Hemdat Sagi | Managing Director
Konnect, Innovation hub VW Group TLV

Hemdat Sagi is the Managing Director of Konnect, the Volkswagen Group’s Innovation Hub in Tel Aviv, where she leads efforts to scout, pilot, and implement Israeli mobility and smart technology solutions across the Group’s global operations—from vehicles to factories. Since founding Konnect in 2017 as Volkswagen Group’s first innovation presence in Israel, Hemdat has built a strong bridge between Israeli tech innovation and one of the world’s largest mobility providers. Under her leadership, Konnect has delivered successful collaborations with startups and ecosystem partners, helping to accelerate the Group’s digital transformation and adoption of next-generation mobility technologies. Prior to joining Volkswagen, Hemdat headed the Israeli office of hy – the Axel Springer Consulting Group, where she led innovation consulting and startup engagement projects for Audi in Israel. Her career began in the public sector, where she served for a decade in various roles, most notably as Head of the Economic and Trade Mission at the Israeli Embassy in Berlin (2012–2016). In that role, she promoted Israeli innovation across the German market, supporting hundreds of companies in their international expansion. Hemdat holds law degrees (LL.B, LL.M) from Bar-Ilan University, is a Harvard Negotiation Program graduate, and holds a Business Management diploma from ESMT Berlin. A passionate advocate for open innovation and cross-industry collaboration, Hemdat brings a unique perspective on bridging traditional automotive expertise with disruptive technologies to shape the future of mobility.