The Unlikely Path to a $497 Million Israeli Exit

Dr. Eyal Orion did not dream of being an entrepreneur, certainly not a serial entrepreneur. He knew little about economics or entrepreneurship. By the age of 30, he had not yet decided what he truly wanted to do in life. Even while on a seemingly safe path at the Technion’s medical school, doubts about whether medicine was the right choice never gave him any rest. Today, nearly two decades later, he is one of the most prominent figures in Israel’s medical device industry.

He spent his childhood in Ramat Efal as one of four siblings. His parents still live in the same house, and he and his siblings stayed nearby. “It was a very good, fun childhood,” he recalls. “A small town where the elementary school teachers were also your neighbors. A middle-class but very diverse socioeconomic environment, with childhood friends I’m still in touch with today.”

In 1995, he enlisted in a pilot course but was dismissed after ten flights. “Quite rightly so,” he says. “I had no talent whatsoever to be a pilot. I suppose the tests are much more advanced today.” From there, he transferred to the paratroopers.

After his army service, Orion moved to Haifa to study medicine at the Technion. As his studies progressed, his doubts grew: “I began to ask myself if I really wanted to be a doctor. Medicine is a fascinating profession, but also very grueling. You need real passion to last.” In his fifth year, while still studying medicine, he enrolled in a master’s program in business administration at Tel Aviv University.

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