicle identified Kurgan, alongside Itai Ben Eli and Itamar Levy, as part of the team behind Hamsa, which opened in Rice Village in May 2022.
The menu offered contemporary versions of Israeli and Middle Eastern dishes, including salatim, grilled meats, vegetables and fresh breads. Hamsa competes in Houston's wider premium dining market rather than serving only Israelis living in the city.
Kurgan's role is best understood as part of Hamsa's founding culinary partnership, not as evidence of ownership in every Sof Hospitality venture.
8. Micha Breakstone: Connecting Austin and Tel Aviv
Micha Breakstone is an Israeli serial entrepreneur based in Austin who co-founded Chorus.ai, which ZoomInfo acquired in 2021 for approximately $575 million. Chorus.ai developed technology for analyzing business conversations.
He later founded Somite AI, now called Cellular Intelligence, which develops AI-based approaches to cell therapy research. That biotechnology venture operates beyond Texas, so its whole business should not be described as Texas-based.
Breakstone has also worked to connect Israeli founders with Austin's technology community. In January 2025, CTech reported that about 40 Israeli entrepreneurs were taking part in an emerging Austin founder network, and he helped establish the TLV-ATX Founders Club linking entrepreneurs in Tel Aviv and Austin.
9. Or Yochanan: Real Estate and Technology in Austin
Or Yochanan is an Israeli entrepreneur who runs Austin Connections, a residential real estate service, and is developing Edgent, a technology business for real estate professionals. A Technion graduate, he previously worked at companies including Amazon, Qualcomm and Armis.
Austin Connections helps clients with property purchases and relocation, and the business has particular experience serving people moving from Israel to Texas. His career shows how software experience can improve workflows in established service industries such as residential property.
10. Daniel Barel: REE Automotive's Pflugerville Base
Daniel Barel co-founded REE Automotive, an Israeli company that develops modular electric vehicle platforms for commercial electric vehicles. In 2022, REE announced plans for its first American headquarters in Pflugerville, a suburb of Austin, covering approximately 120,000 square feet.
The project was a notable example of Israeli automotive technology expanding into Texas through a physical operating facility rather than a sales office. Texas has drawn substantial investment in electric vehicles, battery technology and advanced manufacturing.
The announced 2022 project should not be treated as proof of REE's current employment or operating scale without updated company disclosures.
11. David Wiessman: The Businessman Behind Alon USA Energy
David Wiessman is an Israeli businessman associated with Alon USA Energy, a Dallas-headquartered refining, fuel distribution and convenience-store company with a large Texas operating presence. In 2017, Alon USA merged with Delek US Holdings, a transaction that changed the company's ownership structure.
His story shows that Israeli entrepreneurship in Texas predates the recent growth of Austin's technology sector. Energy businesses require substantial capital, infrastructure and regulatory expertise, and Alon USA operated in an established industrial sector rather than the startup market.
12. Alex Ackerman: Co-Founder of Quali
Alex Ackerman co-founded Quali in 2004, an Israeli software company that automates and manages complex computing environments. Quali opened an Austin office in 2018, and in January 2021 it announced a $54 million funding round and named Austin its North American headquarters.
The company serves enterprise customers managing cloud infrastructure and software development environments. Ackerman is included as a founder of a company with a later Texas expansion, not as a claim that he personally led every part of the Austin operation.
13. Moshe Moskovitch: Co-Founder of Quali
Moshe Moskovitch co-founded Quali with Alex Ackerman, building tools that simplify the management of complex computing systems for businesses using cloud platforms and automated software deployment. Quali's Austin expansion gave an Israeli-founded company an American headquarters.
In its 2021 funding announcement, Quali reported enterprise customers including Dell, Microsoft, Cisco and Verizon. Those historical references do not establish the status of every relationship in 2026.
14. Lily Saad: Austin Real Estate Investor
Lily Saad is an Israeli-born entrepreneur who runs a family real estate investment business in Austin with her husband, Yigal Saad. She grew up in Israel, lived in several countries and relocated to Austin in 1990, according to her Israeli-American Council biography.
The couple belong to an earlier generation of Israeli-connected investors who entered the Texas market decades before the recent technology migration. Austin's population growth and business expansion have created opportunities for property investors, though interest rates, construction costs and local conditions also create risk.
15. Yigal Saad: Austin Real Estate Investor
Yigal Saad operates a family real estate investment business in Austin with Lily Saad, and the couple established their Austin presence in 1990. Their business predates the arrival of Israeli venture-backed startups, a reminder that Austin's Israeli business community also includes longstanding entrepreneurs in property, services and other established industries.
Public information about the Saads' specific holdings and financial scale is limited, so their portfolio should not be given an unsupported valuation.
How do the 15 entrepreneurs compare?
The 15 entrepreneurs split across real estate, restaurants, technology, automotive and energy, as the table shows.
| Entrepreneur | Company | Texas market | Industry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moshe Azoulay | Skyrise Properties | Dallas / El Paso | Real estate, manufacturing |
| Leora Azoulay Short | Skyrise Properties | Dallas | Commercial real estate |
| Yehuda Goldman | GSI Investments | Dallas | Multifamily real estate |
| Naor Shimon | GSI Investments | Dallas | Real estate investment |
| Itai Ben Eli | Sof Hospitality | Houston | Restaurants |
| Itamar Levy | Sof Hospitality | Houston | Restaurants |
| Sash Kurgan | Hamsa / hospitality ventures | Houston | Restaurants |
| Micha Breakstone | Chorus.ai / Cellular Intelligence | Austin | AI and biotechnology |
| Or Yochanan | Austin Connections / Edgent | Austin | Real estate, technology |
| Daniel Barel | REE Automotive | Pflugerville | Automotive technology |
| David Wiessman | Alon USA Energy | Dallas | Energy |
| Alex Ackerman | Quali | Austin | Enterprise software |
| Moshe Moskovitch | Quali | Austin | Enterprise software |
| Lily Saad | Family investment business | Austin | Real estate |
| Yigal Saad | Family investment business | Austin | Real estate |
For related coverage, see Olam's pages on Israeli founders and companies, cross-border real estate and Israeli venture capital and exits.
Why are Israeli entrepreneurs choosing Texas?
Israeli entrepreneurs choose Texas because each major city offers a different business advantage: technology in Austin, real estate in Dallas, and hospitality and energy in Houston.
Why Austin?
Austin attracts Israeli founders with its startup community, engineering talent and ties to large technology companies. The presence of other Israeli founders also eases market entry through professional networks, referrals and investor access.
Why Dallas?
Dallas-Fort Worth offers opportunities in commercial property, multifamily housing and business services. Moshe Azoulay, Yehuda Goldman and Naor Shimon have each built businesses in these sectors, supported by the region's large economy.
Why Houston?
Houston combines a large energy economy with a diverse restaurant and hospitality market. The founders of Sof Hospitality show how Israeli entrepreneurs can build recognizable restaurant businesses there, while the historical Alon USA business shows the industrial side of Israeli investment.
How much Israeli investment has Texas attracted?
The Texas Economic Development Corporation reports 33 Israeli investment projects and about $2.687 billion in capital investment in Texas from January 2011 through December 2023. The table lists the reported figures.
| Measure | Reported figure |
|---|---|
| Investment projects | 33 |
| Capital investment | $2.687 billion |
| Jobs created | 4,957 |
| Investing companies | 27 |
These figures cover a defined historical period and are not a complete total through 2026. They also exclude many businesses owned by Israeli-born American entrepreneurs, since private property investments, small businesses and some domestic transactions may fall outside foreign direct investment data.
Frequently asked questions
Which Israeli entrepreneurs own businesses in Dallas?
Examples include Moshe Azoulay and Leora Azoulay Short of Skyrise Properties, along with Yehuda Goldman and Naor Shimon of GSI Investments.
Are Israeli technology founders moving to Austin?
Yes. Austin has attracted Israeli technology founders and companies. Micha Breakstone is one example, and Israeli-founded companies including Quali and REE Automotive have established Texas operations.
Which Israeli entrepreneurs own restaurants in Houston?
Itai Ben Eli and Itamar Levy co-founded Sof Hospitality Group, which developed restaurants including Doris Metropolitan, Hamsa, Badolina and Októ.
Which Israeli entrepreneur sold a company for $575 million?
Micha Breakstone co-founded Chorus.ai, which ZoomInfo acquired for approximately $575 million in 2021.
Are Israeli companies investing in Texas energy?
Yes. Alon USA Energy, historically associated with Israeli businessman David Wiessman, became an established participant in the American energy market before its merger with Delek US Holdings.
Are there Israeli real estate investors in Austin?
Yes. Lily and Yigal Saad have operated a real estate investment business in Austin, and other Israeli entrepreneurs work in residential property services and technology.
How much Israeli investment has Texas received?
Texas economic development figures show approximately $2.69 billion in Israeli capital investment from January 2011 through December 2023.
What does the Israeli business story in Texas show?
The Israeli business story in Texas shows that Israeli entrepreneurship in the United States extends beyond Silicon Valley, New York and Miami. Dallas draws real estate investors and financial entrepreneurs, Houston offers hospitality, energy and industrial businesses, and Austin is a growing destination for Israeli technology founders.
The entrepreneurs profiled here represent different generations and business models. Some built their companies decades ago, while others are part of the recent expansion of Israeli technology businesses into the American market.
Primary sources
- Texas Economic Development Corporation, Israel Investment in Texas.
- Calcalist / CTech, Why Israeli Investors Are Flocking to Austin, January 30, 2025.
- Globes, Shalom, Techsas.
- Skyrise Properties, official management biographies.
- GSI Investments, management biographies.
- Sof Hospitality, company background.
- Eater Houston, New Middle Eastern Restaurant Offers a Taste of Tel Aviv, May 17, 2022.
- Eater Houston, Októ Opens in Montrose, September 2024.
- Micha Breakstone, founder biography.
- Or Yochanan, business biography.
- Austin Business Journal, REE Automotive Selects Pflugerville, March 2022.
- YTexas, Quali Raises $54 Million and Establishes Austin Headquarters, January 2021.
- Israeli-American Council, Lily Saad biography.
This article includes individual co-founders of shared businesses, historical Texas operations and entrepreneurs whose companies operate nationally or internationally. It does not claim that all 15 own separate Texas-headquartered companies. Historical investments and announced projects are distinguished from verified ongoing operations.
How we report: Olam stories draw on public filings, company disclosures and named sources, checked by our editors. Read our methodology · Corrections
