Gas, oil, Uranium and now Gold?
Something amazing is happening under the Land of Israel. Gulliver Energy has applied to the Mining Supervisor for a gold exploration permit in the Nahal Roded area in the Eilat mountains.
It’s going to be “easy” from Manchester
EasyJet announced that it will start twice-weekly flights from Manchester to Tel Aviv from November 1st 2012. The airline also said that it has carried more than 270,000 passengers on flights to and from Israel since inaugurating its Tel Aviv routes in November 2009.
Israel’s banks are sound
The IMF has performed stress testing on the Israeli banking system and has given it a clean bill of health. So I can now safely take my cash out from under my mattress.
Energy for South Africa
14 Israeli energy companies, specializing in renewable energy and energy efficiency, visited South Africa recently. Several pilot projects and distribution agreements resulted.
Tourism is at an all time high
There has been another rise in numbers of tourists to Israel – 752,000 tourist entries during the first quarter of 2012 – a rise of 2% over the same quarter in 2011.
The first biotech incubator
Merck Serono, a division of the German giant Merck, is investing at least 10 million euros in a project to grow Israeli biotech companies. Israeli start-ups can use Merck’s R&D InterLab facilities in Yavneh for research in order to bring new drugs to market.
Israel is “on fire”
(thanks to Herb) Small start-ups, innovative technology, high risks and fast exits. This is a highly intelligent analysis (by Matt Marshall) of the hi-tech business world in the Jewish State. Israel is good, but it can (and will) get even better.
The Innovation Marathon
From the same author (Matt Marshall), here is his write-up of the 35 Israeli start-ups that presented their products and business plans to prospective investors at the Israel Innovation Marathon event in Tel Aviv. Several have been featured previously in this newsletter, but most are new to me.
The Agrivest Summit
In a similar format to the Innovation Marathon, 14-16 Israeli start-ups in agriculture technologies will have six minutes each to present their business ideas to 100-150 investors from around the world. Israel is recognized as a leading innovator in agriculture technologies.
Tourism brings in record revenues
According to Dun & Bradstreet, 2011 turnover for the top tourist sites was NIS 149 million - about 4.5% more than in 2010. Massada and Jerusalem’s biblical zoo topped the charts. The Ramat Gan Safari Park and the Yamit 2000 water park in Holon also had record years.