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JERUSALEM — More than 100 Israeli high-tech companies are to explore joint ventures and meet potential investors at a unique gathering to be held in Santa Clara in May, organizers said last week.

At TechVentures Israel 1998, Israeli companies' representatives are to meet with the leading U.S. companies in Silicon Valley, Wall Street analysts, investment banks and venture capital funds.

Kobi Dinar, CEO and president of Sunstone Ventures, which initiated the project, said the conference is the first of its kind and "will be a launching pad for Israeli companies that plan to go public on the stock exchange or are interested in mergers or sale of shares."

Sunstone Ventures is a Haifa-based firm that fosters strategic partnerships for high-tech companies. The other sponsor is the Miller Freeman communications company.

Orna Berry, chief scientist at the Industry and Trade Ministry, is looking into the possibility of the government sponsoring the participation of start-up companies and technological incubators at the convention.