Israel Active

Google is to acquire Israel-based cloud storage company Elastifile for approximately $200 million. Elastifile had already been partnering Google Cloud, plus Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure.

Israeli entrepreneur Sharon Rabi studied electrical engineering at Tel Aviv University. But a too-short haircut and lack of styling tools prompted her to invent the DAFNI. Her range of products now sells in 15 countries.

If you can afford the steep price, you can avoid crowds by using the new Fattal Terminal at TLV Ben Gurion Airport. You get a nice place to chill, eat and drink as much as you want while the staff take care of your bags and passport control. Plus, a luxury car takes you direct to your aircraft.

Non-profit organization Start-up Nation Central has opened L28 (in Tel Aviv’s Lilienblum Street) where chefs can conceive and develop Israeli foods, ingredients and menus. It will also help chefs learn how to run a restaurant, without the worries of raising enough money to survive.

Budget airline EasyJet is starting a new route connecting Tel Aviv and Toulouse from 29th Oct. The twice-weekly service is easyJet’s sixth destination from Tel Aviv to France and its 18th to Europe.

For the first time in 20 years, Israelis will be able to fly non-stop to the 115 islands of the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean. Thanks to the fuel- and cost-efficient engines on its new Airbus A320neo planes, Air Seychelles will begin the six-hour, 20-minute service on 27th Nov.

The US-Israel Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) foundation is to invest another $8.2 million in 9 new joint R&D projects . Israeli startups (seven new to this newsletter) include 3PLW, Igentify, IAI, MyndYou, Netafim, Novelsat, Shamaym, Snappers and WizeCare.

Israel’s reserves of foreign currency hit another record level at the end of June of over $ 120 billion.

The New York-Israel Business Alliance has reported that the economic benefit to New York of its 500 Israeli companies is over $33 billion. They employ almost 25,000 New Yorkers. In addition, Israel’s SOSA and JVP are at the forefront of NYC’s cybersecurity initiative.

Cyber Intelligence, a subsidiary of Israel’s Elbit Systems, is to provide the Dutch National Police with a cyber intelligence system. It is part of Elbit’s Intelligence 360 suite, scalable and fits other custom requirements of the Dutch National Police.