Israel Active

Through its InMotion Ventures, Tata Motors (owner of Jaguar Land Rover) has invested in the $40 million VC fund of Israel’s Maniv Mobility. This invests in autonomous driving, connected cars and vehicle data and already has investments in Israeli startups Otonomo and Cognata.

I reported previously on Israeli cyber-security startup Checkmarx which is preparing a NASDAQ listing.  Checkmarx has just taken over the UK’s Codebashing, whose software trains programmers to write secure code, by use of Codebashing’s interactive game-like app.

Cyberbit, a subsidiary of Israel’s Elbit Systems, is opening new offices in Singapore which it sees as an important center for cybersecurity technologies in the Asia Pacific region.  Elbit acquired Cyberbit from Israel’s Nice Sysems in 2015 and it already has offices in the US and Europe.

Israel’s Tower Semiconductor, which specializes in analog chips, has seen its share price double over the past year.  It is now valued at NIS 9.5 billion ($2.6 billion). First quarter profit rose nearly 60% to $45.5 million.  The demand for analog chips has soared, even in the digital world.

Israel’s Ministry of Economy and Industry has set up Maof - The Agency for Small and Mid-Sized Enterprises. Maof has 40 branches, providing subsidized consulting, help to raise funds, organizing conferences, courses, training and special projects.

The Israel Water Authority Council has reduced the rate for the first 3.5 cubic meters of water per person for household consumers by 14.5%.  The cost to farmers has been cut by 20%.

Israeli organization AlmaLinks promotes Birthright-like ties between the Jewish business community in the US and Israel. It brought 200 Diaspora business executives to hear from Israelis who have led their companies to become “Unicorns” - i.e. having valuations of a billion dollars or more.

The British Embassy in Tel Aviv has reported that since the Brexit vote, from June 2016 to May 2017, 32 new Israeli companies have entered the UK market, investing £152 million and creating 888 new jobs.

Israel Export Institute reported that Israeli exports to the U.S. amounted to $3.1 billion in the first quarter of 2017 - an increase of 5% over the same period in 2016. Medical equipment exports rose 23% to $650 million.

Watch Mayim Bialik (star of “The Big Bang Theory”) in her new commercial for Israel’s SodaStream.  She humorously demonstrates how buying water and fizzy drinks in plastic bottles “makes no sense”.