Tracing genealogy has long been a favorite hobby and even profession for many people in the West. A couple of Israeli Internet startups are trying to make the task of mapping one's family tree even easier, and they are gaining a huge following.

The largest of these websites is My Heritage, which has accumulated a user base of over 17 million people who have posted 180 million people profiles in 150,000 family trees since the site launched in 2005.

A leading American Internet startup news site reported this week that My Heritage now has major competition from a California-based, though Jewish-run, website called Geni, which has built up a user base of over five million in less than six months and is already valued at over $100 million.

A third competitor is Israel-based Famillion. Famillion is trailing My Heritage and Geni somewhat, though it is still certainly in the game.

An Israeli website reporting on Israeli innovations jokingly noted that “if all the CEOs [of these Jewish and Israeli startups] filled in their family trees they would most likely see that they are related!”

My Heritage, Geni and Famillion are only the latest in a long list of Israeli Internet and technology innovations.