Saving energy on thousands of radiators
Israel’s Solchip (see previously) has won an order for 20,000 of its SolRad energy-saving IoT devices from one of Europe’s largest publicly traded real estate companies. The low-cost device can be retrofitted to any radiator in minutes to reduce energy consumption by up to 35%.
Defense tech is hot for VC funds
No longer is defense technology shunned by investors as speakers emphasized at the DefenseTech Summit, hosted at Tel Aviv University.
Investing in defense
Israeli VC fund, Protego Ventures, investing in military tech startups, has already secured $70 million in just two weeks and is expected to close at $200 million. It is in high demand, primarily from U.S. institutional investors. Protego is founded by two dynamic female entrepreneurs Lital Leshem and Lee Moser.
Israel Tech Mission
A delegation of 44 overseas entrepreneurs and investors joined the third Israel Tech Mission (see previously) to connect with Israel's high-tech sector. They visited Tel Aviv’s Google for Startups branch. See comments of newsletter subscriber Nathan Low MD of Silan Ventures.
Helping to irrigate Australasia
Israel’s CropX (see previously) has launched its Actual ET sensor in Australia and New Zealand. This first-of-its-kind sensor monitors real-time plant water use in a field through evapo-transpiration (ET). It integrates with CropX’s farm management system for efficient irrigation.
Look who’s using Israeli-created avatars
Israel’s D-ID (see previously) has launched Personal Avatars that can generate digital agents indistinguishable from real people. D-ID’s clients include PepsiCo, AXA, Lenovo, J.P. Morgan, Softbank, Warner Bros and many more. See also D-ID’s ethics pledge.
Startup investment – to 8/12/24
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Exits, mergers & acquisitions – to 8/12/24
Israel’s has acquired UK’s Capitalab for .
From IDF Chief to deep tech VC
Aviv Kohavi left his job as IDF Chief of Staff in Jan 2023. He has now reportedly joined Israeli-Canadian investment company Awz Ventures, which specializes in deep tech.
Second bounce for Omri Caspi’s fund
When Israel’s Omri Casspi retired from the NBA circuit, he founded Swish Ventures. Swish has raised $60 million for its second fund, aiming to invest in around 10 Israeli startups. Swish already manages around $125 million in assets. Portfolio companies include PointFive, Eon and Upwind.