Funding for 9 new US-Israeli projects
The Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation approved another $7.5 million in funding for nine new projects between U.S. and Israeli companies. BIRD has financed 926 projects with over $10 billion in its 38-year history.
The first non-Jewish Israeli bond
Michael Shah’s Delshah Capital secured nearly $82 million through the first phase of the firm’s bond issuance on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. In doing so, Shah became the first non-Jewish developer to tap Israel’s corporate bond market.
Netflix buys “The Greenhouse”
US media giant Netflix has bought its first Israeli television show. It has acquired the youth drama “The Greenhouse” (HaKhamama in Hebrew), created by Giora Chamizer. The US version will be set in California, although filmed in Israel.
More automated parking systems
Since I wrote about Israel’s Unitronics it has built five automated parking facilities in North America including two in New Jersey and one in California. It has just won a $4.5 million deal to build another facility in New Jersey.
Fans can invest in their clubs and players
Israeli startup FBFM (Football Fans Marketplace) is developing an online marketplace to allow football (soccer) fans worldwide to invest in their favorite players and clubs. Fans provide loans to clubs for players and then receive a portion of any future transfer proceeds.
The die is cast
Israel’s Omen Casting Group is opening a new high pressure die casting factory in Richmond, Indiana, USA, creating up to 100 new jobs. Omen will manufacture aluminum parts for drivelines, steering components and oil pumps at its new facility, to be installed in US and German cars.
Israeli women behind JFE
Israelis Jenny Belotserkovsky and Michal Tavrovsky founded Jews for Entrepreneurs (JFE) to advance their own startups and help connect them to the Silicon Valley ecosystem.
Spanish startups’ digital mission to Tel Aviv
Spain's internet development agency Red.es, together with trade and investment body ICEX and trade association Adigital, have organized the first digital mission of Spanish tech startups to Tel Aviv in March. They will visit leading Israeli digital economy players.
Amazon to publish T-shirts using Israeli tech
Israel’s Kornit is already revolutionizing the custom-printed textile market with its digital garment printing technology. Now Amazon plans to use the Kornit systems to digitally print shirts on receipt of online customer orders.
EU puts $170 million in Israeli startups
Israel has signed no fewer than 240 agreements with the EU as part of the Horizon 2020 research and development program, with grants to Israeli start-ups and research groups worth up to €155 million euros ($170 million).