Israel Active

Now you can counter BDS attempts to boycott Israeli goods by ordering an ibox.  The ibox is a surprise box consisting of Israeli products, that is delivered to your door.  The specialty ibox will let you hear, taste, see, smell and feel Israel. Profits will benefit organizations fighting BDS.

Israeli startup Bringoz helps its clients deliver purchases to customers in the most efficient way.  Bringoz’s algorithms organize couriers to combine shipments to avoid unnecessary transportation costs.  They take into account urgency, route, volume, weather and more.

After the new Terminal 3 was opened in 2004, Terminal 1 has been used initially only for domestic flights and check-in, border control and security for international flights. Passengers are bused to Terminal 3 to board the plane.  But in summer 2017, passengers could board flights at Terminal 1, eat at restaurants and shop at duty free stores.

I reported previously on the digitizing tie-up between Oxford University press and Israeli start-ups TinyTap, Kidoz, and Total Boox.  Here is how they have been progressing.

Ambassador Yoram Ettinger’s latest report shows Israel is one of the top five world high-tech powers thanks to billion-dollar investments by Apple, USA, China, Russia and India.  GDP has doubled since 2006, FX reserves are over $90 billion, unemployment is falling, etc. etc.  Jonathan Adelman also writes a very positive analysis “Israel emerges as a player on the World stage”.

The Israeli Government is promoting mutual funds for investing in public and private high-tech companies.  In this way, the Israeli public can participate in Israel’s high-tech sector – an area dominated previously by overseas shareholders.

A delegation of 10 Australian cybersecurity and fintech startups will take part in an accelerator program in Tel Aviv in September to boost Sydney’s position as an innovation hub.  It is part of the Australian Government’s Landing Pads initiative to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in Australia.

Israel’s Shikun & Binui is to build a 100-mile (154km) toll road near Bogota, the capital of Colombia in South America.  The contract is worth around $640 million.

A Chinese consortium has bought Israel’s Playtika for $4.4 billion - the third largest sale in Israel’s history.  Playtika is based in Herzliya, but is owned currently by Caesar’s Interactive Entertainment.  Playtika’s games are played daily by over 6 million people in 190 countries, in 12 languages, and on at least 10 platforms.

Israeli startup Sling has been bought by Brazilian Avante.  Sling allows independent traders to access essential business financial services direct from their smartphones.  Sling was extremely popular in Israel and plans to service 10,000 merchants in Brazil.