Israel Active

Israel and China have signed an Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) Agreement, which approves importers and exporters who adhere to all international labeling and shipping regulations. The AEO agreement fast-tracks the customs process and will increase trade volumes.

Investment in Israeli startups continues unabated. In the first 3 months of 2015, 46 Israeli startups raised a total of $54 million. This compares to the last quarter of 2014 when 44 startups raised only $41 million.

Israel’s Daniel Ramot realized that the Israeli monit sherut (service taxi) model could work in New York City. For $7 (or $5 prepaid) passengers can share a ride with 3 others in a luxury SUV from 110th Street down to 14th Street. ?

Israel’s Fattal Holdings has purchased 18 European hotels for 200 million Euros. Fattal Hotels already has 35 European hotels, plus another 30 in Israel

Israeli digital ad agency Web3 employs only top customer service people to promote its services. Web3 and its Maple and Positive Media subsidiaries operate in 15 countries. Customers include L’Oreal, Microsoft, Proctor and Gamble, Heineken, Unilever, Ford and Citroen

A businessman is offering Australian entrepreneurs a unique tour of Israel’s Silicon Wadi this October.

When you land at Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Tbilisi, Milan or Manila, look out for the big yellow (Israeli) TravelersBox machines. Deposit your spare foreign coins and notes and convert them into digital currency. Coming soon to Brazil and (of course) Tel Aviv.

IT giant EMC is to hire 50 more employees at its Haifa research and development center. EMC has thousands of Israeli employees: in Petach Tikvah, Galil Yam, Herzliya, Haifa and Beer Sheva. EMC came to Israel in 1996. In 2012 it bought Israel’s XtremIO for over $400 million.

Israel’s Composite State of the Economy Index for April 2015 increased by 0.2 percent, driven mainly by increases in industrial production and trade revenue.

Intel Corp's former chief product officer, Dadi Perlmutter, has co-founded the venture capital company Eucalyptus Growth Capital, which aims to raise $300 million (£191.4 million) to invest in Israeli companies seeking listings.