News and Insights
The Relocation Dilemma: Is it Time to Move Your Israeli Company’s HQ to the U.S.?
February 23, 2026
Don’t spend your energy trying to rewrite your history. Spend it proving why your solution is the one the market needs.
Ellie Hanson, Partner
Israel is a global powerhouse of health innovation, but the bridge to the U.S. market feels more precarious than it did just two years ago.
As health communications professionals advising Israeli companies, we’re hearing the following questions more frequently than ever: “What city should we list on our press release?” “Should our CEO relocate?” “Is our Israeli identity now a commercial liability?”
The anxiety is real. Between the reemergence of the BDS movement and the complex post-October 7th climate, founders worry that their “Made in Israel” DNA has shifted from a badge of honor to a potential hurdle. We’ve all heard the stories: the term sheet canceled on October 8th, and the collaboration talks that suddenly went cold.
However, before you pack your bags and update your ‘Contact Us’ page, let’s take a closer look at the U.S. health market and how to navigate it with clarity.
The “Disguise” Strategy vs. Commercial Presence
First, a reality check: You cannot hide your DNA. In a world of deep due diligence, a 30-second Google or AI search reveals your R&D roots and leadership history. It doesn’t matter if you move your headquarters from Tel Aviv to Boston or San Francisco. Evasiveness breeds distrust, which is the last thing you want with an investor or a clinical partner.
However, do not confuse transparency with inactivity. Opening a U.S. office or hiring local U.S.-based specialists isn’t “faking it,” it’s smart business. A local presence tells partners you are serious about the U.S. regulatory and reimbursement landscape. But don’t expect a Delaware P.O. Box or a U.S. presence alone to negate the political noise. A move should be a decisive strategic expansion, not a defensive retreat from your identity.
The Power of the Unmet Need
How do you move past geopolitical bias? By leaning into the one thing the healthcare industry prioritizes above all else: Solving the problem.
The U.S. health ecosystem, including patients, providers, payers, pharma, and policymakers, is hungry for the best outcomes possible. When your technology eases a clinician’s burden, cuts costs, and delivers life-changing results, geography becomes a secondary detail.
Clinical value is the ultimate antidote to skepticism. When your technology solves an urgent medical or economic challenge, it transforms from a ‘foreign option’ into a non-negotiable necessity.
Four Keys for Communication
If you are an Israeli founder navigating the U.S. right now, try focusing your messaging on these four areas:
- Lead with the Clinical Gap, Not the Story: Don’t start with your biography. Start with the patient. Outline the specific gap in care and the economic burden on the system. By framing your company as a value-driven entity dedicated to health outcomes and system efficiency, you move the conversation from “where you are from” to “what you can do.”
- Let the Science be the Diplomat: Data doesn’t have an accent. Invest heavily in validated, peer-reviewed science. When your clinical trials are robust and your evidence is solid, you give your U.S. partners the confidence they need. You aren’t asking a partner to take a political risk, you are asking them to make a clinical decision.
- Integrate into the Ecosystem: Don’t just offer a tool. Demonstrate a deep understanding of the market and position your solution to improve the system. Whether you are improving provider workflow or introducing a new therapy, put the patient, the provider, and the system’s stability at the center of your story. When you frame your solution to support their specific goals, you are no longer just a “vendor” but become an essential partner in their operational or clinical success.
- Demonstrate Operational Resilience: Geopolitical risk is often code for “operational uncertainty.” Investors and partners want to know your company is built for continuity. Highlight your diversified footprint, whether it is clinical trial sites, strategic partnerships, key leadership or clinical advocates in the U.S. Many Israeli companies have successfully adopted this model over the last two years, proving they can maintain operations regardless of the environment.
Stop Rewriting Your History. Start Defining the Future.
There will always be naysayers. It is a painful reality, but one the Israeli ecosystem has weathered before. The way through is not to dilute your identity, but to sharpen and elevate value proposition.
Most medical systems and partners simply want the best care possible for their patients, regardless of where the technology was born. If you stay focused on the fundamental goal of healing, prevention and scientifically proven outcomes, you’ll find that the urgency of your solution can transcend the geopolitical friction.
You can’t change your history. You can prove, decisively, why your solution belongs in the customer’s future and is key to sustaining and saving lives.
POSTED BY: Ellie Hanson
