Israel Active

Japanese Culture Week in Jerusalem showed that Japan has definitely found the Israeli market. Under the guidance of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) Japanese food manufacturers are even obtaining kosher certification.

The Canada-Israel Industrial Research Development Foundation, the Government of Saskatchewan, and the Israeli Embassy announced a new program to encourage research and development between Saskatchewan and Israel, and strengthen innovation and economic ties.

Forbes has declared the Israeli-born husband and wife team of Adi Tatarko and Alon Cohen to be the high tech world’s “newest power couple.”  Adi and Alon founded Houzz.com - a platform for home remodeling and design. Houzz has 25 million monthly users and the company is valued at $2 billion.

(Thanks to Janglo) Google Tel Aviv is one of the eight companies included in Inc. Magazine’s 4th annual list of the World’s Coolest Offices.  See pages 5 – 8 in the linked article.

International telecommunications giant Telefonica is to provide help and funding to companies in Israel’s VLX Ventures technology incubator. Telefonica will invest up to $1 million in specific digital communications projects, and will also contribute its experience.

Blender is a new Israeli on-line platform that connects borrowers to lenders without a bank acting as middleman.  The result is less bureaucracy, better rates and lower fees, albeit with greater risk.

International telecommunications giant Telefonica is to provide help and funding to companies in Israel’s VLX Ventures technology incubator. Telefonica will invest up to $1 million in specific digital communications projects, and will also contribute its experience.

By end 2015, Israel may have binding agreements to sell billions of dollars of natural gas to Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority. Even Turkey is interested.  Israeli Energy Minister Silvan Shalom said Israel’s gas “allows us to enjoy both political and economic fruits”.

Thanks to ex-Ambassador Yoram Ettinger for this report of recent Israeli global business successes. 

(Thanks to Israel21c) Turkey, Italy, Germany, France, Sweden and Spain have all signed deals for new original Israeli game shows and reality formats.  At the MIPCOM TV market in Cannes, international TV producers bought “The People’s Choice”, “Help! I can’t cook!” and “300 Sec. Ride”