Israel Active

Want to be a good trader? Look to Israel. So says Meir Velenski, managing director of City Index's new office in Tel Aviv. They argue better, speak many languages, take better risks and seek new opportunities.

Low-cost giants Ryanair are rumored to be preparing to launch flights to Tel Aviv. Ryanair’s entering the market is likely to dramatically lower fares and bring hundreds of thousands of new tourists to Israel.

Israel and Spain have agreed to form a joint team that would see Israeli port security technology implemented in Spain. Spain's Minister for Development visited Ashdod Port - one of the most advanced in the world, incorporating various container identification algorithms and biometric systems.

Israel’s Amaryllis is currently joint-building the Nargol deep-water port in Gujarat in northwest India. It has now just passed the pre-qualification stage in the tender to build a new wharf at the Chennai port, in Tamil Nadu State in southeast India.

The Tech Startup Awards contest in Berlin on Jan 22nd will feature Israeli companies WalkMe, Yotpo, Uppspace, Startapp, GooodJob, Fiverr and Licensario.

Despite bleak forecasts, hundreds of new ventures were founded during 2012, and thousands of entrepreneurs took the huge risk of embarking on a new road. 2012 was also good for financing by start-ups who raised $1.8 billion from venture capital funds. Prospects for 2013 look similar.

Singapore’s Spring Seeds Capital fund manages some $150 million. It is seeking investments in Israeli high-tech companies looking to open part of their business in Singapore – a country with similarities to Israel – a small population and an economy focused on technology companies.

Philips’ new center will focus on image processing and analysis, and long-term research. It will employ scores of scientists, image processing technicians, and software and clinical engineers. Philips currently has 600 employees in Haifa, specializing in 3D CT scanners.

With Israel’s natural gas output from the Tamar field scheduled to commence in a few months, the government has raised 2013 GDP growth predictions from 3% to 3.5%.

The Start-up Ecosystem Index 2012 report scores Tel Aviv as overall runner-up to Silicon Valley in its Global index. Here is a link to the full 160-page report.