Israeli hi-tech sector doing well. Despite some signs of slowdown, the hi-tech industry in Israel remains in fine fettle. According to consultants PwC, 2014 has been a year of great success for the sector in this region. A new record in transactions was recorded last year for Israeli start-ups: $15 billion in public offerings and sales, double the figure realised in 2013. 18 initial public offerings (12 on the Nasdaq and five on the AIM) raised close to $10 billion, compared to a total of only $1.2 billion in 2013. The largest ever IPO by an Israeli start-up was on the New York Stock Exchange by Mobileye, a company which develops driver assistance systems, raising $890 million. In terms of sales, no fewer than 52 young companies were sold last year at a total cost of $5 billion, compared with $6.45 billion in 2013 (39 sales). The average value of transfers fell from $165 million to $97 million over the year. These figures illustrate a change of vision among Israeli start-ups which are now preferring to enter the stock market rather than allow themselves to be bought up, a sign of growing maturity, notes the Tel Aviv office of PwC. (IL)