500 People Climbed A Mountain To Celebrate A Tech Merger In Israel

Two significant Israeli tech companies merged last week, Perion Network and Conduit, creating a company with about 500 employees.

Israel has a hot startup scene with U.S. companies and venture capitalists investing there like mad, as well as shopping for acquisitions (Google bought Waze, Apple bought PrimeSense, etc.) But although there are thousands of tech companies in the country, there are relatively few large or mid-sized firms.

So this merger was something of an event. And so was the celebration. 500 employees climbed Masada mountain together.

Masada is an archaeological site where the Jews of ancient Israel made their last stand against the Roman invasion of 66 BC. It's a patriotic and meaningful place for the locals. At 1,300 feet, it also towers over the surrounding hills of the area. (Plus it's a big tourist destination, where the remains of King Herod's Residential Palace can be explored.)

The new company pitched a tent and hosted a big party at the base of the mountain, too. It was the largest event ever hosted by a tech company at Masada, a Perion spokesperson told us.

Here's what Masada looks like from the distance.