Small package, big success

Venture capital money tends to fly over and past Florida, with investors consistently lamenting there are too few startups in the state with the right mix of innovation, potential and moxie.

The stats show the problem: For example, Florida, the fourth most populous state in the country, ranked 17th nationwide in venture capital investment in 2008, according to the Naples-based Gulf Coast Venture Forum. With $235 million, Florida lagged way behind much smaller states like Minnesota and Colorado.

But local economic officials and entrepreneurs who seek to change that dreary tally could find an example of what works in a somewhat surprising place: Israel.