Israel Active

Israeli digital engagement solutions provider LivePerson has bought US company Contact At Once! for $65 million.  The acquisition adds more clients plus CAO’s unique technology.

(Thanks to Israel21c) Waze co-founder Uri Levine has developed a new app called FeeX.  Upload details of your IRA retirement account and FeeX (Pontera) will report how much you are losing in fees.  It will then give you a list of similar funds that have lower fees.  FeeX is available in the US and Israel.  

The influential international business magazine Inc. included Israeli web development platform Wix in its seven hottest Middle Eastern startups.  It describes Wix as the model example of innovation and success in Israel’s Tel Aviv hub. Wix is advertising during this year’s US Super Bowl.

Israel’s Minister of Economy, Naftali Bennett, headed a delegation of 15 Israeli water companies to advance the sale of Israeli water technologies in China.  Bennett also launched the flagship Israeli project by nominating the city of Shouguang to be the Israeli “Water City” in China.

Israel’s budget deficit for Oct 2014 was NIS 2.1 billion compared with NIS 4.5 billion in Oct 2013.  Government spending was up 3.1% during Jan to Oct 2014 compared to the same period last year.  Tax revenues were up 7.2% over the same period.

(Thanks to Hazel) UK Ambassador Matthew Gould reported that in addition to a 26% increase in bilateral trade, eight Israeli companies have gone public on the London Stock Exchange this year.  Israel’s Teva now produces one in six pills sold in the United Kingdom.

The 3-day Czech-Israeli Water Management Seminar in Prague connected government officials and the business sector to Israeli expertise in water safety and protection, wastewater reclamation and aquaculture technologies – all relevant to the Czech market.

Israel has proposed that EU countries invest in a multi-billion euro pipeline to carry its natural gas to the continent. The pipeline will go via Cyprus, Greece and Italy which all support the idea.

Governor Phil Bryan declared his recent Mississippi State business development mission to Israel as the best such trade trip he’s had as governor.  He is now planning an “Israel/Mississippi Business Summit” in April to bring Israeli companies to the Magnolia State.

Temasek, a $200 billion investment company owned by the Singaporean government, is placing $5 million in the Ramot Momentum fund operated by Tel Aviv University’s Ramot technology transfer company. It is the first official investment by Singapore in Israel, although telecom giant SingTel recently opened an R&D center following its purchase of Israel’s Amobee.