Israel Active

Ehud Shabtai, Israeli founder of driving navigation startup, Waze received accolades by the mobile industry: The Israeli innovator was nominated as one of the top ten mobile movers by Venturebeat, a leading technology blog. (Waze won the top award at MWC Barcelona – see above.)

Wix.com Inc., an Israeli provider of online tools that help people build websites, will seek about $75 million in its Initial Public Offering (IPO). JPMorgan Chase will lead the IPO.

The US State of Virginia estimates that it will invest up to $10 million in the next 2-3 years in Israeli companies that will participate in the Gateway USA: Agritech program. A delegation from the Virginia Israel Advisory Board (VIAB) is in Israel to interview potential companies.

Gvahim’s next Accelerator program (Hive3) begins in March. New and returning Israeli immigrant entrepreneurs can receive help to successfully establish a new business. This includes office space in Tel Aviv University, mentoring, workshops, networking events and exposure to investors.

(Thanks to EDI) Israel’s Blue I Technologies has raised $3 million, for expansion into South America and India. Blue I’s advanced water controllers and analyzers measure parameters such as Chlorine, pH, Redox, turbidity, conductivity and temperature.

Despite the global economic slowdown, exports by Intel Israel more than doubled to $4.6 billion in 2012 from $2.2 billion in 2011 and now accounts for a tenth of Israel's total industrial exports. The number of full-time Intel employees grew by 10% to 8,500 and indirect employees to 25,500.

The new Samsung Four Door Refrigerator will incorporate a built-in carbonated water dispenser from Israel’s SodaStream International. Users will be able to select up to three levels of carbonation for their sparkling water. To quote a Samsung VP, “it brings a new experience to the kitchen”.

Fast Company magazine lists the ten most innovative Israeli companies, which includes SodaStream as the 23rd most innovative company in the world.

Boeing will offer Elbit Systems-produced directed infrared countermeasures (DIRCM) equipment with all of its military and civil aircraft. Boeing is working to integrate the systems on to new and existing aircraft.

The new Apple development center in the Ra'anana Industrial Zone will be the company's third in Israel after it opened a development center in Haifa last year and acquired flash memory developer Anobit in Herzliya. Most new staff were previously laid off in TI’s global closures.