Israel Active

Italy’s Enel, a multinational energy producer, has opened the first and the largest innovation hub to be launched by an Italian company in Israel.  The hub will foster up to 20 startups in technologies from cyber security to big data, smart metering, digital technology and analytics.

Ebay has made another Israeli investment, acquiring SalesPredict, maker of technology that is able to track consumer behavior and preferences when shopping online.  Some of SalesPredict’s employees will move to eBay’s Israeli Development Center in Netanya.

Israel’s Sorek desalination plant will produce cheaper water thanks to a new local ($200 million, 140MW) power plant fueled by natural gas from Israel’s Tamar gas fields.  The power plant will additionally fuel local factories.

In May 2015, El Al began its “Cockpit” hub to help entrepreneurs develop solutions for the travel industry. Now it has launched Navigator – an accelerator program for those startups.

The Ugandan government has chosen Israel’s Tzamir Architects and City Planning to plan the massive reconstruction of Uganda’s infrastructure.  It includes the building of a new International airport.

Cleveland Clinic, together with Israel’s Maccabi Healthcare Services, have been awarded an incubator franchise from the Israel Innovation Authority.  It will invest $40 million (including $25 million from the Israeli government) in Israeli startups over eight years.

I reported previously that International giant Bayer invested $10 million in a new fund to support Israeli agro-tech start-ups.  Now it has joined with Israel’s OurCrowd and DuPont to set up a new accelerator fund to finance early stage agricultural technology start-ups.

The latest news on Israeli company promotion startup YotPo since my Dec 2012 article – is that it tripled its revenue and customers last year, opened a New York office and is hiring 250 more employees.  It has also just raised $22 million of funding.

Barak Raz was in the business delegation accompanying Prime Minister Netanyahu’s visit of East African countries. Developing infrastructure, fighting desertification, telecommunications, agriculture, water, energy, homeland security - opportunities are endless.

A delegation of 11 Israeli companies from the field of the Internet of Things will be part of an investors’ roadshow that will take place in Tokyo and Osaka. More than 200 meetings have been set up for the startups, including with Japanese conglomerates Fujitsu, NEC and Hitachi.