Israel Active

US digital printing giant Shutterfly acquired Haifa-based Photoccino, its 8 employees, and AI photographic algorithm in 2012. The Haifa operation now has 150 Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and Druze employees and contributes much of Shutterfly’s $2.3 billion annual revenue.

Israeli Emily Levi discovered the reason for her chronic pain while watching the TV drama Greys Anatomy. It inspired her to launch her own medical startup Prolo Cure which uses prolotherapy (injections into a joint) to treat chronic pain.

GE Healthcare is to invest up to $50 million in mobile ultrasound products of Israel’s Pulsenmore (see previously).  GE will also distribute Pulsenmore’s home pregnancy monitors. Pulsenmore is now developing monitors for chronic heart failure, end-stage renal disease and more. l

Israel’s Electreon (see previously) has signed a $1.9 million agreement with Israel’s fourth-largest bus operator Electra Afikim, to supply its wireless, dynamic charging infrastructure to simultaneously charge 30 buses. Electreon already signed with Israel’s Dan Buses (see ).

Israeli companies and researchers received 1,666 grants totaling over $1.35 billion from Europe’s Horizon 2020 seven-year research and innovation program. Startups mentioned in the article include , , , , and the .

The Israeli government is investing NIS 10 million to fund up to 70 percent of the cost of new innovative high-tech training and placement programs designed to encourage Israel’s haredi population to join the high-tech industry.

The Israeli government is allocating 2 billion shekels to help integrate the disabled into the wider community. It will finance a range of new services including assistance from social workers, guidance in running a household, stenographic and translation services into sign language and more.

For the first time in Israel’s history, high tech exports accounted for more than 50% of the country’s exports in 2021. In another first, more than 10% of all Israelis now work in the high-tech industry – some 362.000 employees.

Israel’s Optibus (see previously) is Israel’s first public transportation industry Unicorn, raising $100 million in funds to reach a valuation of $1.3 billion. Unit.co (see previously) also raised $100 million for a valuation of $1.2 billion and the first banking-as-service platform to gain Unicorn status.

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