Prolific is proud to be at the center of a growing international story—one that bridges global innovation with Midwest opportunity. The Indianapolis Business Journal recently highlighted our Chairman and CEO, Brad Benbow, and JDA Worldwide President, Johnnie Moore, for their leadership in forging a new relationship between Indiana’s business community and Israeli startups through a strategic partnership with the venture fund Iron Nation.
As the IBJ story explains, Iron Nation was created in the immediate aftermath of the October 7 attacks on Israel to support the country’s resilient tech ecosystem. The first fund raised $20 million to invest in promising Israeli startups across the health, tech, software, and medical sectors. Iron Nation is raising a second fund—targeting $100 million—and Indiana is poised to play a key role in that growth.
Brad Benbow saw a powerful alignment between Indiana’s business strengths and Israel’s entrepreneurial energy. “Indiana and Israel are similar in size and complementary in sectors like technology, ag-tech, and life sciences,” Benbow told the IBJ. “For Israeli startups looking to expand into the U.S., Indiana is an obvious fit.”
Prolific’s strategic interest in Iron Nation is more than financial. It’s part of a broader mission to support bold, values-aligned companies that solve meaningful problems at scale. This mission is shared by Johnnie Moore, who helped spark the relationship with Iron Nation’s managing partners during a trip to Israel. “It was a clear alignment of missions,” said Iron Nation co-founder Gil Friedlander. “Johnnie brought purpose to the partnership—which made it more than just business.”
The article underscores a broader opportunity: Israeli founders increasingly look beyond traditional U.S. tech hubs. As Iron Nation leaders toured Indiana and met with stakeholders like Elevate Ventures, IEDC, and the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, they recognized the state’s thriving innovation ecosystem, business-friendly culture, and global potential.
Prolific is proud to serve as a bridge—connecting capital, strategy, and opportunity between Israel and Indiana. We believe this is just the beginning of a powerful pipeline of innovation that flows both ways, and we’re honored the IBJ chose to highlight this unfolding story.
Read the full article on IBJ →
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Prolific combines the best traits of a consulting firm, marketing agency, and capital provider, helping unlock opportunities and maximize growth for emerging brands. To learn more, visit prolifichq.com and LinkedIn.
