Israel Active

Israel’s Frutarom’s 12th acquisition of 2015 - China’s Inventive - smashed the 21st Century record (10). Frutarom’s new R&D center in Shanghai, together with two Inventive R&D centers, will boost Frutarom’s fruit and flavors market in China and Southeast Asia. Frutarom also made its first acquisition of 2016 - Wiberg of Austria for $130 million - Frutarom’s largest ever purchase.

Israel had a record balance of payments surplus of NIS 3.8 billion in the third quarter of 2015. The main reason was a fall in the cost of imported oil and coal and Israel’s growing use of its own natural gas.

Six members of Israel’s Kamatech accelerator impressed crowds of investors with their technologies at Demo and Investor Day at the Microsoft Technology Center in Times Square, New York. Kamatech was the first accelerator / incubator for ultra-Orthodox entrepreneurs.

Israeli startup CredFi has developed a database on commercial property, covering 1.5 million properties. It is the first to give crucial data for making investment decisions.

I featured Israeli video tech company Interlude previously and . Now MGM is leading an $18.2 million investment in Interlude so that it can make an interactive digital short video, inspired by MGM’s three-time Academy Award-nominated 1983 feature film “WarGames.”

As part of its global innovation strategy, the Australian government is opening an overseas startup hub in Tel Aviv. Entitled “Landing Pad”, it will give Australian entrepreneurs and start-ups a short-term operational base in Israel’s key global innovation hotspot.

Israel’s Rioglass Solar has acquired the thermo-solar receiver business of Germany’s Schott Solar - Rioglass’s main competitor with 70% of the market. Rioglass bought the other 30% from Siemens in 2013 and is the preferred supplier for all new thermo-solar projects globally.

German electronics giant Bosch is setting up a development center in Tel Aviv. Bosch executives visited Israel in June

Israel’s OurCrowd was voted the 10th most innovative Fintech company worldwide, in the annual ‘Fintech 100’ list, the leading Global Fintech innovators report published by investment firm, H2 Ventures and KPMG.

Israel’s Transportation Ministry is offering grants of 150,000 shekels (about $39,000) to public transportation companies that purchase natural gas-powered buses for their fleets. Vehicles powered by natural gas are expected to save energy and reduce air pollution.